HomeMy Public PortalAboutIdaho History: MedicineSt. Alphonsus in 1894
New St. Alphonsus chateau section added in 1902
Charles Paynton's Victorian House was first St. Luke's
St. Luke's Hospital Started
In Paynton's Victorian House
St. Luke's Hospital was begun on a
modest scale in '1902 with the pur-
chase of the Victorian -style Charles
Paynton house at First and Bannock
streets. Paynton, who was an active
volunteer fireman for many years,
also had worked as a printer for The
Idaho Statesman in his young man -
hood.
At first, the Episcopal Church,
which purchased the house, intended
simply to provide facilities for re-
tired church workers and mis-
sionaries. Even though only six beds
were available in the wooden frame
building, the need for nurses
prompted the church to establish a
class for training nurses the very
next year, with three enrollees.
Lillian Long, a graduate of Port-
land's Good Samaritan Hospital, was
first superintendent of the program.
itefleeting the versatility required of
the profession in those days of small
hospitals, -Long also was a graduate
of the Boston Cooking School.
in 1906 the first nurses graduated,
and St. Luke's Hospital was formally
incorporated. A private room cost
from $15 to $30 per week in those
hard -money days, and typhoid fever
was one of the principal reasons for
hospitalization. St. Luke's treated
213 cases in 1907 alone.
Bishop James Funsten, who had
started --the - hospital, served as its
chief administrator in the early
years, assisted by' a board of direc-
tors. Eight physicians were ap-
proved for the medical staff by 1914,
but the hospital itself did not hire a
full -time doctor until 1921, .when Er-
nest E. Limbaugh accepted the posi-
tion of pathologist at $1000 per
month.
St. Luke's Guild (later the aux-
iliary), which has contributed so
Idaho
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart
generously to the successful oper-
ation of the hospital, was formed in
1904 with Mrs. Funsten as first presi-
dent. Benefits of many kinds helped
raise funds, including a 1912 per -
formance of.Gilbert's and Sullivan's
"H.M.S. Pinafore" at the Pinney
Theatre which netted $575.
The original Paynton house was
added to several times before the
first major new structure was com-
pleted in 1928. The Statesman hailed
the completion of this building on
-First Street with a, headline stating
that it was "fireproof to the very
last detail." The stairs were con-
crete, all railings and window
frames were metal and the roof was
tile. "Even to the layman the sturdy
lines of the building both inside and
out suggest permanence accom-
plished without the sacrifice of an
iota of beauty or convenience."
The $325,000- building had a num-
ber of features that were progres-
sive for 1928. One of the first elec-
trocardiographs in the West, radio-
graphic and fluoroscopic rooms, a
"specially constructed room for he-
liotherapy," and a basal metabolism
room were among the things men-
tioned in The Statesman.
During the Depression years,
hospital staff took a 10 per cent sa-
lary cut. By 1939, salaries had risen
again and the average daily number
of patients was 102. The war years
brought a great shortage of nurses,
as many women resigned to join the
armed forces.
The 1928 hospital has been added
to numerous times since the war,
and today St. Luke's continues am-
bitious expansion to provide needed
medical services to its community.
Few can know, as they enter today's
modern structure, that their steps
take them past the space once occu-
pied by Charlie Paynton's elegant
Queen Anne -style house — original
home of St. Luke's in 1902.
(Mr. Hart is director of the Idaho
Historical Society.)
Dr. Fred Pittenger came to Boise in 1909 after Chicago education
W here early -day Idaho doctors
were born., earned degrees
By ARTHUR HART
Our accumulation of information
about Idaho doctors for a forthcom-
ing biographical dictionary has
turned up some interesting facts. It
will require a great deal more work
and analysis to establish meaningful
trends and relationships out of this
mass of material, but we can share
some of it now — for what it may
suggest.
First of all, where did Idaho doc-
tors born before 1900 Come from?
Ten percent of the 160 studied were
born in Ohio. Missouri follows with
15, Illinois with 14, Iowa and Pennsyl-
vania produced 13 each. Only Utah,
which led Western states with 12,
came close. Idaho had nine native
sons practicing medicine who were
born before 1900.
By section of the country, the Mid-
west easily led all others with 52, fol-
lowed by the South and East with 34
each. The Pacific Coast had con-
tributed only five native sons to
Idaho medicine in the period studied.
Canada easily led all foreign coun-
tnes with 10 sons practicing in Idaho.
