THE ORGANIZATION OF THE OHIO STATE
MEDICAL
SOCIETY AND ITS RELATION TO THE
OHIO MEDICAL CONVENTION
By DONALD D. SHIRA, M.D.
The endeavor, during the period of
1811-1833, to establish a
satisfactory method of medical licensure
under the aegis of the
law, and which turned out to be such a
dismal failure, has been
recounted in various articles published
in the "Historian's Note-
book" of the Ohio
State Medical Journal and
in the QUARTERLY
of the Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Society. To
marshal the facts concerning that phase
would, therefore, be but
unnecessary reiteration. However, it
should be borne in mind that
in 1833 the disgusted legislators, with
the consent of the thoroughly
disillusioned medical profession,
repealed all laws pertaining to
the practice of medicine. After much
trial and error all persons
concerned had become convinced of the
futility, at that time, of
attempting to regulate medical practice
by law. So, the medical
profession was "put upon its
own," faced with the not too promis-
ing outlook of trying to lift itself by
its own boot straps. A state
of near-chaos existed in the ranks and
the problem of bringing
about some semblance of order and
professional self-respect was
indeed tremendous. There were, of
course, some qualified practi-
tioners in the State, but they were in
the minority, whereas, the
number of incompetents and out-and-out
quacks was legion.
To a certain extent this situation was a
natural result of the
times. The population of Ohio was
rapidly increasing but the
number of capable physicians and the
facilities for adequate medi-
cal training had not kept pace with the
astonishing growth of the
commonwealth. Such could hardly have
been expected, espe-
cially when one pauses to reflect that
the opportunities for even
a rudimentary education were sadly
lacking. There were but
two medical colleges west of the
Alleghenies--the Medical De-
partment of Transylvania University,
Lexington, Kentucky
(366)
OHIO MEDICAL HISTORY, 1835-1858 367
(founded by Dr. Benjamin W. Dudley in
1817),1 and the Medi-
cal College of Ohio (founded by Dr.
Daniel Drake in 1819).2
Other medical colleges which started
during, or near, this period
were: Willoughby Medical College, the
Medical Department of
the University of Lake Erie (founded in
1834);3 the Medical
Department of Cincinnati College
(founded by Dr. Daniel Drake
in 1835);4 the Cleveland Medical
College, the Medical Department
of Western Reserve College, at Hudson
(founded in 1843);5
Starling Medical College, Columbus
(founded in 1847);6 the Cin-
cinnati College of Medicine and Surgery
(founded by Dr. Alva H.
Baker in 1851);7 and the Miami Medical
College of Cincinnati
(founded in 1852).8
The direct result of this confused state
of affairs was that
there were three distinct classes of
practicing physicians--those
who had received a degree from a medical
college, those who had
attended lectures at some medical
college but who had not gone
on to graduation, and those trained
entirely under the preceptor
system, and who "were very
decidedly more than those who at-
tended one course of lectures."
"The number who had attended one
session of lectures was
greater than those who held medical
degrees, but up to 1835 the
number who had never attended any
medical school much ex-
ceeded the total of both of these
groups. The proportion who
had not attended at all gradually
diminished, but there was not
an equalization until after the Civil
War."9
With this information at hand one does
not have to stretch
the imagination very far to realize what
a conglomeration of
physicians, would-be physicians, medical
neophytes, impostors and
quacks plagued the lusty infant State of
Ohio.
1 Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-general's Office (Washington,
D. C., 1880-), Ser. 1, XIV, 720.
2 Ibid., XIII,
775; Ohio Laws, Statutes, etc., Acts, XVII, 37.
3 Ibid., XVI, 472.
4 Otto Juettner, Daniel Drake and His
Followers (Cincinnati, 1909), 182; Index.
Catalogue, Ser. 1, III, 192.
5 Ohio Medical Directory, 1890-91 (Cincinnati, 1890), 65; Index-Catalogue, Ser. 1,
III, 221.
6 Ohio Medical Directory, 1890-91, 65; Index-Catalogue, Ser. 1, XIII, 568.
7 Juettner, Drake, 289-98;
Index-Catalogue, Ser. 1, III, 192.
8 Ibid., IX, 243; Ohio Medical Directory, 1890-91,
65; Juettner, Drake, 320.
9 Frederick C. Waite, "The Professional Education of Pioneer
Ohio Physicians,"
Ohio State Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly (Columbus),
XLVIII (1939), 196.
368
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY
After the repeal of the medical laws in
1833 a brief quiescent
period ensued, during which there was no
collective action by
medical men. Then some of the more
progressive and alert mem-
bers of the profession began to bestir
themselves. The outcome
was a circular issued in June, 1834, by
Dr. William M. Awl, of
Columbus, addressed to "all
Scientific Practitioners of Medicine
and Surgery in the State of Ohio."
