13.07.2015 Views

History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

CHAPTER XCONTAGIOUS DISEASESBy ARCHIBALD L.HOYNE, M.D.TOIntroductionunderstand the problem <strong>of</strong> transmissible diseases <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois prior to1900, it is necessary to note several important facts. In the first place,there appears to have been no special <strong>in</strong>struction relat<strong>in</strong>g to communicablediseases <strong>in</strong> any <strong>of</strong> the <strong>medical</strong> schools; acute <strong>in</strong>fections were grouped togetherand <strong>in</strong>cluded with the didactic courses <strong>in</strong> general medic<strong>in</strong>e, andcl<strong>in</strong>ical material was not available, even for a limited number <strong>of</strong> students.Moreover, an <strong>in</strong>ternship was not then required to qualify for the <strong>practice</strong><strong>of</strong> medic<strong>in</strong>e, and physicians <strong>of</strong>ten embarked upon their chosen pr<strong>of</strong>essionwithout ever hav<strong>in</strong>g seen a case <strong>of</strong> contagious disease. Aga<strong>in</strong>, there was atotal lack <strong>of</strong> isolation hospitals <strong>of</strong> any type <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois until1854. At thistime a hospital for contagious disease patients <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois was built atRock Island at a cost <strong>of</strong> 3467.09. An <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g account <strong>of</strong> this <strong>in</strong>stitutionis given <strong>in</strong> "The Doctors' Story," published recently by the Rock IslandCounty Medical <strong>Society</strong>; the follow<strong>in</strong>g is quoted from the article: "Calleda 'hospital,' it is <strong>in</strong> reality a pest house for the isolation <strong>of</strong> patients withhighly contagious diseases. The build<strong>in</strong>g was large, 25 by 47 feet <strong>in</strong> areaand 12 feet high." In the early days <strong>of</strong> its existence, cholera was the pr<strong>in</strong>cipaldisease for which patients were admitted, but <strong>in</strong> later years it becamea smallpox hospital. Also, near the close <strong>of</strong> the century, a hospital was built<strong>in</strong> Chicago for the exclusive care <strong>of</strong> smallpox. 1• In 1927, the State Department <strong>of</strong> Public Health <strong>of</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois published The Rise andFall <strong>of</strong> Disease <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois. It was prepared by the then State Director <strong>of</strong> Public Health, I. D.Rawl<strong>in</strong>gs, M.D., <strong>in</strong> collaboration with W. A. Evans, Gottfried Koehler and B. K. Richardson.This volume conta<strong>in</strong>s the history <strong>of</strong> transmissible and <strong>in</strong>fectious diseases <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>oistogether with an analysis, amply illustrated by charts and tables, <strong>of</strong> all available healthdata from the advent <strong>of</strong> the white man up to approximately 1927. S<strong>in</strong>ce the State <strong>of</strong>Ill<strong>in</strong>ois has thus made available this comprehensive report together with references tothe literature, it seemed adequate <strong>in</strong> Volume II <strong>of</strong> "The <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Medical Practice <strong>in</strong>Ill<strong>in</strong>ois" to present the Chapter on Contagious Diseases <strong>in</strong> an abbreviated form. Dr.Hoyne, who is well qualified <strong>in</strong> the fields <strong>of</strong> practical medic<strong>in</strong>e and public health,consented to do this. He graduated from Rush Medical College <strong>in</strong> 1904. For many yearshe has been the Director <strong>of</strong> the Chicago Municipal Hospital for Contagious Diseases.He also has a large consult<strong>in</strong>g <strong>practice</strong>.—Editor1On page 72 <strong>of</strong> Volume I <strong>of</strong> <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Medical Practice <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois by Zeuch, thereappears this statement: Dr. George Fisher "erected a house <strong>of</strong> refuge on his plantationsix miles from Kaskaskia which was the first record <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutional care <strong>of</strong> this dread239

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!