History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

CHAPTER VIIIGENERAL SURGERYBy KELLOGG SPEED, M.D.*IAM not vain enough to suppose that Ihave exhausted the subject; likea traveler who is exploring, for the first time, the resources of a newcountry, I have made many extensive excursions, wandered hither andthither in pursuit of objects, culling here and there a choice flower, orpicking up a gem by the wayside; but many things have doubtless escapedmy attention, and much is left to reward the research and scrutiny of ni)successors." xIntroductionThe threads of the story of surgery in Illinois may be picked up as earlyas 1830. The doctors of medicine of those years often cared for the sickunder trying conditions; housing was crude, the water supply often unsanitary,and hygiene unknown. These pioneer men of medicine were versatile;often they possessed legal knowledge and at intervals acted as judges,and it w ? as common for some to have had training as ministers of the Gospel.Weaver cites a Yorkville physician who met a neighboring physician inAurora and told him he had performed during the day a surgical operationand tried a law suit. The friend's reply was that in that day he had visitedhis patients, tried a law suit and preached a funeral service.The history of surgery in Illinois in the period 1850 to 1900 is naturallyinterwoven with the history of the advance of medicine in the whole world.However, there are several factors which undoubtedly influenced thedramatic advance of medicine in this state, as follows:1. Illinois, although centrally located in the North American continent,has been far from isolated; it lies favorably situated at the foot of the GreatLakes and has been since early days a natural stopping point for peoplemoving east or west across the continent.• Following his graduation from the University of Chicago and Rush Medical College,Dr. Speed was successful in obtaining an internship at Cook County Hospital by competitiveexamination. Later, through the periodic examinations for attending men, hegained the rank of Attending Surgeon, which position he held for some twenty years.He also early acquired a position on the surgical staff of Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago,where he conducted his private and consulting practice, and held a Professorship inSurgery in Rush Medical College. Dr. Speed has contributed many scientific papers tothe medical literature and is the author of the well known Textbook on Fractures andDislocations, which has now passed through several editions.—Editor1From the writings of Samuel D. Gross as epioted by Weaver (see Bibliography).153