England had three, and Ireland, Nor-
way, Denmark, Germany and China
one each. Since it is obvious that
there must have been more than one
Chinese doctor here born in the 19th
century, we are limited in our study
-at this time by what can be docu-
inented.
Idaho'
Yesterdays
Only Dr. C.K. Ah Fong, Idaho's pi-
oneer Chinese doctor from gold rush
days, ever had his biography pub-
lished in English in one of the half
dozen subscription histories which
came out between 1884 and 1920.
The 160 doctors we have been able
to research thus far are those about
whom fairly reliable data has been
published — usually supplied at the
time by the subject himself. We have
cross - checked this information
against other sources and have
rarely found discrepancies in such
things as birthdate, birthplace, edu-
cation, election to offices in medical
societies and birthdates of children.
The education of Idaho's doctors
who received their degrees before
1920 is also of considerable interest.
Some of the famous medical schools
of the late 1.9th century easily led all
the rest in preparing Idaho physi-
cians and surgeons. Thirty -seven
Idaho doctors got their medical de-
grees in Chicago, 15 at Rush Medical
College, 15 at Northwestern School of
Medicine, four at the Chicago Col-
lege of Physicians and Surgeons and
three at Hahnemann Medical Col-
lege.
St. Louis, with 20 medical degrees,
was the most productive center for
Idaho, but unlike Chicago, which
graduated 37 doctors from four
schools, St. Louis turned out degrees
from no less than seven. Barnes Med-
ical Center and Missouri Medical
College were the leaders.
Cincinnati graduated 12 doctors
who later practiced in Idaho, and
Baltimore produced four. In addition
to these, however, Johns Hopkins
was a major attraction to Idaho phy-
sicians who went there for postgra-
duate study.
Vienna was the European center
to which several Idaho doctors trav-
eled for additional study in early
days. Among Western universities
which prepared Idaho doctors, Col-
orado with 12 medical degrees and
Denver with seven easily led in the
period before 1920.
Complete biographical data on
Idaho doctors of all periods are still
being collected and studied. Con-
tributions of such material by doc-
tors, their families or other inter-
ested persons will be much ap-
preciated by the Idaho Historical So-
ciety.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
Minnie F. Howard:
physician, mother,
patron of the arts
No history of the arts in
Idaho could be written without
.paying special tribute to Dr.
Minnie Frances Howard of Po-
catello. By any standard, Min-
nie Howard was a remarkable
woman, and her contributions
to Idaho's culture have had a
lasting effect.
Born Minnie Hayden in
Memphis, Mo., she attended
public schools in Missouri and
Kansas before graduating in
1890 from the Central Normal
College of Kansas. She re-
ceived further education in
Chicago in 1893 and at the Uni-
versity of Kansas in 1896.
From 1897 until 1899, she at-
tended the Woman's Medical
College, followed by an intern-
ship in Kansas City.
During her years as a school
teacher, and later as a physi-
cian, Dr. Howard never
missed a chance to expand her
knowledge and competence.
She took special medical train-
ing in New York and Chicago
during her 8 years of medical
practice.
Her marriage to William F.
Howard took place in, 1894,
when both were school teach-
ers. They worked toward their
medical degrees together, and
the remarkale Dr. Minnie
found time to have three sons,
born in 1900, 1904, and 1908.
IdahoGq
✓ ® T
Yesterdays x
By Arthur Hart
In 1902, the Howards moved
to Pocatello where both prac-
ticed medicine until Minnie re-
tired in 1908 when her third
child was born.
In 1904 Minnie Howard was
one of the organizers of the
Civic Club of Pocatello. She
served as chairman of the club
committee which secured a
Carnegie library for the city —
a handsome classical building,
(now on the national Register
of Historic Places) which
houses the Bannock County
Historical Society museum.
Because of her increasing
interest in the arts, Minnie
Howard did a daring and
liberated thing in , her early
years in Pocatello. She went
alone to Italy and Austria for a
year to study "art as a civic
force."
Back in Idaho, she soon ap-
plied what she had learned
through an art program spon-
sored by the state Federation
of Women's Clubs. She organ-
ized touring art exhibits,
which visited even the small-
est of Idaho towns.
Dr. Minnie Howard
Three such tours reached 26
cities in 2 years, and were ac-
companied by appropriate lec-
tures on art appreciation. Dr.
Howard paid for much of this
traveling culture out of her
own pocket. In 1914 she was
hailed as "one of the most
energetic, active, and influen-
tial women in the state."
