Vancleave William Edward - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Born Nov 3, 1877 on a farm near Crawfordsville, Indiana, attended local grade & high school and Wabash College. At the age of 18 he decided to turn school master until he should reach a decision as to a life vocation. He liked farming but since his two brothers had already determined to be farmers, he felt he should study for some profession. During his teen age period he was always called upon to attend the sick and injured animals on the farm. His success in setting broken limbs and suturing up barbed wire cuts, as well as his love for making pills, liniments and medicinal concoctions gave him a desire to study veterinary medicine. His plans were all made when an old teacher friend of his, chided him saying, "Van, if you have more than horse sense, why don't you go with me to Louisville, Ky and study human medicine." Thus 7 years of teaching was ended and the next 4 years spent in the study of medicine which resulted in a degree of Dr. of Medicine in June 1905. Practicing medicine in his home town was a little slow and unexciting. learning that the Indian Medical Service offered an opportunity to travel and see the Great West, he accepted a Government appointment as physician among the Navajo Indians, at Tohatchi, NM, reporting for duty Nov 11, 1907. After tow and a half years, he requested a change to a northern climate and was given a transfer to SD to the Sioux Reservation. The winters were very cold and the drives long, so after one and a half years, he drew a transfer to Oklahoma, among the Cheyenne and Arapahos. Two years later he was promoted to position as Special Physician and Medical Supervisors or all Indian Schools & Agencies in Oklahoma. This position, he held for four years. In Feb 1916, he was advised that a 60 bed hospital was under construction at Talihina, Ok for the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians, and further directed to go to that point and make a list for purchasing, of all furniture, equipment and supplies needed for the proper equipment and operation of the institution. In July 1916, he returned to this institution received all furnishings and supplies as they arrived and made the hospital ready for its dedication and opening Nov 17, 1916.

The next few years might be called a pioneering period. Here was a new hospital set out in a small cleared space among tall pines, at the base of Buffalo Mountain, 3 miles from Talihina, post office and railroad point. Timber had to be cut & dense woods about the hospital thinned out to let in the sunshine. Much grading, drainage and landscaping had to be done, and this gradually followed up with grasses, flowers and shrubbery. Dr. VanCleave induced his mother to send him two barrels of flowering bulbs, roots, roses and shrubbery from his home in Indiana. Another free shipment was obtained from the US Botanical gardens at Washington. The 3-mile trail to Talihina wound around here and there through the woods and across 3 creeks which always became unfordable for a few days following each heavy rain. This meant grading, drainage, and general improvement and gradual hewing out of a survey line. The original dream of many of the founders of the institution was that it should furnish a haven for many old Indians of both tribes who were crippled, invalid or homeless, as well as those really ill. However, hospitalization was an untried venture for at least 4 out of 5 old Indians who needed the service. Immediately after the opening of the hospital, a health drive was instituted over much of the full blood Choctaw sections of SW Oklahoma, and many induced to go to the hospital. ..

My introduction to the Shock-Chick Sanatorium came in Feb 1916 while I was Medical Supervisor of Indian Schools in Oklahoma & Kansas. I was ordered by the Government to proceed to Talihina, where a Govt Sanitarium for Indians was under construction and to make a list of all items of furniture, instruments and other equipment necessary for finishing and equipping the institution, ready for operation. I was also directed to give the office a list of subsistence and other expendable supplies sufficient for one years operation. As there was no road out to the Sanitarium, I hired a liveryman to drive me out through the woods, tot he foot of Buffalo Mtn, where i found the hospital building and the power plant in a clump of tall pines. Five months later, I was ordered back to Talihina, with explanation that as the supplies and equipment were being shipped, I should take charge of the same as it arrived and make the hospital ready for operation at the earliest possible date. By Nov first, we were ready to receive patients but the ? was very slow, as hospitalization of Indians was a new thing for them, most of them preferred to let the other fellow try it out first. To go back a little, the Choctaws and Chicakasaws had talked for some time, about a hospital or home for old Indians and it was largely with this idea in mind that they voted to give $50,000 of their tribal money with which to start the institution, $35,000 coming from the Choctaws and $15,000 from Chickasaw. This amount was just sufficient for the construction of the main building and the power plant. NO tribal moneys have since been used in the operation of the hospital nor in any of the additional construction.

