History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

96 History of Medical Practice in Illinoistrend either with the physicians or with certain elements of the public. Inthe minds of many, it was degrading to the better class of practitioners.This is clearly indicated by the action of the American Medical Associationat its general meeting in 1869, nearly twenty years after it was founded,when the following resolution was adopted: "Resolved that this Associationrecognizes specialties as proper and legitimate fields of practice." Thisdeclaration may be considered as the official beginning—a green light, as itwere—for the era of specialism in this country. Much, of course, had beenaccomplished before this date to justify this recognition by the AmericanMedical Association. For example, the Civil War, furnishing for study agreat variety of diseases en masse, was an encouragement to doctorsdevote their time and efforts to a limited group of diseases or even to onedisease. War has always tended to do this, as we now well know from ourown later experiences.Also during this period many basic discoveries were being made: Virchowin 1859 published his cellular pathology. Shortly thereafter Pasteur announcedhis great work on bacteria, and Lord Lister was soon to applythese basic facts to medicine and especially to surgery. These and manymore revelations and technical inventions were bound to result in time inthe use of special methods in every field.One may cite still other and more immediate reasons for the rise ofspecialism in Illinois during the last century. Occasionally a general physicianwould inform the community that he was especially prepared to treatdiseases of a certain class or group, eye diseases for example. Publicity wasgiven to the people in various ways: by personal contacts, by the name ofthe specialty inscribed under the physician's name at his office, by noticesor advertisements in the newspapers or in other public sheets. The earlyissues of our newspapers often reveal illustrations of such publicity methods.These doctors, whether quacks, regulars or homeopaths, continued to carryon their general practice while thus promoting their favored specialty.Special Institutions and PublicationsInstitutions for special diseases had an important influence in promotingspecialism. In the founding of mental hospitals, many alert general doctorsbecame well trained psychiatrists for their day. In Illinois the first Hospitalfor the Insane was erected at Jacksonville as early as 1851.In such institutions, in general hospitals and in medical colleges theresoon appeared medical papers of value. This encouraged the early beginningof both special medical societies and special medical journals. Thefirst specialty publication in Illinois was the Journal of Nervous and MentalDiseases, founded in 1874 by Drs. J.S. Jewell and H. M. Bannister, bothof whom had been interested in these diseases for years. In fact, Dr. Jewellto