OF INDIANA

G. W. H. KEMPER, M.D.
MUNCIE, IND.

MEDICAL HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY

(Continued from page 409, vol. III.) RICHMOND, JOHN L.- Pendleton (1785-1855). Dr. Richmond has a two-line mention in Forkner and Dyson's History of Madison County, but no dates are given. This is the Dr. Richmond who performed the operation of Cesarean section at Newtown, Ohio, in 1827. See sketch by Dr. Kemper.

RIDER, DANIEL M.-New Columbus (1827-1907). RINGO, JAMES L.-Elwood (1866-1901). 1902, 422.

S. T.

RYAN, TOWNSEND.-Anderson (1813-1879). Dr. Ryan was born in Lancaster, Pa., 1813. In early manhood he removed to Hamilton, Ohio, where he engaged in the mercantile business and was also part

owner and manager of a line of canal packets running between Hamilton and Cincinnati. He was impoverished by the panic of 1837. He then studied medicine and graduated at the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. He practiced first at Lewisville in Henry county, but removed to Anderson in 1842 and for about twenty-five years was one of the most prominent physicians of the county and state. He was one of the vice-presidents of the Indiana State Medical Society at its organization in 1849. He was elected to the legislature from Madison county in 1846. He was engaged actively in the construction of the first two railroads which now pass through the county. He lost his fortune the second time in a contract to build a railroad from Rushville to Indianapolis. He then returned to the practice of medicine in which he was eminently successful.

When the Civil War broke out he was the first democrat in the county to declare in favor of the war

public speaker and gave much time to the raising of troops. He soon received a commission as lieutenantcolonel of the 34th Indiana Volunteer Infantry and went into active service in 1861. He was promoted to the colonelcy of the same regiment in 1862 on the resignation of Colonel Steele. After the capture of Island No. 10, he resigned on account of ill health. Not being content out of service he soon returned to the front as surgeon of the 54th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which capacity he served until near the close of the war, when he again engaged in practice in Anderson. During a few of his latter years he was engaged in mercantile business. He was a man of superior intelligence, with a mind which seemed in advance of his time; always looking toward and planning for the future.

SAUNDERS, JOSEPH.

Prosperity (1849-1909). A native of Ohio. Came to Madison County in 1871. Graduated at Indiana Medical College, 1844. Practiced in county twenty-five years. President of Madison County Farmers' Insurance from organization. SIMS, T. S.-Elwood (1836-1896). Dr. Sims was a native of Virgina. Came to Madison County in 1876. Practiced in Elwood sixteen years.

SPANN, BENJAMIN F.-Anderson (1830-1894). Born in Jefferson County, Indiana, May 14, 1830. Practiced at Lebanon before locating at Anderson, where he arrived November 19, 1860, and continued in practice for thirty-four years. He was a graduate of the Ohio Medical College. He served a term as coroner of Madison County. By appointment of the governor he was also a trustee of two state institutions, the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute and the Hospital for the Insane at Indianapolis. He was a member of the county, state and national medical associations. S. T. 1894, 225.

STEPHENSON, JOSEPH.-Pendelton (1819-1886). S. T. 1886, 213.

SUMAN, WILLIAM.-Anderson (1829-1898). A native of Madison County, where he practiced medicine thirty-eight years; twenty-two in Anderson, and sixteen in Frankton. Was a faithful member of the medical societies of county and state. S. T. 1899, p. 393.

SWALLOW, GEORGE E.

1893).

Summitville, (18-

TERRILL, LUTHER B. - Anderson (1854-1910). Born in Missouri. Educated in Cincinnati. Graduated Practiced at the Medical College of Ohio in 1880. medicine in Cincinnati. Removed to Anderson in 1895, where he was one of the foremost physicians for fifteen years. He was a surgeon of acknowledged ability. Served as surgeon of the American Steel and Wire Company during the entire period of his residence in Anderson.

VAN METER, ISAAC N.-Florida (1849-1899). A native of Madison county. Graduated from Indiana University in 1871 and from Indiana Medical College in 1872. Practiced in Madison County twenty-three years. S. T. 1900, 340.

WALKER, MADISON GREENE.-Pendleton (18091875). A native of West Virginia. Came to Madison County in 1833, where he was one of the prominent physicians for twenty-nine years. Retired to a farm in 1862. Removed to Carthage, Missouri, in 1874.

is represented by a card. The biography to be entered covers time and place of birth, preliminary education, pre-medical occupation, time and place of graduation, when and how long practicing, school or specialty, member of what societies, papers read before societies, papers published, offices held, medical or public, literary work, hobbies, post-graduate study and member of what church and organizations, family, time, place and cause of death.

In starting this, get a small indexed book to carry with you, entering every name you happen upon accidently, later transferring them to the cards. A thorough search entails the perusal of every city directory, all the Polk's, Butler's Standard and A. M. A. medical directories, The State Transactions, reports of the Board of Health and State Board of Medical Registration and Examination, old files of newspapers, registers of the county clerk under the old law and the new, published histories of the counties and finally the records on the tombstones.

Supposing the directories to be accurate, you can ascertain the length of time each man was in the county. Here is such a book containing 557 names occurring in the county of Vigo. Without actual enumeration, no one would estimate that large a number. Use one card for a list of doctors that have filled offices in the city and county; other cards for the extent of practice of medicine by women, the rise and progress of homeopathy, eclecticism, physio-medicine, even osteopathy, with perhaps one for the development in transportation from the horse and saddlebags to the automobile.

5. Still another scrap book contains clippings from the public press relative to the individual physician, medical societies, Board of Health and hospitals, professional cards, etc. I manage to fill a fairly large book every year of this kind. This in itself constitutes material rich enough to write a history from.

6. A file of every bulletin, program and announcement of the medical society, all banquet programs and menu cards and other souvenirs of the social side of the profession.

society and every paper read by local members before the state and district societies.

9. Before the older members pass away, interview them and record full notes concerning the organization of hospitals, the medical society, colleges, Board of Health, concerning epidemics and development of health laws.

10. The secretary may be instrumental in the inception of a society medical library if your county does not already have one. It is usually possible to have donated the old medical books. of a deceased member and these, accumulating with the demise of the doctors, will form a nucleus and lead to larger things. True, these books possess only historic value, but their preservation with the owner's autograph insure a remembrance and a monument to that physician. In time a small fund will be appropriated to subscribe to a few current journals and later on to buy regularly new standard books. For the physicians thus to pool their book or journal. money will result in each one having access to a larger library than he can ever hope to own himself. With the books should be preserved paintings or portraits of the physicians or donors. It may well be urged upon every secretary to secure, by some means, every one of the transactions of the state society and also all of the reports of the State Board of Health and State Board of Medical Registration.

11. Doctors, busy with the day's duties, acquaint themselves but little with medical history, some from lack of time; a few, alas, from lack of interest and the secretary can be of use in writing the history of his own county from all this store of information which he had compiled, putting the same in a small pamphlet and placing a copy in the hands of every member.

Here, indeed, is outlined a task of such magnitude as to rival one of the labors of Hercules, but its accomplishment is pleasant when one reflects upon its priceless value in later years.

Do not understand me to be unmindful of the more necessary duties of the secretary. What is required, however, is one who, above ordinary qualifications, is a born statistician-systematic to a fault, a curator of historic relics, a conserver and not a vandal of records.

ANTERIOR poliomyelitis is getting to be a serious proposition in several states where it has spread with considerable rapidity. The disease has appeared in several localities in Indiana and the State Board of Health has acted wisely in recommending strict quarantine.