Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 37/An Additional Note on Some Early Oregon Physicians
AN ADDITIONAL NOTE ON SOME EARLY OREGON PHYSICIANS
By O. Larsell
In an article entitled, "Fairfield Medical School and Some Early Oregon Physicians," published in the June, 1936, number of the Oregon Historical Quarterly, the writer stated that H. H. Spalding, who came to old Oregon in 1836, attended Fairfield. This is apparently incorrect. Dr. C. M. Drury, in his recent biography of Spalding, quotes from a letter dated Prattsburg, New York, August 31, 1835, Spalding's proposal to "attend to the study of medicine as much as possible with a physician in this place,"[1] while waiting for a more propitious time to leave for the mission field. In a subsequent letter dated from Holland Patent, New York, Spalding writes:[2] "I have put in my time principally in the study of medicine & shall to the best advantage while I remaine. I shall wish to take some $30 or $40 for medicines." He lived, during the winter of 1835-36, within a few miles of the Fairfield Medical School, but no actual record has come to light that he attended lectures there. This was after he had left Lane Theological Seminary at Cincinnati. Dr. Drury, who called my attention to the error regarding Spalding's attendance at Fairfield, suggests[3] that during his course at Lane he may have attended medical lectures in Cincinnati, where there existed a medical school at this time. No evidence has come to light that Spalding did so, but it is quite possible and in keeping with the practice of the time.
Whether Spalding continued his studies with the physician at Prattsburg, as he planned, according to the letter cited above, or attached himself to one at Holland Patent or other neighboring town is not clear. It is evident, however, that he studied medicine during the winter before he left with Whitman for the northwest. After he established his station on the Clearwater, as I have previously pointed out,[4] he attempted some medical service for the Indians.
On page 102 of the earlier article, I stated that W. C. McKay was sent to Fairfield, and on page 106 it is stated that he may have enrolled only in the academic department. Additional evidence indicates that this is true, and that his first registration as a medical student was at the Medical Institute of Geneva College, probably in 1841-42. The next year he followed one of his instructors, Dr. John Delamater, to the new medical school at Willoughby, Ohio, completing the second course of lectures required in that day at that school in 1843. Since he was but nineteen years of age at the time, it is probable that McKay failed to get his medical degree from Willoughby because he was a minor. He was given a certificate of some sort, which was accepted in Oregon, on his return, as entitling him to practice medicine. The Willoughby school was short lived and McKay apparently never received a medical degree from it. He was granted an honorary degree of doctor of medicine by Willamette University after many years of practice without a degree. This diploma is dated at Salem, Oregon, March 4, 1872, and is signed by T. M. Gatch as president of the university, and by the members of the medical faculty.
On page 107 of the article on the Fairfield Medical School footnote 7 should be corrected to read: According to some statements there were 579 medical graduates, instead of 555.