In spite of her active role in
so many activities directed to
the improvement of commu-
nity life in Idaho, Minnie How-
ard was considered a marvel
by her friends for her ability
as a housewife and mother.
(Arthur Hart Is director of
the Idaho Historical Society).
Idaho's doctors, like the one above of yesteryear, have made lasting contributions
N vio d�ct�- o n a rY tn doctors
Medical doctors have had an im-
portant place in their communities
throughout Idaho history. Doctors
have been admired and respected
not only for their work in healing Pa-
tients, but for their civic activities.
This special leadership role of
Idaho's medical community makes
especially difficult a new project at
the Idaho Historical Society. We
have been asked to compile 15 to 20
biographies of men and women who
have trade "significant contributions
to medicine" in our state, these to be
Idaho
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart,
published in a new Biographical Dic-
tion,, ry of American Medicine.
How does one begin to e
dec dec i
which medical people
such an important national work? At
first consideration, the task seemed
fairly straightforward. We could
think of several doctors famous in
our state's history who surely ought
to be included.
There was David W. Ballard, for
instance. Ballard was appointed gov-
ernor of Idaho Territory in 1866 and
served for more than 4 years —
longer than any other territorial go-
vernor. David Ballard was a physi-
cian in Oregon at the time of his ap-
pointment, and because of the
stormy political situation during his
term of office actually had to support
himself by practicing medicine in
Boise while governor. This situation
lasted more than a year while politi-
cal opponents kept him from getting
laid.
Dr. C.A. Robins, another physi-
cian,
1 served as Idaho governor from
1947 to 1950. Robins had been elec d
to the Legislature in 1938, a
1942.
vv ne both men were certainly
make a significant contribution to
Idaho medicine? Should they be in-
cluded in our biographical dictionary
because of their political careers?
Given the nature of the work now in
preparation, probably not. And yet, it
seems a shame to leave out 2 such
colorful careers.
Some Idahoans who have national
importance in medicine may very
well be claimed by other states, but
will surely make the book anyway.
These will include those born or
trained here who settled elsewhere
before making their significant con-
tributions.
Readers are urged to assist the
Historical Society's effort to see that
Idaho is fairly represented by the
best in our medical history. Nomina-
tions, with biographical sketches and
statements of significance, may be
sent to the Idaho State Historical So-
ciety, 610 N. Julia Davis Drive, Boise
83702. Your help will be appreciated.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
St. AI's, St. Luke's Ended
Primitive Boise Health Care
Boise's two fine hospitals have a
history worth recalling as we ob-
serve National Hospital Week. Be-
fore St. Alphonsus and St. Luke's
were established, medical care for
people seriously ill was primitive at
best, and was usually administered
at home.
An infirmary at Fort Boise was
the first space set aside for medical
care, but eventually a county hospi-
tal was set up, primarily serving as
a pest house for isolating people with
communicable diseases. The men-
tally incompetent and the indigent
sick also were sent to this hospital.
In 1881 the doctor in charge was
accused of neglecting his pateients,
and of not giving them proper food,
medicine, or sanitary conditions. An
investigating committee concluded
that the doctor was doing the best he
could under the circumstances, but
from the testimony printed in the
paper at the time, today's readers
would conclude that the old county
hospital was pretty grim indeed.
As Dee Conner, writing in a recent
issue of St. Alphonsus News, points
out: "If death didn't occur, it was
considered a miracle. If death did
occur, it was God's will." The begin-
ning of better things for Boise's sick
dates from the establishment in 1894
of St. Alphonsus Hospital, operated
by the sisters of the Holy Cross. It
took its name from Alphonsus J.
Glorieux, bishop of the Diocese of
Boise at the time.
The 1894 building was the wooden
shingled portion of the old hospital
which still stands on State Street.
Idaho
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart
When it opened in a few days after
Christmas in 1894, it had 25 beds in
the charge of five sisters. A long sto-
ry in The Statesman describes the
"prepossessing" new facility in
glowing terms:
"A cozy reception room occupies a
place near the main entrance, while
on each side of the first floor hall-
ways are private rooms, all unos-
tentatiously but neatly and comfort-
ably furnished.
"The operating room, usually a
grewsome (sic) place; is made
bright by a flood of light through
large double windows.
In speaking of the fact that only
the first of three floors was finished
on the inside, the Sister Superior
told The Statesman reporter,' "We
have no income excepting what we
derive from our own industry, and
we will have to wait until we make
some money before we can add to
our furnishings."
