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Show Progress Centennial Edition .lflffUJoumo Pion Ji A CADUCEUS 0 MTUiY I' During the lost hundred years, while Cache Valley was in the development stages, the practice of internal medicine and surgery has made such Outstanding advancement, through research, laboratory CADUCEUS technicians' findings, hospitalization improvement and experience, that n the average has risen from 41 years to 60 years. . . . life-spa- THE COUNTRY t ? , ni! DR. WILLIAM B. PARKINSON. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO it he always r y' iti . fe-- I 4a an- Settlements were far apart in Cache Valley and knew the many lived in remote spots, but Doctor soon well territory and when he got the call he knew pretty the location. He relied in those days on primitive remedies such as digitalis for the heart, morphine for pain and vertarum Of for eclampsia, common with expectant mothers. course he had his various soda pills for stomach disorders, and sometimes imaginary ills were relieved by applied psychology as we call it today. His instruments were a great deal like his remedies. He would have a little wooden paddle, sometimes, for a spatula, a few surgical knives, a forceps for pulling teeth bottle or closing up ruptured blood vessels and a large of alcohol for sterilization. Yes, and in his buggy there were usually a few boards that could be worked into splints in case of broken bones. These were his working tools supported by a GREAT HEART for suffering humanity. Epidemics were hard to control there was no sanitation nurses were women who had a knack for caring for the sick. Illness was always in the home. More often tlian not a kitchen table made of hewn logs, with a kerosene lamp was used for emergency operations. But lives were saved. Many of the pioneers in Cache Vallr today can remember these early day doctors. As one doctor remarked: Lives were saved more by prayer than by scientific knowledge." Then came the turn of the century. Medical schools had been established and rigid regulations had to be met by each student doctor before he become a licensed practitioner and entitled to hang out his shingle. Cow trails had turned into better roadways. Sanitary measures had come into use anw fewer epidemics were experienced. The doctor had to know psychology, basic chemistry; and diagnosis was more than just relying on symptoms and the region of the physical pain or depressed reactions. which had been Early in the new century the discovered in 1895 by Roentgen, had advanced to a place where it could be used in photographing the skeleton, teeth and some internal organs. This took much of the guess work out of diagnosis. Contagious diseases such as small pox, diphtheria, typhoid were prevalent. Vaccines and came into use as both a preventative and for treatments. Chemical research found serums for the prevention and cure of many of the comX-Ra- anti-toxi- y AN EARLY CACHE VALLEY DOCTOR "THE TURN OF THE CENTURY" The early day doctors with their horse and buggy and, sometimes a riding horse and saddle bags hours of every day winter or were on call twenty-fou- r summer. It made no difference whether icy trails or snow drifts made the roads impassable or thunder storms and downpours, these conditions were met swered the call, a mile away or fifty. DOCTOR y, ns mon diseases. this time many proprietary medicines had been discovered by medical doctors and were compounded in pharmaceutical laboratories. Hospitals were established and nurses training schools inaugurated. Legis-Tatio- n was enacted raising the standards of the requirements for practicing physicians and surgeons. The internship in accredited hospitals which became a requirement gave the medical student the opportunity to get actual experience in diagnosis and all phases of medicine and surgery before he was given his license as a physician or By "NECESSITY-T- HE Two World Wars contributed much to the scientific advancement of the practice of internal medicine and surgery, bringing it to its present high plane of today. Blood plasma, and sulfa drugs, penicillin, antibodies etc,, have come into existence and use. during the last quarter of a century, has been advanced to a place where diagnosis is more certain. Clinics have been established with specialists who had trained for all phases of systemic disorders, organic conditions and this, alone, has contributed immeasurably to this outstanding advancement. X-Ra- ed nurses, improvement of maternal and infant care, laboratory technicians, bacteriologists and other fac-- . tors have lengthened the average today, from 41 years to 55 years. The vaccines, serums, antibodies, sulfa drugs, penicillin, etc., have always existed in crude form as created by nature, but it took laboratory research, patience and knowledge of chemical reaction to bring these marvelous elements into reality with such successful results. As an example many will remember, In those earlier days, Mother would apply a bread poltice to reduce or bring to a head the boils, reduce inflammation and infections. She had no way of knowing, however, that the hidden elements in the bread that created relief and sometimes cure, was in reality crude penicillin. Other home remedies which were used in emergencies or normal troubles, no doubt, contained many of these recently discovered elements. Thus, throughout the present century, the practice of internal medicine and surgery has advanced to the high ethical standards of today, with such phenomenal Science and Research Marches On! CACHE VALLEY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 0 ' y, This along with improved hospital facilities, register- surgeon. LOGAN, UTAH MOTHER OF INVENTION" life-spa- n, 1 iV I i & I l |
