History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

"Occasionally might be found in the more p^qailousdiatiictsphyficiana who had received tlieir education iti Kiimpean jtclu»ol8. Such were pen- (;rally versed in the medical science of the pf?riod, nn<l of eonise were im- iwrtant acccissions, not only to the coinnninity which enjoyed the benefit of their skill, hut also to the medical profession by the influence whi.-h they exerted in the elevation of the standard of its character and goueral qualification. "Tho early source of medical knowledge in the Kew England colonies was only that of the private pra^-titioner, and as most of these were rersiMl only in tlie more immediate practical branches, such as materia modica, theory and practice, etc., a pio^Sidde fauiiliaiily of the cturleut with these was deemed adequate qiiatificali.ui for the c.vorci^eof his ^kill as a public practilionor. E.\tensive attainments in midwifery and surgery were deemed of seoondarj- impoitancc to the medical practitioner, for the rea- son that, while cases of the former were commonly presided over by the professional ^ffudctcife' of the neighborhood, the important cases of tho hitter, OS at the present time, were sutmltted to the skill of the profes- sional operator in that department. "As far as I have been able to obtain Information, calls upon the phy- sician to perf<»rni obstetrical rluties were rare prior to 18iK>, nr perbuiis, In some locations, a few years previous. In i>ei lods considerably earlier than the date mentioned, it is believed that in no coses were thei? services re- quired except perha|>s in a few rare instances which were attended with circumstances of a difllcult or untoward eharoctor. Previous to tho for- mation of the county society, it is believed that the time devoted to medi- cal qualification, even of the regtilar practitioner, was optional with tho candidate for public favor. His reliance for a successful practice wns more upon tho iKtpular decision regarding his skill than upon certificates of qualitlcation which he might ileiive from bis medical teacher. Ilowever short nniy have been tlic term devoted to the acquirenn-nt of medical science, those adopting the system of the then recognized regular prac- tice were readily acknowledged aud received into the ranks of the pix>- fessional fiaternlty, with the members of which mutual cousultationa wore held over their respective patients. "In a condition of medical literature like that of the pcrio«l under consideration, it might bo expected that a prei>onderating ratio of em- piricism Would necessarily 1,'ecome Mended with its elements as well as in the practice of its profe.-isors. Intleed, such is Uie view of the practice of tho period, as contemplated by the modem ol)son'er, that its character is necc«S)itily represented as partaking more of n systematic empiiicism or charlatanry than of an elevated scientific profession. In extenuation, however, of such pixtfessional state, it ought to !«■ taken into concidera- tfoo that the sources for tho acquisition of medical knowledge in tho AmerlLUin colonies wi>ro few and scanty, and the means for its attainment abroad were accessible to hut few. Tho emergeneiesof disease cvercx- ii-ting wherever tliere was ]\ qmlation, the public, thereforv*. were neces- saiily impelled to tlie employineni of such professors of the art of heal- ing as were altainalde in the vicinity of lis occurrence, and that often without the option of a sclei-tion between tho better qiiallAed physician an<l the dispensers of nostrums or Indian si>eciflcs. "With alternatives thus urgent lo influence a public iKMsessIng few of the present facilities for scientific acquirement adequate t*> direct its decisions, or. Indeed, in most instances, of even Judging by comi»arison of tho qualification of medical claimants on their favor, it may readily be conceived that a limite«l discriniitmtion wmild Ih> exercise*! in the selectifui of a medical adviser. N'i«r did it present a new problem in {he science of human nature for F^dution, when it was diocovered that abun- dant unscrupulous cnndidateH for |>opular favor tthonld bo found as ad- venturers u|Hin tlieir fortune. Ill the profermion, with l*ut a modicum of knowledge of the Intricate sources of dlFonse, or of the nature of t!ie active agents of Ihe >lnleria Medira adapte*! to tlieir removal. "As ignorance is the piuent t»f i)uai-ker)' and empitid^m, little else could Im< expectml nf the earlier profentfiona! character of the State than Its hlntury ai-tuolly presealM. Dul Iho fact tliat a conclderalde |M>rtion of i>4>clely at Ihe jiresent peii'xl, enjoying the advantages of a general dif- fi>8lon of education an<! siieutific refinement, with the educated phyFl- ctan accessible to all, should with an eagerness and ready faith, worthy of former times, einbmcL> sucli baseles^t and ephemeral novelties as the botanic, honueopathic, and hydropathic vagal lew, as well as tlio nnoil of popular nodtninifl whl.-h deluge community (and thot not merely by Its more Ignorant mcDibers, but also enibracing toany of the Loiter cducatel MEDICAL HISTORY. 