History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

432 History of Medical Practice in IllinoisCollege is a monument to their lives, to the lives of others who labored withthem and who also have gone before their Maker, to still others who arelaboring and struggling on and on to build up this great Medical Departmentof the State University; to uphold the honor and dignity of the medicalprofession, and to carry out the ideals of its founders and supporters.It is always interesting to trace the origin of institutions of learning, andto investigate the underlying causes that brought them into existence; tostudy the characteristics of the men whose foresight and vision moved themto found a new medical college in Chicago; to look behind the men themselvesto their teachers, who by their precept and example had inculcatedideas and ideals into the minds of these men that would mould their charactersand dominate their lives with aspirations for the attainment of thehighest and best attainable in medical science and medical education.Three of the founders of this College were graduates of the old ChicagoMedical College, now the Medical School of Northwestern University.Charles Warrington Earle, Samuel A. McWilliams, and the writer hadof Medical History of Chicago. However, Dr. Steele's article was published in an alumnipublication and was given very little publicity. His account is republished herewith.In these documents, for some unexplained reason, biographies of two of the founders,Drs. St. John and McWilliams, have not been found. To cover this deficiency, therefollow herewith 7 brief outlines of the careers of these two men as published in "Who'sWho in Chicago and Vicitiity," 1905.Dr. Leonard St. John, physician; born St. Catherines, Ont.; son of Samuel Leonard andMartha Ann (Seaman) St. John; educated private schools and academy at St. Catherines,Ont., and at McGill University, Montreal, graduating from the medical department inthe class of 1872, and from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Canada,1872; mem. Royal College of Surgeons of England (1873); married Anna B. Balch (nowdeceased). Began practice in New York City, 1874-75; came to Chicago, December, 1875.Surgeon at St. Anthony's Hospital; one of the staff at Cook County Hospital. One of thefounders of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, and professor of surgeryin same. Member: Chicago Medical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, AmericanMedical Association. Clubs: Illinois, Washington Park. Office: 103 State Street. Residence:539 W. Monroe Street. Died 1920.Dr. Samuel Anderson McWilliams, physician; born Ireland, February 7, 1839; son ofDavid and Margaret (Anderson) McWilliams; graduated University of MichiganB.A., M.A., 1861; attended Medical Department same, 1863; taught high school atWaupun, Wisconsin, 1863-65; grad. medicine Northwestern University Medical College,Chicago, 1866; m., 1st., Waupun, Wisconsin, February 28, 1869 (died); m., 2nd., Chicago,January 2, 1884, Bertha Scheibel; Children: Grace, Estella, Samuel, Edwin. Was associatedin practice of medicine with Professor Nathan S. Davis, Sr., 1866-8; lectured onphysical diagnosis and anatomy in Chicago Medical College, 1866-7; was 10 years attendingphysician to Cook County Hospital, 1878-88; was professor of chest diseases andclinical medicine, Chicago College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was vice presidentand director of same, from time of its dedication, September 26, 1882, until 1891; professorof anatomy in Woman's Hospital Medical College, 1870-5; professor of eruptivefevers and physical diagnosis Jenner Medical College, 1901-03; professor of physicaldiagnosis and chest diseases in Dearborn Medical College since 1903. Member: ChicagoMedical Society, Illinois State Medical Society, American Medical Association, ChicagoMedicolegal Society, Physician's Club, American Academy of Medicine. Presbyterian.Residence: 3456 Michigan Avenue. Died 1917.—Editor