History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

252 History of Medical Practice in IllinoisState Medical Society, papers on every branch of medicine were presented,since specialization was in its infancy and most physicians were obliged totreat every variety of condition.Dr. Holmes appears to have been the most active ophthalmologist in theSociety's activities for many years. If he was not the chairman of a specialor standing committee on ophthalmology, which was usually the case, heappears to have been the man who gave the annual report. Through his reportsand papers—of which he gave some thirteen on the eye—one can followthe progress of this special field.It is interesting to note that at the meeting of the State Society in 1852,the attention of the Society was called to the following advertisement:Dr. J.W. Halsted, OculistResiding at La Fayette, Stark County, Illinois, would respectfully announce tothose afflicted with diseased eyes, whether of recent or long standing, that he isfully prepared to treat all such cases with the utmost care and attention. From hisknowledge and success in the treatment of diseased eyes, he feels confident in thusoffering himself to the public. He would further state for the benefit of those whomay reside at a distance wishing to put themselves under his care that he hassuitable boarding accommodations where all such persons will be provided for inthe best possible manner, and that no means will be spared to insure entire success.On account of this advertisement, after proper notice and a refusal to withdrawit, the advertiser was expelled from Stark County Medical Society byaction of the Society. Thus to ophthalmology, claimant of many firstsmedicine, including establishment of the first Specialty Board, goes thedubious honor of the first expulsion from the Illinois State Medical Society.At the same meeting of the State Society was presented what appears tobe the first paper on an ophthalmologic subject given in Illinois. Dr. E. S.Cooper 1 of Peoria, Secretary of the Society in that year, reported on theuse of collodion in entropion. At the same meeting he also presented a"new instrument for catheterizing the urethra" and made remarks on thetreatment of "Incomplete Anchylosis of the Knee-joint," which wouldseem to disclose a rather incidental interest in ophthalmology. However, atthe meeting of the Society in1853, he read a paper on "Medical and SurgicalDiseases of the Eye," which unfortunately was not published in thetransactions sothat no evidence of the scholarly or erudite character ofhis remarks has been preserved for posterity.From 1853 to i860, there is no reference to ophthalmologic topics at any1 Dr. Cooper was for some years a resident of Peoria where he established a hospitaldevoted primarily to surgery. He later went to Paris to pursue further his studies ingeneral surgery. Soon after returning to the United States, he moved to the West Coastwhere he became well known as a surgeon. In 1888, the Medical Department of theUniversity of the Pacific was renamed the Cooper Medical College in his honor. Thisschool later became the Medical Department of Stanford University.in