O. Larsell

“ When Whitman treated Fontenelle and his men for cholera, at Bellevue, in 1835, he knew nothing of the organisms taken into the intestine with the water the men drank. The origin of the disease was so obscure and its onset so sudden as to strike terror into the heart of the bravest and strongest, for who could fight or escape so unseen an enemy. In England, in 1832, the mortality had amounted to one-third or one-half of those attacked, and in many cases, two-thirds had fallen victims. ”

“ Two lecture rooms, one for Anatomy and the other for lectures on Chemistry. These two rooms perhaps are better than any others built for the same purpose in the United States except Philadelphia. Our chemical apparatus is more complete than any in the City of New York, and the Anatomical Museum is equal to Dr. Smith's at Dartmouth." He adds that the number of students in anatomy and chemistry "this year will not be far from fifty, which will be more than they will probably have at both colleges in the City of New York." ”

“ He was an excellent surgeon, teacher, and preacher, and while he missed the outstanding prominence as a scientific man which his young manhood seemed to promise, nevertheless his name deserves, honorable mention among the pioneers of the Pacific Coast in science, and especially medical science and medical education. There was greater demand for his versatility under the pioneer conditions of sixty years ago, in Oregon and California, than there was for his powers of scientific observation. ”

“ A majority of the people evidently took the view expressed by the Oregonian that the primary purpose of maintaining a state asylum was not a charitable one, but protection of lives and property from the violence of those who become mentally unbalanced, and protec tion of the patient from himself.24 Treatment of insanity for curative results was in its infancy. The unfortunates who must be committed to the institution for the protection of themselves and society could have little hope of betterment. ”

“ On his return to Oregon with his bride, he evidently undertook to use such medical knowledge as he had. With proper professional zeal Dr. Whitman writes to David Greene, secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, under date of October 22, 1839, regarding William H. Gray, physician: "I cannot conceive how you have been so much imposed upon as to report him as a Physician. What can a man learn in sixteen weeks of public lectures (which is barely all he can boast) to entitle him to that distinction. ”

“ In the dedicatory address Doctor Loryea stated that in his opinion the common wealth should authorize the establishment of an insane hospital, and when that was done he and Doctor Hawthorne would turn over their institution and its patients to the state, but for the present it was the state's duty to lend its support to the new venture. A special contract had been arranged by the doctors, with Multnomah, Linn, Lane and Washington counties8 for the care of insane from these units. ”

“ Delamater is described as an inspiring teacher and in thirty-eight years of teaching in no less than nine different medical schools he exercised a very wide influence on the medical education of his time in the United States. ”

“ This little volume ran through fourteen editions and was translated into Japanese. As its name indicates, it was a much abbreviated guide to diagnosis and treatment, which the physician could easily carry in his pocket. It contains tables of weights and measures, abbreviations, poisons and their antidotes, and an index of diseases and their treatment. Also there is an alphabetical list of medicines and their doses, and a table of symptomatology, and other features, which no doubt made it a very handy quick reference guide for the medical practice of the time. ”

“ An offer had been received to build a good wooden building for $6,400, and to have it ready for occupancy when the current contract with the Oregon Insane Hospital expired. It was proposed, according to one of the letters to the Oregonian, that Doctors Carpenter and McAfee can put the patients into this building and care for them under their bid, or some of the many doctors here [Salem] can be employed by the year to run the institution for a salary which is a better way. ”

“ Fairfield is described as the only medical school outside of the three large cities, Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Students were numerous, one class reaching 217 in attendance, while the largest graduating class was 54. It was situated away from the lines of commerce which developed, and the village of Fairfield was left in an eddy in the currents of contemporary activity. The neighboring towns of Geneva and Albany soon were able to offer better facilities for bedside teaching, so important in medical instruction. ”

“ Medicine & care for the sick is an other source of trouble & perhaps of more real danger to our person than ony other. We often see it stated that a knowledge of medicine in the missionary & attention to the sick, go far to secure the favor of a heathen people. Strange as it may appear, the reverse is the case with these tribes. Doct Whitman is a skillful & most attentive physician, spends very much of his time in attending upon their sick, sometimes riding 30 miles neglecting important business at home spending much in the purchase & much time in the preparation of medicines. ”

“ A new building for tuberculosis cases was completed in 1932, adding one hundred sixteen beds, but the increase of hospital population was so great that the need of a building program was emphasized. A proposal to erect a third state hospital in Multnomah County was defeated in the primary election of May, 1934, and Doctor Steiner recommended a new fire-proof wing of two hundred beds at Salem in his biennial report of the year. The legislature made the needed appropriation, in spite of the difficult financial condition of the state due to the business depression general throughout the country. ”

“ A small laboratory had been added to the rear of the Fairfield Academy building to accommodate the early students of medicine. With the better organization of the medical department, students came in such numbers that larger quarters soon became necessary. A three story stone building, 62 feet by 33 feet, was erected in 1810, and was called the "Laboratory Building" (figure 2) . It was, without doubt, in this building that Whitman, H. H. Spalding, Gray and McKay pursued their studies during their respective periods of attendance at Fairfield. ”

“ The entire equipment of the university, so-called, consisted of one building, in which were housed the college, the academy and all other departments, and which must now also provide space for the new Department of Medicine. As to clinical facilities, they may be judged by the fact that Salem numbered at the time about 1200 people, and all of Marion County about 7000. Portland itself, the metropolis, had a population of about 15,000, which, however, was rapidly increasing. One must admire the courage, not to say audacity, of the men who undertook to train physicians under such circumstances. ”

“ He stated, "Many chronic insane have periods of improvement, lasting weeks or months, when they are harm less and can be cared for at home with pleasure and benefit to themselves and great saving of expense to the State, but they hesitate to go and relatives do not like to take them when they must go through the annoyance and subject the county to the extra expense of a new commitment every time they have to be returned to the hospital."29 The legislature of 1915 enacted a parole law which remedied ^Portland Telegram, October 27, 1913. ”

“ It was said to me in Salem that he was an accomplished gentleman, refined in all his manners. I ask how does it look to see an Educator of youth walking the streets of a city with a cigar in his mouth and using tobacco until the clothes betray it. Is it the mark of a scholarly gentleman to blat it abroad that he will resign his position unless some teachers are removed? Never! That was something that belonged to the Trustees alone. And when they are not removed, who licks th dust and remains. In such a character there is a fatal weakness that unqualifies him to be a teacher. ”

“ The medical center which had gradually developed around the Medical School in Portland was seriously handicapped by lack of hospital facilities for psychiatric patients for use in training physicians and for research in a rapidly advancing branch of medicine. The legislature of 1945 passed a bill including an item of $750,000 for a University hospital of two hundred beds, sixty of which would be used for psychiatric cases and fifteen for mentally retarded children. ”

“ The true inter ests of the state demand that the insane should be placed under the immediate control of the state and that the ruinous and unjust contract system be at once and forever abolished. The future management of the insane is the most important matter before the legislature as one-half of the state taxes during the last two years have gone to enrich Hawthorne and Loryea. ”

“ Subsequently he founded the New York Academy of Medicine, now one of the outstanding medical societies of the world. [4]
The faculty changed from time to time, and the school attracted students, so that in attendance it excelled even Harvard at times. Many of the names on its faculty list added real luster to the institution which they served. They were men of reputation and ability.
According to the Fairfield catalogues in the New York State Library, [5] Marcus Whitman registered at Fairfield Medical School in January, 1826. ”