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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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<strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Anatomy Laws <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois 365The preem<strong>in</strong>ent part <strong>medical</strong> men took <strong>in</strong> the colonization <strong>of</strong> the State,These leaders had received<strong>of</strong>ten as leaders, has been told fully elsewhere.their school<strong>in</strong>g and pr<strong>of</strong>essional tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g either <strong>in</strong> the <strong>medical</strong> schools <strong>in</strong>the eastern part <strong>of</strong> the United States or <strong>in</strong> those <strong>of</strong> Europe, and they cameimbued with a spirit <strong>of</strong> adventure and energ) and with an urge to givetheir best possible service to the people. The truth <strong>of</strong> this statement is confirmedby the county histories where we read <strong>of</strong> the sacrifices and pel severance<strong>of</strong> the best <strong>of</strong> the pioneer doctors and the <strong>in</strong>credible hardships theyendured to m<strong>in</strong>ister unto the sick and the suffer<strong>in</strong>g. That they were men<strong>of</strong> vision and ideals is shown <strong>in</strong> their <strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>in</strong> the passage <strong>of</strong> theearly law, just mentioned, striv<strong>in</strong>g to put <strong>medical</strong> <strong>practice</strong> <strong>in</strong> the territoryon a well-ordered basis. Yet this law appeared to rema<strong>in</strong> a dead letter, forwe f<strong>in</strong>d its reenactment <strong>in</strong> 1819, <strong>in</strong> the year follow<strong>in</strong>g Ill<strong>in</strong>ois' entrance tostatehood.On April 18, 181 8, Congress passed the "Act enabl<strong>in</strong>g the people <strong>of</strong>Ill<strong>in</strong>ois to form a constitution." The ord<strong>in</strong>ance accept<strong>in</strong>g this "Enabl<strong>in</strong>gAct" was adopted at Kaskaskia <strong>in</strong> August <strong>of</strong> the same year by the conventionwhich framed the first constitution <strong>of</strong> the state, this constitution be<strong>in</strong>gadopted the same month. It decreed that the "seat <strong>of</strong> the government forthe state shall be at Kaskaskia until the general assembly shall otherwiseprovide" for lay<strong>in</strong>g out a town on the banks <strong>of</strong> the Kaskaskia River, and solaid out "shall be the seat <strong>of</strong> government <strong>of</strong> this state for the term <strong>of</strong> twentyyears." The constitution <strong>of</strong> 1818 made it obligatory upon the General Assemblyto petition Congress for a grant <strong>of</strong> land upon which to locate theseat <strong>of</strong> the State government. It cont<strong>in</strong>ued by say<strong>in</strong>g,"should, however, the prayer <strong>of</strong> the said petition not be granted, the GeneralAssembly shall have power to make such provision for a permanent seat <strong>of</strong> governmentas may be necessary and shall fix the same where they may th<strong>in</strong>k best."The land was granted by Congress.Early <strong>in</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g year the people <strong>of</strong> the State <strong>of</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois, represented<strong>in</strong> the General Assembly, passed an Act, approved on February j.1819, declar<strong>in</strong>g"that the common law <strong>of</strong> England, all statutes or acts <strong>of</strong> the British Parliamentmade <strong>in</strong> aid <strong>of</strong> the common law, prior to the fourth year <strong>of</strong> the reign <strong>of</strong> K<strong>in</strong>gJames the I except<strong>in</strong>g the second section <strong>of</strong> the sixth chapter <strong>of</strong> XLIII Elizabeth;the eighth chapter XIII Elizabeth, and the n<strong>in</strong>th chapter XXXIII Henry VIIIand which are <strong>of</strong> a general nature and not local to that k<strong>in</strong>gdom, shall be therule <strong>of</strong> decision and shall be considered as <strong>of</strong> full force, until repealed by legislativeauthority."8 See Vol. I, <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Medical Practice <strong>in</strong> Ill<strong>in</strong>ois, (preced<strong>in</strong>g 1850) compiled andedited by Lucius H. Zeuch, and issued <strong>in</strong> uj2~ l>\ the Ill<strong>in</strong>ois State Medical <strong>Society</strong>.

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