The circular read:
The undersigned, uniting in sentiment
and feeling with that portion of
the Profession who view, with pain, the
great depression of character--
want of harmony and concentration of
useful action, which unhappily pre-
vail in the Medical
Science--acknowledging, also, a proper responsibility
for the advancement of correct
principles, the promotion of public benevo-
lence, and the common welfare of
society--are induced most respectfully to
recommend and consent to support a call
for the assemblage of a General
Medical Convention, to be holden in the
city of Columbus, on Monday, the
5th of January, A. D. 1835.
The grand design is to organize for
practical utility, the whole scien-
tific medical power of the State. All
regular scientific Practitioners of
Medicine and Surgery, either of city,
village or county, who are disposed
to advance the honor and dignity of the
Profession;--every one who has a
heart in the cause of science, and is
ready to unite with the great and
good of the age, in elevating the moral
and scientific character and talent
of the great and extending West, is
cordially invited, and expected to come
and record his name in this Convention.
The regulation of professional
etiquette--The construction of inde-
pendent Medical Societies--The
support of a periodical Journal of Practical
Medicine--The erection and location
of public Asylums, for the reception
of Lunatics and the instruction of
the Blind--The promotion of the Tem-
perance cause--The regulation of
Vaccination--The convenient supply of
the Leech:--
And many other subjects will, perhaps,
claim the attention of the Con-
vention. But the whole proceeding should
be an independent and voluntary
offering for the common good, all are
expected to be unpledged, and none
should come entirely unprepared.10
Although written in the rather grandiose
style characteristic
of the era, this was a clear, clarion
call to the medical profession
to translate its ideals into realities
by disseminating knowledge,
by manifesting an active interest in the
public welfare, and by
instituting a self-imposed system of
rules and regulations designed
10 Medical Convention of Ohio, Proceedings,
1835, 3-4.
OHIO MEDICAL HISTORY, 1835-1858
369
to elevate the standards of medical
practice. It was the true
genesis of voluntary medical
organization in Ohio, which has
persisted to this day.
The convention was attended by 72
persons who hailed from
nearly every settled section of the
State. After organizing and
electing Peter Allen, of Trumbull
County, as president, the very
first order of business was an attempt
to purge the newly-formed
organization of undesirables. A
committee of three was appointed
"to inquire into the rights of
individuals to membership in this
Convention." The committee reported
back as follows:
Your committee, appointed to inquire
into the rights of individuals to
membership, in this Convention, Report--That
the obligations the Conven-
tion owe to the profession, require it
of them that in order that an individual
shall be entitled to a seat in this
body, he shall have been a regular student
of medicine, under the direction of a
respectable and qualified physician, and
that all disciples of
"Botanic" or "Thompsonian" systems of practice, be
excluded from all participation in the
deliberations of this Convention.11
The report was accepted by the
convention.
The "Thompsonians"
(Thomsonians), contemptuously re-
ferred to as "steam doctors"
or "steamers," were riding high on
the tide of popularity at the time. They
were a thorn in the
side of the regular medical profession
and consequently were
immediately ostracized. It is
interesting to note, except for the
specific reference to
"Thompsonians," how naively ambiguous was
the phraseology of the remainder of the
resolution. Not even
the remotest attempt was made to define
"a regular student of
medicine" or "a respectable
and qualified physician." Had that
been done with any degree of
conscientiousness it is probable that
a great many of those in attendance
would automatically have
been disqualified. It was an infant organization--it must be
nursed along. Adoption of too rigid
restrictions as to qualifica-
tions for membership might have
imperiled its very existence.
That the medical profession was acutely
aware of the weak-
nesses inherent in attempts at
self-regulation was attested by the
following resolutions introduced at the
convention ten years later
(1845) by Dr. Alva H. Baker.
11 Ibid., 5-6.
370 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
Mr. President: As the Profession of
Medicine is the most responsible
profession on earth, so should it be the
most Learned, Honorable, Elevated
and Dignified. Admitting such to
be the fact, then, as its guardians it
becomes our duty to adopt such
measures, as are best calculated to advance
and promote the same. THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that a thorough English education, good moral
char-
acter, and well regulated habits,
are essential pre-requisites to the study of
medicine.
RESOLVED, That the practice of encouraging young men to
study
Medicine, who have not the ability, and
are not determined to pursue it
regularly, is highly
reprehensible, and should be totally discountenanced.
RESOLVED, That less than three years regular study,
with some
respectable physician, and two full courses
of Lectures, should disqualify
a candidate for Graduation.