A unique "medical plan" was of-
fered by the Sisters of the Holy
Cross. It consisted of ten - dollar tick-
ets sold to "persons in health," good
for one year. These tickets entitled
the holder to "all the benefits of the
hospital." It was emphasized, how-
ever, that those unable to pay would
be given "the same faithful and ten-
der care" as those who could pay.
Old hospital records indicate that
the recipients of these free services
often expressed their gratitude to
the good sisters by donations of pigs,
chickens, farm produce, and even
dairy cows. This continued until
1944, according to Sister Teresa Mar-
garet, keeper of the hospital's histor-
ic records, when an accrual,account-
ing system was set up. Her delight-
ful observation, as quoted by Conner
in Saint Alphonsus News, is "they
couldn't very well accrue a cow."
In 1902 the handsome brick
chateau addition with its castle -like
,towers was added at the corner of
Fifth and State. This doubled the
size of the hospital and gave it a
much more imposing architectural
presence.
In the years that followed, several
other additions eventually nearly
filled the city block bounded by
State and Washington and Fourth
and Fifth Streets. In 1972 a com-
pletely new hospital opened on Cur-
tis Road near the Interstate connec-
tor.
St. Alphonsus will continue to
make Idaho history in its crucial
area of human service for gener-
ations to come. Next week we shall
look at the equally colorful history of
Boise's other great hospital, St.
Luke's.
(Mr. Hart is director of the Idaho
Historical Society.)
St. Luke's modern structure opened in 1928
1930 In The Statesman
IDAHO DOCTOR ON ICY
TRAILS — RED RIVER HOT
SPRINGS, Idaho — The doctor at-
tempting to reach Roy Burke, a
miner, near the top of Green moun-
tain, before blood poisoning took his
life, was believed to be near his goal
Friday night.
Leaving this outpost Friday, Dr.
P.J. Weber of Grangeville; Lee Pet-
tibone, his guide; and Sumner Stone -
breaker, a musher, pushed their
eight -dog sled over crusted snow that
was 10 feet deep in places, and al-
though definite word of their pro-
gress had not been received, it was
believed they were near Green
mountain.
Sub -zero temperatures, which fol-
lowed a heavy snowfall were said to
be the factors which permitted the
trip in deep snow. On soft snow the
party could not have traveled, but
the task is simplified by a thick crust.
Burke was in a cabin near the sum-
mit of Green mountain, where he
was being ministered to by co-work-
ers in the Copper King mine in which
he was employed. After blood poison-
ing developed from an apparent
slight injury, a miner donned snow-
shoes and trekked to Grangeville, 85
miles away, for aid.
The trek started from Grangeville
Wednesday when Doctor Weber and
Guide Pettibone set out for Elk City
to meet Stonebreaker and his dog
team, sent by truck from McCall,
more than a hundred miles to the
south. From Elk City the party
pushed through isolated canyons and
over high mountains on routes that in
summer are little more than trails.
As Stonebreaker flicked his whip
over the heads of his eight "huskies"
to set out from Elk City, old timers
said several days would be needed to
close the 45 -mile gap between them
and Copper King mine, just below
the summit of Green mountain. The
terrain over which they started,
scarred from centuries -old glacial
activities, and this combined with
one of the worst, winters known,
made the dash a hazardous undertak-
ing. Doctor Weber believed he could
reach the patient in three days.
The news of Burke's condition was
brought to Grangeville by a fellow
miner, who traveled on snowshoes.
He said the injury was not believed
serious until after infection devel-
oped. First aid treatment was given
until it was seen that unless expert
medical attention was forthcoming
at once the man might not live. It
was not made clear here how Burke
got hurt.
The possiblility of a greater delay
was seen Friday night, as a brisk
southwest wind sent the mercury
several degrees above zero. If it be-
comes warm enough for the thick
snow crust to melt the sled will drop
into 10 feet or more of snow, making
an advance impossible. It was said,
however, that in the higher areas
over which much of the journey must
be made nothing short of a "chinook"
would break the enmt
No cause
found for
cancer rate
BY JEANNE HEINS
The Star -News
Women living in Valley County
began wondering why so many other
women they knew were being diag-
nosed with breast cancer, and health
officials launched an investigation
during 1995 to find out why reports
of the disease were so high.
When those health officials
started researching the incidence of
breast cancer in Valley County, they
discovered some startling statistics.
