CHAPTER XX.

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

THE FIRST PHYSICIAN IN THE VALLEY--DR. LATHEY FIRST TO LOCATE IN WILLIAMSPORT--OTHER PIONEER DOCTORS--THE OLD TIME DOCTOR--PIONEER METHODS--PRESENT DAY PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.

The first physician to come to the West Branch Valley was Dr. Benjamin Allison. He was connected with the militia in 1777 and for a time was stationed at Fort Muncy. How long he remained here is uncertain, but he never permanently settled in this section. He was a son of the famous Rev. Francis Allison, who became a large land owner at what is now Lock Haven.

Dr. James Davidson settled near the mouth of Pine Creek in 1790 and enjoyed a considerable practice for some time.

William Kent Lathey was the first physician to locate in Williamsport in 1798. He had previously practiced in the neighborhood of Muncy and was well known in that vicinity. He married a daughter of Samuel Wallis and afterward built a stone house at Pennsdale which is still standing.

Drs. Coleman and Rogers followed Dr. Lathey about the year 1801, but little is known of either of them.

A young man named Dr. Willits followed Dr. Lathey and settled in Muncy, but remained there but a short time. He was succeeded by Dr. Thomas Wood, who was the. ancestor of a long line of distinguished physiciang. He came to Muncy in 1803 and immediately began the practice of medicine. He subsequently retired in favor of his nephew, Dr. Thomas Wood, Jr. He left a son who became a prominent citizen and represented his county in the Asse'mbly in 1854. His son also became a physician and was a member of the Assembly in 1888. His son, Dr. T. Kenneth Wood, is also a practicing physician at the present time and is president of the Lycoming Historical Society.

Dr. Edward D. Kittoe was an early practitioner in Muncy and was successful in his profession. Dr. Frederick Laselle, a French refugee, settled in Muncy Township early in the eighteenth century. He was a man of education and culture, but peculiar in his ways. Another of the old-time physicians was Dr. Asher Davidson, who settled in Jersey Shore in 1795. When a young man he attended school at Northumberland and frequently walked home, a distance of fifty miles. At that time there were only four or five physicians in Lycoming County and they were compelled to travel long distances to reach their patients. Dr. Davidson was a true type of the old kind of physician and attained considerable prominence in civic affairs. He was an associate judge of the county, as his father had been before him, and was a great favorite with all who knew him.

William T. Babb, who had been a student of Dr. Davidson, was an eminent physician of his day. After graduation, he served in the navy and then returned to Jersey Shore and entered into partnership with his old preceptor. At the beginning of the Civil war he was made assistant surgeon of the Eleventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, but died after a few months' service. Dr. Joseph Wood was another of the early Jersey Shore physicians but little is known of him. Dr. Lutson Reed was another physician of great promise who studied with Dr. Davidson, but he died after having practiced only a few years.

William Hepburn practiced for a few years in Williamsport but died early in life. J. Wesley Moore and Isaac McKinney also practiced in Jersey Shore for a few years.

Dr. James Taylor, Thomas Vastine and E. Baldwin were among those following the medical profession in Williamsport at an early day, as was James Hepburn, a son of Judge William Hepburn. There were also Drs. M. Green, Thomas Huston, Dr. Seiler, Samuel Pollock, John Peale, George Hill and Dr. Shoemaker.

Among the prominent men of that time was Dr. Thomas Lyon, whose practice covered a period of more than sixty years. He married a granddaughter of the famous Dr. Joseph Prietley. Dr. Lyon was a physician of the old s6ool and the work of his profession carried him to every part of the county, the trips usually being on horseback and covered distances as high as fifty miles in a single day.

Dr. John H. Grier practiced in Nippenose Valley for more than fifty years.

Dr. John S. Crawford was a prominent physician of his day and was popular with all classes. He was killed at a railroad crossing while hurrying to the bedside of a young lad who had been accidentally shot.

Dr. Thomas Meckley was another successful physician who, after serving in the Civil war, located in Jersey Shore. There were many others of lesser note but it can be said of all of them that they maintained the highest ideals of the profession and practiced with credit to themselves and the community in which they lived.

The Homeopathic branch of the profession was represented by such men as Dr. Redman Coxe Jr., Drs. C. G. Reinhold, H. E. Reinhold, J. Max Reinhold, Hannah Reinhold, W. C. Doane and Howard Cheyney.

