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Doctors
The medical profession in Flint village was represented by several physicians of
considerable eminence. Dr. Robert D. Lamond, a graduate of the medical school at
Castleton, Vermont, and also of the Fairfield Medical College, in Herkimer
County, New York, came to Flint about 1838 from Pontiac, where he had commenced
practice soon after 1830. He represented Genesee County in the Legislature in
1844, and continued to reside in Flint until his death in 1871. Before 1840, Dr.
Elijah Drake settled in Flint, practicing here until his death in 1875. In 1840,
came Dr. George W. Fish. Doctor Fish removed to Jackson in 1848, holding
subsequently many high positions of trust which kept him from Flint, to which he
did not return until late in life. Dr. Daniel Clarke, a graduate of Harvard,
removed from Grand Blanc to Flint in 1844, where he continued to practice for
the greater portion of his life. In 1845, Dr. De Laskie Miller came to Flint
from Lapeer, but after seven years removed to Chicago and was subsequently
appointed professor of obstetrics in Rush Medical College. In 1848, D. John
Willet, a graduate of Geneva (New York) Medical College, began his practice in
Flint, where he continued until appointed as surgeon in the army in 1862. On his
return he entered the drug business, and later was elected to the state
Legislature.
In the winter of 1841-1842, there was organized at Flint the Genesee County
Medical Society, the first organization of the kind in the county. Of this
society the following mention was made in an address by Dr. G. W. Fish in 1876:
“About thirty-five years ago, four physicians
met in an office in the little village of Flint, and after much deliberation and
consultation, organized the first medical society ever formed in this part of
the state. They were all young men, but recently from the schools, natives of
the state of New York, and had all a common alma mater – the Old Fairfield
Medical College, in Herkimer County, New York. Of those who that day attached
their signatures to the constitution and by-laws of the first Genesee County
Medical Society, one, Dr. John A. Hoyes, has been dead almost a score of years;
another, Dr. Robert D. Lamond, died some five years since; the third, Dr. John
W. King, lies in his coffin and will soon be borne by us to his last
resting-place, and the fourth is he who now addresses you.”
In a letter written later by Doctor Fish he speaks of this old society as
follows: “We sent to Detroit and to Pontiac for copies of the constitution and
by-laws of their respective medical societies, and framed one suited to our
wishes. My impression is that Doctor Hoyes was the first president and Dr.
Lamond, secretary. I also think that the first annual meeting was held at Flint,
the following June, at which meeting Doctors Steere and perhaps Doctor Miller,
of Flushing, may have joined at that time, or soon after. I may be mistaken one
year in the date of the organization, but I think I am right. The society
remained in active operation for many years, until I went south. I believe all
the regular bred physicians who came into the county became members of the
society, besides some from Lapeer, Shiawasee and Saginaw counties.”
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