Between 1984 and 1993, the rate
of breast cancer in Valley County
was reported to be 345 cases per
100,000 females, compared to 299
per 100,000 females in the rest of
Idaho.
And between 1990 and 1995, 36
women were diagnosed with breast
cancer in Valley County. That num-
ber does not include an additional
six cases from 1994 and 1995 which
have not yet been reported to the
Cancer Data Registry of Idaho.
These cases were located through a
survey of area hospitals.
However, health officials are still
no closer to explaining why local
women are reporting higher rates of
breast cancer, but a study conducted
since October at least gave residents
a look at the victims and what char -
acteristics they share.
The study, conducted by the state
Division of Health, Cancer Data
Registry of Idaho and the Central
District Health Department, found
no common cause for the cancer,
and found no geographical pattern
of diagnosed cases in the county.
Women interviewed for the sur-
vey did, however, share a number of
known breast cancer risk factors,
including using hormones (estro-
gen) prior to their diagnosis, smok-
ing, and having a blood relative also
be diagnosed with breast cancer.
But health officials are not giv-
ing up on studying the issue.
/,�, / _')_ 9 / / q) (T 5-
Elks Rehab celebrates 35th ye
By MICHAEL ZUZEL
The Idaho Statesman
so that crippled kiddies may have the God -
given right to health, happiness and the opportu-
nity to fill their chosen places in the world
— from a 1941 Elks Association
brochure
In the early 1940s, members of the Idaho State
Elks Association, seeing a need for a non - profit
rehabilitation center for polio victims, began rais-
ing funds and making plans for just such a facil-
ity.
Six years later, during a severe polio outbreak,
the Elks Rehabilitation Center was rushed into
existence. In three days, 150 volunteers converted
a private home on Sycamore Drive into a physi-
cal rehabilitation center.
Now a full - fledged hospital, "the Elks" is a
sprawling, 70,000 - square -foot complex on Fort
Street, newly expanded and offering in- patient
services to nearly 500 victims of illness and injury
—on rare occasions, polio — each year.
The hospital is celebrating its 35th year this
month.
In that time, methods of rehabilitation have
changed a great deal, Director of Physical Ther-
apy Perry Silver said.
"We realize that you do have to treat the entire
patient," he said. "It used to be that we just did
exercise and turned them (the patients) loose;
now we know we have to deal with the family, the
spouse, the children, the community.
"You can't separate out just muscle and bone
and say that's the whole person," Silver said.
"You have to be cognizant of the psycho-social
part of it as well."
To deal with as many patient needs as possible,
the hospital offers a variety of programs. In addi-
tion to physical therapy, the hospital offers occu-
pational therapy, a speech and hearing program,
cardiac and respiratory therapy, and psychologi-
cal and social services.
Steve Kerr, social worker at the hospital, said
the programs are combined under a team con-
cept.
"People always stress physical therapy, but
really, everyone here has a hand in it," he said.
"It's a big operation."
Among her other duties, Brenda Nelson, an oc-
cupational therapist, assists in a ceramics -and-
pottery program at the hospital.
"This is not just a diversionary activity," she
said. "This type of activity improves the patient's
finger dexterity and flexibility.
Respiratory therapist Pat Burdsall meets with
many patients whose lungs and heart function are
impaired.
"It depends on the patient; some people have
more difficulty than others," she said. "We teach
good pulmonary hygiene ... building lung volume
back up, which in turn improves the individual's
endurance."
Speech and hearing difficulties are the focus of
Curt Williams' work.
"We see problems, particularly in strokes and
head injuries
our whole of
look at the 1
some impair
Patients a
physicians, c
an evaluatio
therapy wou
Silver bell
tinue to char,
"Electron
said. "It use
consoles, an(
age -size — ai
less expense
Despite tl
physical the
sary part of,
There's
change, whic
he said. "Yc
patient over
E l k s R e h a b c e l e b r a t e s 3 5 t h y e a r
e I d a h o S t a t e s m a n
P l e d k i d d i e s m a y h a v e t h e G o d -
i i t h , h a p p i n e s s a n d t h e o p p o r t u -
i o s e n p l a c e s i n t h e w o r l d
f r o m a 1 9 4 1 E l k s A s s o c i a t i o n
b r o c h u r e
O s , m e m b e r s o f t h e I d a h o S t a t e
s e e i n g a n e e d f o r a ' n o n - p r o f i t
t e r f o r p o l i o v i c t i m s , b e g a n r a i s -
, k i n g p l a n s f o r j u s t s u c h a f a c i l -
d u r i n g a s e v e r e p o l i o o u t b r e a k ,
i t a t i o n C e n t e r w a s r u s h e d i n t o
d a y s , 1 5 0 v o l u n t e e r s c o n v e r t e d
n S y c a m o r e D r i v e i n t o a p h y s i -
c e n t e r .
