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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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240 <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Medical Practice <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>oisUntil the orig<strong>in</strong>al Medical Practice Act was secured from the Ill<strong>in</strong>oislegislature <strong>of</strong> 1876-77 and signed by Governor Shelby M. Cullom, the report<strong>in</strong>g<strong>of</strong> communicable disease was frequently neglected. It was yearslater that uniform regulations throughout the state were applied to isolation,quarant<strong>in</strong>e and other measures respect<strong>in</strong>g the public health.In themeantime, cities and towns were fortunate to have a s<strong>in</strong>gle health <strong>of</strong>ficer,even if he served only part time.Without sanitary eng<strong>in</strong>eers, it is little wonder that Ill<strong>in</strong>ois dur<strong>in</strong>g thisperiod had violent <strong>in</strong>test<strong>in</strong>al epidemics, for example the cholera epidemic<strong>in</strong> 1866, and that frequent typhoid fever and "summer diarrhea" outbreaks<strong>in</strong> children were common occurrences throughout the century. Althoughapparently the pr<strong>of</strong>ession recognized a relationship between sanitationand the prevalent gastro-<strong>in</strong>test<strong>in</strong>al diseases, the Transactions <strong>of</strong> the Ill<strong>in</strong>oisState Medical <strong>Society</strong> published only eight papers on public health dur<strong>in</strong>ga period <strong>of</strong> 50 years. Among the earliest to report were Drs. E. P. Cook andJ. C. Corbus <strong>of</strong> Mendota on scarlet fever (1870); Dr. Samuel J.Birney <strong>of</strong>Urbana on rubeola and scarlat<strong>in</strong>a (1876) and on measles (1881). Dr.Charles W. Earle <strong>of</strong> Chicago wrote a paper on "Prevail<strong>in</strong>g Epidemic-Rotheln" (1881); he cont<strong>in</strong>ued to display an <strong>in</strong>tense <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> contagiousdisease problems for years, and <strong>in</strong>1892 read a paper on typhoid fever <strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>fancy at a meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the American Pediatric <strong>Society</strong>, report<strong>in</strong>g 21cases from Chicago. This was <strong>of</strong> special <strong>in</strong>terest to the pr<strong>of</strong>ession because,prior to that time, it had been contended by some that typhoid fever didnot occur <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals under two years <strong>of</strong> age. Dr. F. M. Casal <strong>of</strong> Pittsfieldreported on measles (1881) and Dr. W. J.Chenoweth <strong>of</strong> Decatur presenteda "Report on the Prevention <strong>of</strong> Epidemics" (1883). There seem to havebeen only two papers relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>fantile paralysis published <strong>in</strong> the Transactionsdur<strong>in</strong>g this period; one was by Dr. Daniel R. Brower, neurologist<strong>of</strong> Rush Medical College and a practitioner <strong>in</strong> Chicago, and the other wasby Dr. W. J.Eddy <strong>of</strong> Shelbyville; both articles were presented <strong>in</strong> 1892.Dr. T. D. Fitch <strong>of</strong> Chicago wrote on the "Treatment <strong>of</strong> MembranousCroup" (1878) and Dr. Christian Fenger, the well-known Chicago surgeon,discussed tracheotomy <strong>in</strong> diphtheria <strong>in</strong> 1880, three years before the discovery<strong>of</strong> the Klebs-Loeffler bacillus and five years before <strong>in</strong>tubation <strong>of</strong>the larynx was devised by O'Dwyer <strong>of</strong> New York. Dr. J.M. G. Carter <strong>of</strong>Waukegan, a man with an extensive <strong>practice</strong>, was one <strong>of</strong> the early competentphysicians <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> typhoid fever and malaria; he discussedboth <strong>of</strong> these diseases <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>in</strong> the 1890's.Dur<strong>in</strong>g the period 1850 to 1900, the place <strong>of</strong> preventive medic<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong> themalady (smallpox) <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois. . . . This isolation with the aid <strong>of</strong> vacc<strong>in</strong>ation seems tohave stopped the spread <strong>of</strong> the disease." Dr. Fisher died <strong>in</strong> 1820.—Editor

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