RESOLVED, That the cheapening of a Medical education is
calcu-
lated to lower the character of
the profession, and is decidedly injurious
to the public at large.
RESOLVED, That each member of the State Medical Convention, is
hereby positively forbid
consulting with an Empiric or in any wise giving
countenance to his practice, under
penalty of total suspension of all privi-
leges in this association.
RESOLVED, That any Physician who may pursue a course contrary
to established ethics is a fit
subject for contempt, and should be avoided by
every honorable and high minded Medical
man.
RESOLVED, That, county or district Medical Associations tend to
elevate the standard of Medicine, and
harmonize the profession. That
thereby community is benefited, and
Quacks discomfitted.l2
These resolutions, in the main quite
meritorious, were "laid
upon the table." Why? Probably
because the convention itself
was a heterogeneous group of competents
and incompetents, and,
to avoid treading upon the toes of too
many of the "faculty,"
laying them "upon the table"
was the easiest solution. Perhaps
one may be justified in surmising that,
had the resolutions been
adopted, quite as many confreres as
quacks would have been "dis-
comfitted."
Although the members of the convention
refused to adopt
those resolutions providing for at least
a partial policing of their
ranks they were, on the other hand,
unwilling to agree to a motion
by Dr. J. B. Thompson to memorialize
"the Legislature upon the
12 Ibid., 1845, 10-11.
OHIO
MEDICAL HISTORY, 1835-1858 371
subject of a Medical Law."13 Instead the following preamble
and resolutions, offered by Dr. James F.
Hibbard, were adopted.
WHEREAS, It is the opinion of this Convention, that a legal
organi-
zation of a State Medical Society should
not be asked for at this time, and
this Convention being a whole within
itself, without connexion with any
preceding Convention, and without
succession it cannot keep a record, and
can have no archives, and consequently,
much of the statistical and other
good that it might and ought to
do, is never accomplished:
AND WHEREAS, It is the opinion of this Convention, that the pro-
fession should do all that lies within
its power to elevate itself, and benefit
the public, and that this is to be done
only by individual and associate effort:
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, That Drs. Hills, R. Thompson,
Davis, Butterfield and Baker, be a
committee to draft a Constitution and
By-Laws for the organization of a State
Medical Society, and that they be
requested to report at the earliest practicable
moment during this session.
"The committee appointed upon the
subject of a State Medi-
cal Society made a report, which was finally
recommitted to the
same committee, to report anew on the first
day of next Conven-
tion" which was to be held "in
Columbus on the 2nd Tuesday of
May, 1846, at 10 o'clock, A. M."14
As it so happened, that was the last
opportunity for the
Medical Convention of Ohio to form
itself, as a whole, into a
State medical society. In retrospect one
may be safe in assuming
that to some of the
"intelligentsia" in the convention a certain
number of members were persona non
grata. As a consequence
on May 14, during the 1846 session of
the convention, a select
group of twenty-five "medical
gentlemen assembled, and organized
a meeting, by the selection of G. W.
Boerstler, Chairman, and
Jas. F. Hibbard, Secretary."
"The chairman stated the object of
the meeting, whereupon
a constitution was reported and adopted,
as the temporary basis
of the Ohio State Medical Society."15
Meetings of the Medical Convention of
Ohio were held as
follows:
13 Ibid., 13.
14 Ibid.
15 Ohio State Medical Society, Transactions,
1846, 1.
372 OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
Year Date Place
1835
...............January 5-7 ............ Columbus
1838................January
1-3 ............ Columbus
1839
................May 14-15
.................Cleveland
1841
................May 5-7
...................Columbus
1842
................May 16-20 ............... Cincinnati
1843 ................May 6-11 ..................Lancaster
1844
................May 28-30
.................Mt. Vernon
1845
................May 20-22
.................Columbus
1846
................May 12-14 ................ Columbus
1847
................May 16-20
.................Columbus
1848
................May 16-18
................Columbus
1849................June
5-7 ...................Columbus
1850................June
4-6 ..................Columbus
1851...............
June 3 ....................Columbus
"It will be noted
that sessions of the Medical Convention of
Ohio and the Ohio
State Medical Society were held concurrently
from 1846 to 1851 after which the Medical
Convention of Ohio
merged with the Ohio
State Medical Society."
The new constitution
provided for regular annual meetings
in Columbus on the
first Tuesday in June.
"Articles of
Incorporation were issued to the Society on
February 22, 1848.
"On May 28, 1902, a new
Constitution and By-Laws was
adopted which changed
the name of the organization to the Ohio
State Medical
Association."16
16 Robert G. Paterson, "The First Medical Convention
in Ohio," Ohio State
Medical Journal (Columbus, 1905-), May, 1938, 560-61.