History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

Otolaryngology 285Ophthalmology and Otology. It was also in 1884 that Dr. Frank O. Stocktonwas named Professor of Diseases of the Nose and Throat for the SpringCourse and by the time the 3rd annual announcement for 1884-85 camearound, he was Professor of Laryngology, in188G becoming also the RecordingSecretary. In the 7th annual announcement in 1888, Dr. Frank E.Waxham, who was Professor of Diseases of Children on the original 1882faculty, was listed as Professor of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology.Between Harper and Waxham there must have been a bit of jockeying forposition because the former took on the Ear and the latter dropped it fromhis title two years later and the following year was not only Professor ofDiseases of Children, but of Rhinology and Laryngology as well, in additionto his duties of Treasurer. Boerne Bettman was made Professor of Diseasesof the Eye and Ear and Clinical Ophthalmology in 1891.Medical education of this particular era can best be pictured by selectinga student of that day who was destined to become one of the leaders ofAmerican otolaryngology. He was Joseph Carl Beck, born in a village inBohemia on September 26, 1870. He came to the United States at the ageof 14, having only a slight and sporadic exposure to education. Working ina drug store and helping his brother Carl, who was a well educated physician,he was twenty when he decided to study medicine. Since he hadneither high school nor college training, a Latin tutor was engaged to helphim with his studies so as to prepare him to enter the Chicago College ofPhysicians and Surgeons in the fall of 1891. He states in his own autobiography(Fifty Years in Medicine, published by McDonough and Companyof Chicago in 1949) "At the end of nine months (working as a clerk) inthe drug store I was ready to enter medical school. The Chicago College ofPhysicians and Surgeons was chosen for me, both because my cousin, HarryL. Pollock, was already going to that institution and because the school waseasier to get into than the other two large medical schools—Rush Medicaland Northwestern. Besides these three medical schools in Chicago, therewere some night schools, although these were not so well thought of. Forinstance, there was the Harvey Medical School, the Jenner School, and theBennett Eclectic School; there were also two homeopathic schools, wherethere were always large classes." Beck further said, "At that time (when Imatriculated) it was to be a three year course, but in 1894 the transfer wasaccomplished between the University of Illinois and the College of Physiciansand Surgeons, and a four year course came into being. Thus, the classof 1895 had to take two additional semesters, arranged as summer courses,to make up the fourth year."The Chicago Policlinic was founded as"A Clinical School for Practitionersof Medicine" in 1885. Its faculty was made up of leaders of medicineand surgery of that era, including Fenger, Senn, Henrotin, Church and