History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

The Rise of Medical Specialismmay be said to have also founded the American Neurological Associationin 1875.To illustrate further the advance of specialism in Illinois, Dr. E. L.Holmes founded the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in Chicago in 1858.Soon he and his associates became active in publishing papers in the generalmedical journals long before the advent of special publications in this field.The American Medical Association and the Illinois State MedicalSociety, both permanently founded in mid-century, continued for years topublish both special and general papers in the columns of their officialpublications. Almost from the beginning, committees for the specialtieswere appointed at the annual meetings of these organizations to promotetheir activities and to arrange for the programs of the specialties.97Later,special sections were created. The early numbers of the transactions ofthese societies cover adequately the specialty literature of that day and,as source material, are invaluable.To understand further the rise and progress of the specialties duringthis half century (1850 to 1900), it may be helpful to set forth in morepopular fashion the status of medical practice at the very beginning of thisperiod. One of the most lucid statements suitable for our purpose waswritten just before the Civil War by a writer of note, Dr. T. L. Nichols,who had travelled widely over the entire region east of the MississippiRiver during that early period. Following is a series of his pertinent commentsabout medicine in this region, given in substance or in his ownwords: 6The medical profession in America bears the evils of haste and irregularityincident to so many of its institutions. It is a country of many and violent diseases.Large portions of the newly settled country, and some of the oldest as well, arefull of the malaria that causes intermittent fever. In the West and Southwest thereare in swamp and bottom lands worse malaria, causing violent bilious fevers. Thecities and villages of the South, unless guarded by rigid quarantine, are subject toyellow fever— the terrible vomito of the West Indies and Mexico. The North, withits cold winters, has multitudes of cases of rheumatism. Children die in great numbersin towns of cholera infantum, and everywhere of scarlatina and measles.Continued and typhoid fevers are common.The Americans, who do everything in a hurry, educate their doctors accordingly.In some states a student is required to read three years under some regularphysician and to attend, during this period, two courses of lectures. But if he payshis fees, exhibits a certificate of his study period and passes a hasty examinationhe receives his Medical Diploma. He has full authority to bleed and blister, setbroken bones and cut off limbs. But in most states there is no need of this authorization.Anyone may practice medicine who chooses to do so. No diploma isneeded and no license required. This is the American idea of "free trade and nomonopoly.""Nichols, T. L.: Forty Years of American Life (1821-1861). Publishers, Stackpole Sons,New York. Reprinted by The Telegraph Press. Harrisburg, Pa., 1937.