33 class), presents a rsycht.»l()p;ical eiiiixnia of iimic (lillinilt fxpljination. ■\Vith such arjouiuling rri'iluHty, thus manifest*'!!, n-lati\f t" tin- Iicaling art. wi- may rease to In- sui'iirisnl iliat in ihulier eijis i»f our early liistory, cml'rai-ing a marrel-luving juil Hv, and a m'^diral prolej-siin wiinse moui- hers were irrespunsilOe tu rLnlcs. rJanctioncil by a majority of its ron- stituents, tlie toils and pornniary sacnfices inridcnt to a competent mediiiil cducalion slmuld he evaded fur tlie more entiling Piiilirare of ttie emuhimeuts profluri-d liy the immediate assumption of the ofliee uf [diy.-fii'ian. " It cerfciilily afftu-ds evidenre that as consiicntiniis icititiid<- and phi- lanthropy are markeil charaeteristies of tlie medical pi'-r.-vsinn, since, witli the fact sot^tiikiTi^Iy presented to the student .)f medicine that the quack will share with him his portion of laihlic jiatiotia;;!'. he, in.twith- standinj^, siiLmits to the sanifice attendant upun the acijuirement of sucli education as alone can (pialify him for the oilic- <»f a cnnipefent I'hysician. "With a medical profession jmperfeclly educate, I, like tliat of foimer times, and a pnhlii- sentiment schooleil and disciplined in the hi-- lief of its mysterious lesouroi-s, it might reasonaldy he aiitiiipated that knavish pretenders, ns well as the dishonest uf the profession, Mould seek the jiromotion of their interests through announcements uf various spe- titirs, assumed as umr^■elous revelations of iiidij;enoi;s ajiencics, which were particularly adapted to the prevalent diseases of tlic same locati'iu ; or that the mysterious manifestations of tlie Indian character.associated Mitli his marvelous traditirins, would he math- availaMe f>r the jiuiimse of exciting the itna;;iiiatiou of the credulous, and tlicrehy hcirtiilmg them to devote huth their health and intensts at the shiiiie of their uji- halloweil amlition. "It is manifest that dishonorahle arts and devices of this dcseiip- tion, sohdy ilesigned to inure to the piofits of tluii- inventors, especially when resorted to hy nuMuhers of the profession, could not fail to he jiro- litic of discords among neighhoring ph' j-icians, such as are too wtdl known to have characteiized and disgraced the medi- al s^n iify in Cnn- necticut. " In Fairfielil, and luohahly in other counties, a melanchrdy disregard of professional eiiipulte chaiacterized nn-st of her jihysicians jirevious to the organization of her medical society ; and I am comp(dled to aild, that the contirmed habits of many iiraciiii.mcrs protracted the evil for a con- siderable peiiod subsequently, not^vith^tauding its salutary pn>visions of codes and b3'-laws, with the object of suppressing the evil. Fiiendly jno- fessiotial intercourse was rary among neighboring i>hjsiciaiis. IMany liabitnally visited and ])resciihed for patients in tlie al>seTice of or « ith- oiit the knowledge of the regular attendant ; and huts too dcai ly pi-iM- t:iat (iften petty and dishonest devices were resoited to, with tin- objii t of supplanting an absent rival in the contidonco '>f the iiatiint or bis friond^i. It was not uncommon, in such circumstances, fur the n ut attendant tt> denounce the tieatmentof his predecess ir.uiiil after a sum- mary consignment of his medicines eitlier to the fiie or tbroniili the window, to substitute from his own stores those, m >st likely,. if the same or of a similar cliararter. "It is deplorable to contemplate such utter prostration of honorable deportment Iiy men professing to be members of an ostensiltly h-arned and honorable profession; by those too wlio, there is reason to bi-li<ve, were sutliciently observant of a gentlemanly demeanor in their inter- course with other nn'ndKMsf of the community. "Such being the view of medical society presented by a ntiospt'ct into its past history, it would be interesting to investigate uud portray the causes which have effected its present comparatively elevati'd and im- pri>ved condition. ItwouM be equally interesting to note tluMlitbTent ]duxses of melioration througli wliich the niedii'al siKiety in Counocticnt has passed in its progi ess tu the sui)eiior moral and scientifur jiosiiioii which it holds at the present time. But tlio discussion would bi- incom- patible with the present design, even did the circunisciibed limits of an address oil this occ;ision affurl adequate space. It cannot, however, be matter of doubt that the impnivenient has been elTeited by the unie- mitto 1 labors of a few of the nuiater spiiits of the profrs.sii.n who have lived in thediflcrent eras of our professional history. These, expeijen- cing and deploiing the oxisting ovils ancl imprcsset] with the conviction of the inadequacy of detached individual efToits for their coirection, ulti- mately devised tho remedy of society asso( iatimi, by moans of which a conct.'ited infliiem^e of the mi>re respectable physicians of the State might iiioiu etlectually be directed to the promotion atnl advancement of tho interests as well as the resiiectability of the profession.