f g e d h o s p i t a l , " t h e E l k s " i s a
s q u a r e - f o o t c o m p l e x o n F o r t
S a n d e d a n d o f f e r i n g i n - p a t i e n t
5 0 0 v i c t i m s o f i l l n e s s a n d i n j u r y
o n r a r e o c c a s i o n s , p o l i o e a c h y e a r .
T h e h o s p i t a l i s c e l e b r a t i n g i t s 3 5 t h y e a r t h i s
m o n t h .
I n t h a t t i m e , m e t h o d s o f r e h a b i l i t a t i o n h a v e
c h a n g e d a g r e a t d e a l , D i r e c t o r o f P h y s i c a l T h e r -
a p y P e r r y S i l v e r s a i d .
" W e r e a l i z e t h a t y o u d o h a v e t o t r e a t t h e e n t i r e
p a t i e n t , " h e s a i d . " I t u s e d t o b e t h a t w e j u s t d i d
e x e r c i s e a n d t u r n e d t h e m ( t h e p a t i e n t s ) l o o s e ;
n o w w e k n o w w e h a v e t o d e a l w i t h t h e f a m i l y , t h e
s p o u s e , t h e c h i l d r e n , t h e c o m m u n i t y .
" Y o u c a n ' t s e p a r a t e o u t j u s t m u s c l e a n d b o n e
a n d s a y t h a t ' s t h e w h o l e p e r s o n , " S i l v e r s a i d .
" Y o u h a v e t o b e c o g n i z a n t o f t h e p s y c h o - s o c i a l
p a r t o f i t a s w e l l . "
T o d e a l w i t h a s m a n y p a t i e n t n e e d s a s p o s s i b l e ,
t h e h o s p i t a l o f f e r s a v a r i e t y o f p r o g r a m s . I n a d d i -
t i o n t o p h y s i c a l t h e r a p y , t h e h o s p i t a l o f f e r s o c c u -
p a t i o n a l t h e r a p y , a s p e e c h a n d h e a r i n g p r o g r a m ,
c a r d i a c a n d r e s p i r a t o r y t h e r a p y , a n d p s y c h o l o g i -
c a l a n d s o c i a l s e r v i c e s .
S t e v e K e r r , s o c i a l w o r k e r a t t h e h o s p i t a l , s a i d
c n e p r o g r a m s a r e c o m b i n e d u n d e r a t e a m c o n -
c e p t .
" P e o p l e a l w a y s s t r e s s p h y s i c a l t h e r a p y , b u t
r e a l l y , e v e r y o n e h e r e h a s a h a n d i n i t , " h e s a i d .
" I t ' s a b i g o p e r a t i o n . "
A m o n g h e r o t h e r d u t i e s , B r e n d a N e l s o n , a n o c -
c u p a t i o n a l t h e r a p i s t , a s s i s t s i n a c e r a m i c s - a n d -
p o t t e r y p r o g r a m a t t h e h o s p i t a l .
" T h i s i s n o t j u s t a d i v e r s i o n a r y a c t i v i t y , " s h e
s a i d . " T h i s t y p e o f a c t i v i t y i m p r o v e s t h e p a t i e n t ' s
f i n g e r d e x t e r i t y a n d f l e x i b i l i t y . "
R e s p i r a t o r y t h e r a p i s t P a t B u r d s a l l m e e t s w i t h
m a n y p a t i e n t s w h o s e l u n g s a n d h e a r t f u n c t i o n a r e
i m p a i r e d .
I t d e p e n d s o n t h e p a t i e n t ; s o m e p e o p l e h a v e
m o r e d i f f i c u l t y t h a n o t h e r s , " s h e s a i d . " W e t e a c h
g o o d p u l m o n a r y h y g i e n e . . . b u i l d i n g l u n g v o l u m e
b a c k u p , w h i c h i n t u r n i m p r o v e s t h e i n d i v i d u a l ' s
e n d u r a n c e . "
S p e e c h a n d h e a r i n g d i f f i c u l t i e s a r e t h e f o c u s o f
C u r t W i l l i a m s ' w o r k .
