Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/263

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Whitman: "The Good Doctor"
225

the Mission." He got quite a list from several physicians, totalling about $70 in cost. It includes the best authorities on medicine, midwifery and surgery of the time, and also books on anatomy, chemistry, pharmacology and the United States pharmacopeia. Since the list is of interest in giving Whitman's sources of medical information after he got to Oregon it is included, as Gray wrote it:

Paxtons Anatomy; Dublin Dissectors; Olivers Physiology; Eberles Practice of Phissic; Eberle on Diseases of Females; Eberle on Diseases of Children; Colins Manual of Auscultation; Vel Peaus Midwifery; Sam'l Coopers first lines of Surgery, Last Edition; Astley Coopers Surgical Lectures, three volumes; Vel Peaus Operative Surgery; Paine on Diet; James Johnson on the liver; James Johnson on Tropicle climates; Cadyenave on Cutaneous diseases; Andeals Pathologicle Anatomy; Suglison Medicle Lexicon, one for each station; Thompsons Materia Medica; Turners Chemistry; Burns Midwifery, Last American edition; Good Study of Medicine, Merrimans Synopsis of Midwifery; Gibsons Surgery; Two approved Manuals of Anatomy; United States Pharmacopeia, 3 copies; Paris Pharmacology.

In the list[1] of "Receipts and Expenditures for Rev. C. Eells, E. Walker, A. B. Smith and W. H. Gray Company from Independence, Mo." made out at Rendezvous on Wind River in July 1838, are included the following:

1
case surgical instruments and 1 pocket case
$20.00
1
pocket case and medicines by Mr. Smith
22.75
6
E. lancets, 1 Ginn lancet, 1 turnkey
5.12½
1
oz. quinine 2 oz. quassia 1 lb. jalap 144 lb. camphor
2.95
1
lb, calomel 11 oz. W. Ointment 1 lb. saleratus 2 lb. oil
2.34
2
oz. soda 2 oz. acid 1 oz. pep-mt. 1 oz. ansseed
.50
1
oz. N'meg 2 lbs salts 2 boxes pills
.75

It is not stated if the instruments and medicines were turned over to Dr. Whitman when the party arrived at Waiilatpu. The books apparently were not obtained in time for Gray to take them with him on his return to the mission. On his arrival he wrote from the Nez Perce station: "The list of Medical Books I gave you while at Fairfield if possible we want filled and a dispensitory, for each station and Hooper Medical Dictionary for each. I find as the practice of juglers ceases we have more to attend to in the medical department."[2] When they finally


  1. Statement to the American Board.
  2. Gray to Greene, September 22, 1838.