<\/p>\n
Today we resume the account of Waterville’s first full-time physician, Moses Appleton, as found in the large quantity of Appleton papers recently acquired by the Waterville Historical Society. A short time ago, we had two broadcasts based on those papers, and those two barely got Dr. Appleton established in Waterville where he was to practice medicine for half a century. Today’s broadcast continues the story.<\/p>\n
By 1825 Dr. Appleton had found that the rapidly increasing population in the area around Waterville gave a larger medical practice than he could adequately cover. Though, from time to time, other doctors came to the vicinity, they stayed for short periods and some of them were not well trained. So Appleton encouraged a young man in Waterville to attend the
\nnewly establishea Bowdoin Medical School, with a view to joining Appleton in his practice.<\/p>\n
Although young men at that time were still entering upon medical careers by training with some recognized and competent physician, just as Appleton himself had done in Cambridge, Appleton had already seen in Cambridge the advantages of organized training provided by the Harvard Medical School, and he advised young Plaisted to go to the new Maine school in Brunswick.<\/p>\n
An amusing letter written in 1825 from Samuel Plaisted in Brunswick to Moses Appleton in Waterville, is preserved in the collection. It said:<\/p>\n
“The idea of being shut up in a stage without blanket or buffalo robe was not very agreeable at first as we passed over the hard snow to Brunswick, but I arrived at Hallowell no worse than a little chilled and bruised, and by that time I had found the journey just tolerable. At Hallowell I put up at Mr. Dillingham’s inn.” (Notice that in 1825 Hallowell was considered an overnight stage journey from Waterville.)<\/p>\n
The letter continues: “After dining with my landlord, who is training his colt, I rode on to Augusta and visited the Athaneum. I read a while in that library, saw a few old maids, and returned to Hallowell. The next morning I had breakfast early on clams and coffee. Then three of us boarded the stage for Brunswick, where we arrived at one o’clock. By two o’clock I was pleasantly seated in the college to hear a lecture on materia medica by Prof. Cleveland. He handled the subject in a masterly manner. No doubt we shall have a very instructive course with him.<\/p>\n
“After the lecture I took a peep at several boarding houses. The public house kept by Miss Ward is near the college, so I board there. Wood is brought to our room and fires are laid, and our washing is done, all for 10 shillings a week. (That was the equivalent of $1.67.) All is well if I can get used to the squealing of the tavern sign at night.<\/p>\n
“Dr. Wells is a small man, young and delicate, looks like a cupid. But he lectures well and is liked by all. Prof. Oliver presented me with a ticket to his lectures and gave me a copy of the Blue Laws that regulate our conduct. Then for 50 cents I got a card of admission to the Library. At present I have two lectures each day, at 12 and 2 o’clock.”<\/p>\n
In a letter written a few weeks later. Plaisted informed his Waterville sponsor about medical students and faculty at Bowdoin.<\/p>\n
“We now have 75 medical students attending the lectures. They are all colors and descriptions from good looking down to those who would frighten a patient into fits. But most are fine fellows who come from different parts of Maine and other states to collect what facts they can in a short space of twelve weeks. Some will not know any more at the end of the course than they know now, and that is not much. They get about ten cents worth of Latin to cover a few terms in medicine and materia medica, and then consider themselves trained and manage to get themselves dubbed doctors. At first the title is respected, but as it becomes familiar and the bumpkin shows his ignorance, it becomes all too apparent that he kills more patients than he cures.<\/p>\n
“Enough for the students. Now for the professors. Prof. Cleveland stands first, not only in the medical school, but also in the college. He is the great head and director of all that goes on. Dr. Wells in anatomy and surgery is one of the best lecturers. He talks like a clock. Dr. Oliver is a fine scholar but not much as a practical man. He is more a theorist than a practitioner. One can get from him what one ought to know, but no idea of what one ought to do. Dr. McKeen is badly suited for the office he holds. He cannot talk without constant hesitation. He is a clever fellow. When that is said, I have said it all.<\/p>\n
“An amazing trait of Dr. Oliver’s is that he keeps trying to turn us from medicine to divinity. He said he has never known a minister without employment for more than a week at a time, but he has known many doctors who can’t make a living. As for myself, I shall take a medical degree to care for the body, and let others take care of the soul.”<\/p>\n