" W e s e e p r o b l e m s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n s t r o k e s a n d
h e a d i n j u r i e s , " W i l l i a m s s a i d . " T h e b o t t o m l i n e o f
o u r w h o l e o p e r a t i o n i s i n d e p e n d e n c e � Y o u j u s t
l o o k a t t h e p e r s o n a s a w h o l e , a n d i f t h e y h a v e
s o m e i m p a i r m e n t , y o u c o n c e n t r a t e o n i t . "
P a t i e n t s a r e r e f e r r e d t o t h e h o s p i t a l b y t h e i r
P h y s i c i a n s , S i l v e r s a i d . U p o n a r r i v i n g a t t h e E l k s ,
a n e v a l u a t i o n i s d o n e t o d e t e r m i n e w h a t t y p e s o f
t h e r a p y w o u l d m o s t b e n e f i t t h e p a t i e n t .
S i l v e r b e l i e v e s a d v a n c e s i n t e c h n o l o g y w i l l c o n -
t i n u e t o c h a n g e r e h a b i l i t a t i o n m e t h o d s .
" E l e c t r o n i c s a r e c h a n g i n g t h e f i e l d s o f a s t , " h e
s a i d . " I t u s e d t o b e o u r m a c h i n e s w e r e g r e a t b i g
c o n s o l e s , a n d n o w t h e y ' r e d o w n t o c i g a r e t t e - p a c k -
a g e - s i z e a n d t h e y . . . d o a l o t b e t t e r j o b f o r a l o t
l e s s e x p e n s e . "
D e s p i t e t h e s e a d v a n c e s , S i l v e r s a i d h u m a n
p h y s i c a l t h e r a p i s t s w i l l c o n t i n u e t o b e a n e c e s -
s a r y p a r t o f a p a t i e n t ' s r e c o v e r y .
" T h e r e ' s s t i l l a n e e d f o r t h a t o n e - t o - o n e i n t e r -
c h a n g e , w h i c h I t h i n k r e a l l y m a k e s a d i f f e r e n c e , "
h e s a i d . " Y o u r e a l l y h a v e t o g e t i n v o l v e d w i t h a
p a t i e n t o v e r t i m e . "
Professional Directory
Allen, Wayne F. MD
McCall Medical Clinic
634 -2225
Res.
634 -2404
Archer, Clyde Jr. Dr.
Dentist
634 -584o
Res.
634 -2430
Bentley, Jack Dr.
Optometrist Wednesdays
634 -2323
Gauss, B. W. Dr.
Dentist
634 -5717
Res.
634 -5181
Nokes, Herald S. MD
McCall Medical Clinic
634 -2225
Res.
634 -5566
Stewart, James MD
Doctor
631.1_ -2466
VialY Clara V. Dr.
Optometrist
634 -2463
634 -5222
Woods, Rachel H. Dr.
Osteopath
634-5731
Res.
634 -2996
Builders Directory
Bayok, Joe Builder 634 -5654
Dehlin, John Builder 634 -5246
Dehlin, Paul Plumber 634 -5955
Fraley, James Builder 634 -2393
Hillman, Hubert General Contractor & Plumber 634 -2974
Haldeman & Wi.11immson
Sheldon Haldeman 634 -5611 Bob Williamson 634 -5123
Mockwitz, William Jr. Construction 634 -2448
7�(, la "o rj�/ �.
Be it dark or s
Idaho's doctors delivered
Like many oldsters, I am be-
ginning to feel lost in medical
limbo, as though I've worn out
my welcome and is it somehow
all my fault because I have lived
too long?
This question hit me when I
asked a Boise doctor why I had
to wait nearly two hours past
my appointment time while
quite a few other people were
admitted ahead of me.
The doctor politely said he
never turns down anybody with
an emergency, and how lucky I
am because a number of doctors
are totally refusing to take
Medicare patients.
It wasn't until I read Louise
Betty Penson Ward
Shadduck's new history book,
"Doctors with Buggies, Snow-
shoes and Planes," that I real-
ized how much the practice of
medicine has changed since the
days when Dr. William Whitwell
often raced the stork on horse-
back on steep ridges of the Salm-
on River Canyon or Dr. H.E.
Iamb of Twin Falls delivered
babies by car lights and did sur-
gery on a kitchen table even
when the table collapsed.
Early doctors took terrible
chances, because they had to.
Dr. Herman Zipf of Idaho City
climbed icy mountains and
forded a raging river on a float-
ing log to successfully amputate
a logger's leg at the hip — by
lamplight with no sterilization.
