Autobiography of Silas Thompson Trowbridge M.D / with a new introduction by John S. Haller Jr. and Barbara Mason.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Trowbridge, Silas Thompson, 1826-1893.

Contributor:

Haller, John S., Jr., 1940-

Mason, Barbara, 1926-

Series:

Shawnee classics.

Shawnee classics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Trowbridge, Silas Thompson, 1826-1893.

Trowbridge, Silas Thompson.

Physicians--Biography.

Physicians.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (315 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Carbondale [Ill.] : Southern Illinois University Press, 2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Autobiography of Silas Thompson Trowbridge M.D." is a remarkable account of nineteenth-century medicine, politics, and personal life that recovers the captivating experiences of a Civil War era regimental surgeon who was also a president of the Illinois State Medical Society and a United States consul in Mexico. First published in 1872 by Trowbridge s family and even printed on a family-owned press, only a handful of copies of the initial publication survive. In this first paperback edition, Trowbridge s memoirs are reprinted as they originally appeared. Indiana-born Trowbridge moved to Illinois in his early twenties. A teacher by trade, he continued that career while he began the study of medicine, eventually starting a medical practice near New Castle, which he later moved to Decatur. Though respected by the community, Trowbridge lacked an authentic medical degree, so he enrolled in a four-month course of medical lectures at Rush Medical College in Chicago. "Autobiography" describes the atmosphere of the medical school and delineates Trowbridge s opinions on the lack of quality control in medical colleges of the day. Although three years of study and two annual terms of sixteen weeks were the actual requirements for the degree, Trowbridge was allowed to graduate after a single course of lectures and completion of a twenty-page thesis due to his previous experience. He then married a young widow and returned to Decatur, where he began a partnership with two local physicians and inaugurated a county medical society. In addition to practicing medicine, he was known and respected for regulating it, too, having supported legislation that would legalize dissection and prohibit incompetent persons from practicing medicine. In 1861, Trowbridge began service as a surgeon of the 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry commanded by Colonel Richard J. Oglesby."Autobiography" describes his experiences beginning in Cairo, Illinois, where the infantry was involved in several expeditions and where Trowbridge made his debut at the operating table. Revealing a litany of surgical duties, replete with gruesome details, these war-time recollections provide a unique perspective on medical practices of the day. Likewise, his commentaries on political issues and his descriptions of combat serve to correct some of the early written histories of the war s great battles. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1864, Trowbridge returned to Decatur to resume his partnership with Dr. W. J. Chenoweth and devote himself to surgery. His reminiscences recount several difficult surgeries, his efforts to reorganize the county medical society (which had collapsed during the war), and his communications to the Illinois legislature to set higher qualifications for practicing physicians. He was later elected president of the Illinois State Medical Society and appointed by President Grant United States Consul to Vera Cruz on the eastern coast of Mexico, where he studied and challenged the treatment of yellow fever. The autobiography ends in 1874 with a six-day family vacation and the marriage of his daughter to a merchant of Vera Cruz. "

Contents:

Cover

Book Title

Copyright

Introduction

Dedication

Preface

Autobiograpy of Silas Thompson Trowbridge M.D.

The Battle of Pittsburg Landing

Campaign Against Corinth

Occupation of Jackson Tennesee

The Battle of Britton's Lake

The Status of the Negro and the Emancipation Proclamation

The Battles of Iuca, Corinth, and Hatchie

Hospital Patients at Corinth

At Jackson Tennesee

Battle of Magnolia Church

Battle of Raymond

Battle of Jackson, Mississippi

Battle of Champions Hill or Edward's Station

Battle at Big Black River

The Siege of Vicksburg

Incidents of the Campaign

Garrisoning Vicksburg

Domestic Life Again

New Madrid, Missouri

Excursion With the Editors

Medical Associations and What the Writer Had to do With Them

Illinois State Medical Society

Decoration Day in Decatur in 1869

Appointed Consul

Yellow Fever

Vice Consul

Appendix

Shawnee Classics.

Notes:

Reprinted from the original 1874 edition.

ISBN:

1-280-69797-0

9786613674937

0-8093-8859-6

OCLC:

794492256