Dr. Appleton felt that he could not wait for Sam Plaisted to finish his medical course. In fact, he felt sure there would very soon be room for three doctors in Waterville, so he tried to get Dr.Benjamin Sanborn to come from Portland and settle in Waterville. In October 1827 he got a letter from Sanborn, saying: “I have concluded that it would not be to my advantage to visit you with any intention of settling in Waterville. I think, if another doctor should settle in your town, the business would be so divided that neither would prosper, and it would be especially hard on the newcomer.” So Dr. Sanborn remained in Portland.<\/p>\n
As Justice of the Peace, Dr. Appleton became involved in many legal cases. One such in 1830 concerned the paternity of a child. Appleton received the following order: “Pamela Davis complains that she is now with child of which George Simpson of Winslow is the father, the child having been begotten on or about March 5, 1830, on the night time, in the house of Reuben Simpson. She desires that presentment be made against said Simpson and he be dealt with according to law.” Appleton then ordered the sheriff of Kennebec County to apprehend Simpson and bring him before Appleton, who in his capacity of Justice of the Peace found Simpson guilty and remanded him for full trial and decision before county court.<\/p>\n
Among the Appleton papers are many not directly connected with Dr. Appleton himself, but of considerable importance to the history of Waterville or its surrounding region. One of the most important of those papers is a copy of the Will of one of Waterville’s most prominent pioneers, Asa Redington. It is of great importance to have this copy of the Will placed permanently in the care of the Waterville Historical Society because that society is housed in the colonial residence built by Asa Redington for one of his sons in 1814 and until it was given to the Society by a Redington heir in 1925, no one except Redingtons ever lived in the house. Let us now see what that Will said.<\/p>\n
“I give and bequeath to my son Samuel all my homestead lot on which my house now stands, extending from the river back to the lot of Ja~s Stackpole, except that part reserved for my daughter Harriet, as hereafter mentioned. I also leave to my son Samuel all my interest in the mill privilege and the grist mill at Ticonic Falls and the workshops adjoining the lot east of Daniel Moor’s house; also my interest in the Sherwin lot so called. between the Kennebec River and a rail fence running from the land of Silas Redington to the lot of James Parker; also all that part of the McFarland lot lying on the west side of Emerson Stream, which became my property last fall in exchange for my deed to a pew in the Baptist Meetinghouse. I also bequeath to my son Samuel one-half of my household furniture and all the hay and grain that shall be on the homestead at the time of my decease; also one-half of the firewood and provisions, and such of the oxen, cows and farming tools as shall be used chiefly around the homestead, as well as the carpenter’s and joiner’s tools; also my three shares in the TiconicBridge, and all the lumber, split rails and rough stone on or about my homestead. I also require my son Samuel to care for the comfort of my daughter Harriet throughout her life. For my son Silas I give that part of the Sherwin lot that I have not already given to him and $300 in money give to my son William my shipyard lot.<\/p>\n
“I give to my daughter Harriet the west side of my manor house and one-half of the woodhouse, shed and outbuildings. one-half of the new garden, aquaduct and cistern. and such land adjoining as may be necessary for her convenient use of such premises; also her right to use the doors. stairways. entries. kitchen and cellar, during her lifetime, also one-half of my household furniture. To Harriet, I also bequeath 20 shares in the Waterville bank. and I also bequeath 10 shares in that bank to my daughter, Emily. To my sons Asa, William and Isaac, I leave the residue of my estate.<\/p>\n
“To my daughter, Mary, I bequeath 10 shares in the Waterville Bank.”<\/p>\n
On December 31, 1844, that Will was witnessed by James Stackpole, Samuel Doolittle and Amos Perkins. And with the promise of more from the Appleton papers next week, we are now saying goodbye until then.<\/p>\n
Year: 1981<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Read the script for “Little Talks” program #1292, Broadcast on December 6, 1981<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35323,35296],"tags":[],"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10099\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/csc-home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}