Dr. William Rankin was a prominent physician of Muncy at a later day and had a large and lucrative practice. His son, James R. Rankin, is also physician of high standing and for many years enjoyed a large business in Muncy and Muncy Valley. He has practically retired but occasionally is called in consultation or in exceptional cases.

With the coming of the automobile the old-time physician has passed away but the memory of his unselfish devotion to his profession will continue to live. He was ready to go at any time of the day or night to answer the call of distress and the hardships were many and varied. There were few roads in those days and what there were could hardly be called roads as they were often impassable. The only safe mode of travel was on horseback and occasionally in what was called a sulky, which at certain seasons of the year could not be used at all.

The rides and drives from Williamsport frequently extended twenty-five miles up Lycoming or Loyalsock Creeks. Drugs were also scarce. There was but one drug store in Williamsport and physicians had frequently to send to Philadelphia for a supply, to be sure they were fresh. For these the physician had to pay cash, but was compelled to give credit to his patients. Money was scarce and fees exceedingly small. A visit in town was twenty-five cents, obstetrical cases in town or country five dollars. Being compelled to compound his own medicines and extract teeth, as there were no dentists in those days, gave the old-time physician little time to rest or sleep.

Bleeding, cupping and leeching were extra charges. Extracting teeth, if he was lucky enough to get any compensation at all was twenty-five cents and, having no anaesthetics and frequently very unruly subjects, which took up a great deal of time, made the work not only unprofitable but very disagreeable.

The old-time physician was of a type that will never be seen again.

The medical profession in Lycoming County has always ranked high as compared with that of other sections of the state and at the present time a number of eminent physicians and surgeons are practicing their profession in this county.

The official bulletin of the Lycoming County Medical Society lists these names as being in active practice in Lycoming County in October 1928; Joseph W. Albright, Muncy; Harold F. Baker, Muncy; William L. King, Muncy; James R. Rankin, Muncy; T. Kenneth Wood, Muncy; J. Frank Gordner, Montgomery; Alem P. Hull, Montgomery; Wilbur E. Turner, Montgomery; Daniel E. Kiess, Hughesville; G. Alvin Poust, Hughesville; Carl C. Renn, Hughesville; Charles D. Voorhees, Hughesville; Irvin T. Gilmore, Picture Rocks; Frederick C. Lechner, Montoursville; Percy A. Bay, Jersey Shore; Lee M. Goodman, Jersey Shore; Charles L. Mohn, Jersey Shore; James W. Ritter, Jersey Shore; Frederick G. Sanford, Jersey Shore; Warren N. Shuman, Jersey Shore; R. B. Hayes, Jersey Shore; J. Frank Fleming, Trout Run; Albert C. Haas, Warrensville; J. Louis Mansuy, Ralston; J. Elmer Schaefer, Cogan Station; Abraham T. Walker, Collomsville; B. Myers Yost, Linden; and the following in Williamsport: Charles E. Allison, Charles B. Bastian, Robert C. Bastian, W. Clair Bastian, James D. Beach, Raymond J. Bower, Walter E. Boyer, Walter S. Brenholtz, J. Carlton Brown, James H. Burrows, John A. Campbell, Galen D. Castlebury, P. Harold Decker, W. Eugene Delaney, Harry J. Donaldson, George R. Drick, H. F. W. Flock, William H. Follmer, B. H. Hamner, Albert H. Hardt, John P. Harley, Herbert P. Haskin, Charles E. Heller, Mary Elizabeth Heller, J. Sydney Hoffa, La Rue Hoffman, George B. Klump, George S. Klump, John A. Klump, Leo M. Knauber, Ruth S. Kull, Wesley F. Kunkle, A. Rowland Kirch, Albert C. Lamada, Louis E. Langley, Charles A. Lehman, J. Gibson Logue, William P. Logue, Edward Lyon, John W. Mann, James S. Mosher John B. Nutt, Thomas W. Raper, Peter C. Reilly, Robert K. Rewalt, Ella N. Ritter, George T. Ritter, H. Murray Ritter, William H. Rote, E. Lloyd Rothfuss, Paul A. Rothfuss, Frank E. Rouse, George L. Schneider, Charles F. Seaton, Carl H. Senn, Walter W. Senn, Clarence R Shaw, Jesse A. Thompson, Harold L. Tonkin, Robert F. Trainer, Thomas M. West, Ernest Thornton Williams, Lloyd E. Wurster, Charles L. Youngman, Charles W. Youngman.

Volume I, pp. 267-271.