intermittent fever. The usual allopathic, treatment at that time, consisted of twenty-five grains of calomel followed by an active cathartic. This was repeated on the second day and also on the third, in case the medicine fail to act vigorously. The patient usually died during the third chill. One physician of his acquaintance gave 1300 grains of calomel in thirty-six hours. The patient, a minister, did not recover. The doctor advised his friend, the allopathic physician (he was then an allopathic physician himself), to try a warm bath and apply warm friction to the surface. He did so in his next case, and his patient rallied in two hours. Dr. Cornell stated that in all cases of congestion of the brain. he resorted to hot applications to the surface of the body and extremetics, and cold to the head. Dr. Paine stated that in the treatment of cerebro-spinal meningitis he had found the external application of heat to the surface to be of great benefit. Dr. Cornell related the history of a case which had recently occurred in his neighborhood. The patient, a boy, soon after wading in a creek was seized with pain in one leg, which swelled greatly in size to the body, and was covered with purple spots. The little fellow soon became insensible and died in thirty-six hours. The family did not call a physician. Ordinary domestic remedies were employed. In the same locality another case occurred, that of a little girl six years of age. The attack was ushered in by vomiting, intense headache, and the formation of purple spots on the surface of the body. The doctor gave, during the first twenty-four hours, aconite and belladonna, followed by belladonna and arsenicum. In the course of a few days the spots disappeared, and the patient fully recovered. Still another case occurred in the same vicinity, which proved fatal, under allopathic treatment, in thirty hours. Dr. B. F. Cornell read an eulogy on the late Dr. W. G. Wolcott. A copy was ordered to be printed in the Washington County Chronicle, and in the "Transactions of the State Medical Society." See Article LV. The officers elected and committees appointed are published on page 310. ARTICLE LV. Eulogy of the late Dr. W. G. Wolcott. By B. F. CORNELL, M. D., of Moreau Station. MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN-Again we are admonished of our mortality by the loss of one of our most intelligent and highly respected brothers in the profession, and member of this Society. William Grosvenor Wolcott, M. D., was born in the town of Shoreham, Vt., September 28th, 1816, studied medicine with W. A. Hitchcock, M. D., of that town, attended a course of lectures at Castleton, and graduated at Berkshire in the fall of 1839. Dr. Wolcott settled in Portland, Chautauqua county, N. Y., in 1841. Soon after this period, Providence, who selects his agents to carry forward all great reforms, brought Dr. W. in contact with Dr. John F. Gray, of New York, then on a visit to his father and his brother, Dr. A. W. Gray, in Portland, and from frequent interviews and conversations with Dr. Gray on the subject of homœopathy, he became much interested in this new medical the. ory, and notwithstanding the ridicule and obliquy attendant, he had the moral courage, young as he was, to commence testing a system of which he has been a devoted and unwavering advocate and exponent to the close of his existence, a period of at least twenty years. In 1841 scarlatina prevailed extensively in Portland and vicinity, of a highly malignant character, and under allopathic treatment with great mortality. Dr. A. W. Gray advised the trial of homoeopathy in this virulent disease. To this Dr. Wolcott consented, provided Dr. Gray would consult with him as to the proper remedies to be used. They read and prescribed as well as they could, groping in the dark, but to their astonishment, with much better success than attended the allopathic efforts, yet they hesitated about adopting the practice entire. Dr. Wolcott continued to try and test this system of practice for two years, treating a portion of his patients with one system, and another portion with the other, comparing the results, adopting homœopathy as fast as confidence warranted, till in 1845 he removed to the pleasant village of Westfield, in Chautauqua county, and established himself as a homœopathic physician. In 1846 he formed a copartnership with Dr. L. M. Kenyon, a graduate of the old school, who had recently come out in favor of the new system. Under this copartnership they soon acquired an extensive and laborious practice, which with the lake winds undermined Dr. Wolcott's health, and from repeated attacks of hemorrhage from the lungs, he was compelled with much reluc tance, to leave the lake shore, and remove to Whitehall, Washington county, N. Y., where he remained to the period of his death, on the 7th day of September, 1866. He died of acute pneumonia. He married in 1847, and leaves a bereaved wife and daughter to mourn his loss. The above sketch is taken from data, furnished in part by the doctor himself to Dr. Elias T. Foote, of New Haven, Connecticut, and by him incorporated in a report to the Homœopathic State Medical Society of New York, on the introduction of homoeopathy in Chautauqua county, N. Y.