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History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

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Early Medical Societies 491On December 18, 1849, an <strong>of</strong>ficial call went out from the Ottawa Medico-Chirurgical <strong>Society</strong>, ask<strong>in</strong>g for a meet<strong>in</strong>g to be held <strong>in</strong> Spr<strong>in</strong>gfield on January1st to organize an Ill<strong>in</strong>ois State Medical <strong>Society</strong>. The efforts <strong>of</strong> theAesculapian <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Wabash Valley were also petitioned by theOttawa <strong>Society</strong>. Later, on account <strong>of</strong> bad roads and frozen waterways, thecall was changed to the first Tuesday <strong>in</strong> June, 1850. This call resulted <strong>in</strong>the reorganization meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> June 4,1850, at which time the organization<strong>of</strong> the Ill<strong>in</strong>ois State Medical <strong>Society</strong> was perfected which has been activeto the present time.Early County Medical SocietiesInformation has been found concern<strong>in</strong>g a number <strong>of</strong> county <strong>medical</strong>societies organized <strong>in</strong> various parts <strong>of</strong> the state. Most <strong>of</strong> them functionedbut a short time.Morgan County had a short lived <strong>medical</strong> society <strong>in</strong> 1846, organized atJacksonville. In 1847 tnere wa s an organization <strong>in</strong>stituted at Ottawa calledthe Medical <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> LaSalle and adjo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g counties and this,too, soonsubsided. The LaSalle County Medical <strong>Society</strong> was organized <strong>in</strong> Ottawaon July 29, 1853, but no evidence is available to show subsequent meet<strong>in</strong>gs.The first Whiteside County Medical <strong>Society</strong> was organized July 22, 1851,but it existed only a short time.The Chicago Medical <strong>Society</strong> was founded <strong>in</strong> 1850. Dr. Levi Day Boone,who formerly had <strong>practice</strong>d <strong>in</strong> Southern Ill<strong>in</strong>ois, came to Chicago <strong>in</strong> 1836,dur<strong>in</strong>g which year he aided <strong>in</strong> form<strong>in</strong>g the Cook County Medical <strong>Society</strong>.As Secretary, he had published <strong>in</strong> the October 1, 1836, issue <strong>of</strong> The ChicagoDemocrat, an article entitled "Improvement <strong>in</strong> Medical Science" <strong>in</strong> whichhe stated:"Mr. Editor:The physicians <strong>of</strong> Chicago have recently constituted a society for theimprovement <strong>of</strong> their pr<strong>of</strong>ession to be known by the name <strong>of</strong> the CookCounty Medical <strong>Society</strong>, and have directed me (by resolution) to givenotice through your paper that the first meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong> will beheld at the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> the Chicago Insurance Company, on Monday Even<strong>in</strong>gnext, at which time, at half past six o'clock, an essay will be read by amember <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Society</strong>.L. D. Boone, Secretary"The writer has been unable to f<strong>in</strong>d evidence <strong>of</strong> subsequent meet<strong>in</strong>gs or<strong>of</strong> other <strong>medical</strong> societies formed <strong>in</strong> Cook County until the organization<strong>of</strong> the Chicago Medical <strong>Society</strong> on April 15,1850. The prelim<strong>in</strong>ary meet<strong>in</strong>gwas held <strong>in</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> Drs. Levi Boone and Brockholst McVickar. Dr.David Rutter was made chairman <strong>of</strong> the proceed<strong>in</strong>gs, <strong>in</strong> which Dr. NathanSmith Davis took an active part. On April 19, 1850, the name <strong>of</strong> the

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