Doctors were tough. Dr.
George Kenney of Lemhi Valley
once went 30 days and nights
without his clothes off. Dr. Earl
D. Jones of Roberts had this
inscribed on his tombstone: "No
night too dark or stormy, no
road too bad or long."
Doctors had their own trage-
dies. When Union soldiers
burned his Missouri home, Dr.
Felix Froman brought his family
west via wagon train, but one
child wandered away and never
was found. The Fromans arrived
in Caldwell with 25 cents. Beau-
tiful Dr. Mary McGahan, first
woman to practice in Shoshone
and Benewah counties, was mur-
dered for the narcotics she car-
ried while on a horse - and -buggy
call to a patient.
Some had honors. Dr. Charles
Mowery was elected mayor of
Wallace. Dr. Charles Robbins of
St. Maries became the first doc-
tor- governor of Idaho.
Some had strange pasts. Dr.
Ones Page of Sandpoint had
been an acrobat with Ringling
Brothers circus.
Dr. Chuck Ali Fong of Boise
was the first licensed Chinese
doctor.
Doctors didn't get rich in
those days. Lemhi's doctor was
so poor he started a butter route
on the side.
Contrast these stories with
the risk -free society in which we
live today. If something bad hap-
pens to you, like getting hit by a
truck, a tricycle or a stetho-
scope, it's somebody else's fault
and they've got to pay. So we all
have liability insurance. Does
that make it the insurance
agent's fault? Or the lawyers'
fault for being pushy on the sue
button? Or the doctors' fault for
being caught in the middle?
Tragedy used to be God's
fault. But not anymore. God is
out of the loon.
Early-day doctor's office
Idaho Yesterdays
Contraptions Fiffed Doctor's Offi
Dr. George P. Haley and friend'
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho
Historical Museum
Photographs shed inter-
esting light on changing
technology in many profes-
sions practiced in Idaho over
the past century. One of our
favorite groups of pictures in
the collection of the Idaho
Historical Society shows Dr.
George P. Haley in his Boise
office near the turn of the
century.
Dr. Haley maintained a
general practice while spe-
cializing in diseases of the
ear, nose, and throat. He
also was said by a contempo-
rary biographer to have "ex-
perienced splendid success"
in the treatment of "surface
cancer."
What is most fascinating
in the pictures of the Haley
office is the fantastic ma-
chines with which it was
filled. Motors, gadgets, belts,
pulleys, and glass flasks and
globes are built into hand-
some cabinets with carved
decorations.
Although we have been
unable to find out what these
things were for, they are cu-
riously reminiscent of early -
day science fiction, in which
was described the laboratory
of Dr. Frankenstein or the
subterranean workshops of
Captain Nemo. There may
be medical people who have
an idea of what these in-
triguing machines are, and
we would like their help.
One viewer of these pho-
tographs has characterized
Dr. Haley as of the "mad
scientist school of medi-
cine," and others have com-
mented that his patients
must have been much im-
pressed by such elegant ma-
chinery, whether it did any-
thing useful or not. But, we
wonder, did patients find the
grinning skeleton behind the
doctor's desk reassuring in
any way?
George P. Haley was born
in East Corinth, Maine, in
1854. He graduated from Jef-
ferson Medical College in
Philadelphia in 1879. After
practicing medicine in New-
port, N.J., for five years, he
moved west to Laramie,
Wyo. In addition to his medi-
cal practice there, Haley ran
a drugstore.
In 1888, Dr. Haley arrived
in Boise where he became
one of the city's best known
physicians. He took post-
graduate courses in his spe-
cialty and in the treatment
of cancer. Again his biogra-
pher informes us that Dr.
Haley had made "unusual
progress" in cancer studies,
although their nature is not
described. We are left to
speculate if the wonderful
contraptions in his Boise of-
fice had anything to do with
cancer treatment. We do
know that there were ma-
chines, later labeled as
quackery, which were once
thought to be of value in
such cases.
A son, George B. Haley,
became a pharmacist and
practiced in Emmett. Anoth-
er son, Marcus, managed his
father's cattle ranch on the
Payette River. Daughters
Alice and Jennie were, re-
spectively, a housewife in
San Francisco and a clerk in
the Idaho Legislature.
Photographs like these
N
give positive and intriguing
clues to the state of medi-
cine 75 years ago. They raise
questions about practices
and equipment which fur-
ther research will have to
answer.
Py (r 2--