* In 1852, in the counties of Saratoga, Washington and Warren, there were but eight physicians practising homœopathy. A circular was issued, and on the 16th day of October, 1852, those eight pioneers met in medical convention and formed themselves into a medical society under the name of "Homœopathic Medical Society of Northern New York," to which was added Rensselaer county in 1859. From this small beginning the number of members has increased to over fifty practitioners. In this body our departed friend and brother has always sustained a high medical, moral and social position, and has been the recipient of all the honors it could bestow. He has been untiring in his devotion to the interests of the society and the cause we advocate. Nothing but sickness or unavoidable necessity prevented his attendance at our stated meetings. You will bear testimony to the assertion that he was the life of our organization. His genial nature, his smiling, cheerful countenance, and his warm friendship will never be forgotten by the members of this Society. As a physician he was a model of energy, attention, kindness, clearness of preception and skillful adaptation. His memory will ever have a green spot in our hearts. No language I can use will convey so correct an idea of the estimation in which he was held by the community among whom he labored as a communication to the Whitehall Chronicle at the time of his death, and which I append. DIED, In this village, September 7th, inst., of acute pneumonia, William Grosvenor Wolcott, M. D., in the 50th year of his age. • Volume III, page 189, 1865. Dr. Wolcott was a native of Shoreham, Vt. In 1837 he came to this village, where he spent most of the three succeeding years in teaching and the study of medicine. After being admitted to the practice of his profession, he settled in Chautauqua county.— In 1841 he returned here and was married, and in 1847 was permanently settled among us. Since that time he has been engaged in an extensive medical practice, besides filling several important public positions. For a time, in addition to his other pursuits, be was engaged in editing the Whitehall Chronicle. Several articles from his pen were extensively copied by the leading papers of the State. For the last few years his health has been greatly prostrated the result of series of injuries—yet, his mental energy kept him active in professional labor, often against the protest of his friends. He was always prompt in decision and energetic in action. His mind was characterized by great clearness and activity. His convictions were very clear and decided, and his utterance of them free and fearless, such as sometimes aroused opposition, but in his own household and among his personal friends he was a model of kindness. He was early the subject of strong religious impres sions, though it is but a few years since he made a public profession of his faith. He loved the service of God, as was manifest by his fidelity at the family altar and in the social meetings of the church, where his voice was often heard in prayer, and occasionally in earnest exhortation. His views of the plan of salvation revealed in the gospel, were remarkably clear and correct, and his faith in the atoning blood of Christ never wavered. He knew in whom he had believed, and trustingly, without misgiving and without apprehension, committed his soul to the Redeemer's care and peacefully "fell asleep." KINGS COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY. ARTICLE 56.-List of Officers, Delegates, Committees and Members. 57.-Uterine Fibrous Polypi. By Henry Minton, M. D. 58.-Iodism. By J. Hawks, M. D. 59.-The Essential Nature of the Drug Curative. By P. P. Wells, M. D. 60.-Biographical Sketch of the late Dr. John Barker. By C. Dunham, M. D. 61.-Extracts from the Proceedings of the Kings County Medical Society. Tribute to the Memory of the late Dr. A. Cooke Hull; also, the late Dr. Horace May.. ARTICLE LVI. List of Officers, Delegates, Committees and Members. Officers. Drs. Henry Minton, President. J. B. Elliott, Vice President. Bernardt Fincke, Recording Secretary. |