The present support is entirely from the annual gratuitous Congressional appropriation, known as "Relief of Distress and Prevention of Diseases among Indians." Patients came in very slowly & skeptically, and changes were frequent. The old people did not take kindly to hospitalization, for the reason they had always been free agents, living an irregular and indifferent life, and disliked the ordinary routine and rule which is necessary in any hospital. The women fell into dine with less objection. .. don't have rest of article. SORRY

Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review 6 Nov 1946 p 6 -Dr. William E. VanCleave, for many years a prominent resident of Tailhina died suddenly Wed morning Oct 23, 1946 in a McAlester hospital from a heart attack. Dr. VanCleave and his daughter, Marurine had left his McAlster home Wed morning in a car for his downtown office and suffered the attack before reaching his office. He was rushed to a hospital where he died shortly after arriving there. Dr. William E. VanCleave was born Nov 3, 1877 at New Market In. For more than 20 years, he was superintendent and medical director of the Indian Hospital at Talihina. Upon reaching the retirement age about 3 years ago he moved to McAlester where he opened an office as an optician. He was a charter member of the Talihina Lions club and active in community and civic work. He is survived by his widow, one daughter, Miss Maurine VanCleave, Mcalester, two brothers, JW and J Frank VanCleave, New market, Ind and one sister, Clara Vancleave, Crawfordsville, Ind. Funeral services will be held in the First Christian Church in McAlester Sat. afternoon, Rev. Grady James of Wewoka, former Talihma minister will officiate and burial in McAlester cemetery.

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1910 Washington Co SD Medicine Root District p. 191 #232 Vancleave, Edgar all IND no Occupation Katharine wife 25 all Ind Maurine 2 all Ind Tebuchsy News Vol 17 (3) 9/2000 Dr. William E. VanCleave was born on a farm in Indiana Nov 3, 1877. He studied medicine in Ky and practiced medicine a short time in his hometown after which he joined the Indian Medical Service. He had assignments with the Navajo Indians in New Mexico and later with Sioux in So. Dakota. He later transferred to Oklahoma among the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. in 1916, he was appointed to supervise the equipment of the new Indian hospital at Talahina then under construction, and became its superintendent and medical director for 25 years until his retirement in 1943. He moved to McAlester and practiced ophthalmology for three years before his sudden death in 1946. The following article was found among his papers and was given to the Pittsburg Co. Gen. & Historical Society by his daughter, Maurine. Approximately 100 years ago among Indians of most tribes, the use of native medicine and Indian medicine men to prevent, alleviate or cure the ills of their people, either pathological of imaginary, was very extensive, as among other primitive peoples. This ranged from magic, prayer, force of suggestion and a multitude of symbolic and empirical acts, down to more rationally used herbs, teas and concoctions. Now, where the Indians have long been in contact with the whites, the medicine men and older methods of combating physical ills have gradually given way to the curative agencies of civilization. 50 years back, among the blanket Indians and the uneducated tribes of the SW the NW, we found native medicine men thriving. They yielded a great influence and practiced their methods unmolested. In general, the different tribes disowned similarities in regard to the practice of healing, but the actual agents employed, differed with tribes & localities as well as with individual healers. Magic prayers, songs, feasts, exhortation, ceremonies, fetishes and certain mechanical processes were employed by the medicine men. Many vegetable remedies, herbs and leaf concoctions were known to and used by a few of the old women of the tribe. The employment of magic consisted in opposing malign influence, such as that of a sorcerer, the spirits of the dead, and mythical animals, by the supernatural power of the healer's fetishes. prayers were addressed to benevolent Dieties and spirts, sun, moon, stars, wind, invoking their aid. Healing sons consisting of prayers or exhortations were sung. Harangues were directed to evil spirits supposed to have caused the sickness and often were accentuated by noises made by gourds, tom-toms, cymbals, and other home made instruments to frighten such spirits away. Suggestion was exercised in many ways, both directly and indirectly. The Navajos among whom I worked in 1909 and 1909, were a very superstitious people. When an Indian died in their tepee or hogan, they believed that the evil spirit which caused the death, still hovered about that home, so for that reason the home was immediately destroyed or torn down, and no one would live in or near that place again. W e would think this a costly disinfection process, which purpose it really served. I recall a case of facial paralysis in a Navajo policeman. After laying out on the plain one chilly night, he awoke in the morning to find one side of his face expressionless, and paralyzed. A medicine man was sent for. He ordered a "sing" he held for 3 nights to drive away and destroy the influence of the moon and ghost, who had while this man slept, with his face uncovered blown his breath over this part of his face, causing this spell. They called this the moon disease. The fetishes used by the medicine men and peculiar shaped stones or wooden objects lightning riven wood, feathers, claws, hair, figurines of mythical animals, representations of the sun of lightning, etc. These are supposed to embody a mysterious power capable of preventing disease or counter-acting its effects. Mechanical means of curing - consist of rubbing, pressure with hands or feet of in painful affections of the chest, tight lacing with cord. Sometimes in slow and difficult labor, a blanket was folded in the shape of a band or belt and a pulling down pressure exerted by two women, on the abdomen of the patient in an attempt to forcibly expel the child. Other practices consisted of cauterizing with live coals, scarifying and blood letting with glass, poulticing with leaves of plants and sucking of snake poison from those bitten. The Navajos made much use of sweat baths, especially in arthritis and rheumatic conditions. The parts of plants used as medicines are most often roots, occasionally leaves, twigs or bank, but rarely flowers or seeds. They are used either green or dry and most commonly in the form of a concoction or tea. Of this a considerable quantity as much as a cupful is administered at a time, usually int he morning. Only exceptionally is the dose repeated. Generally only a single plant is used. Some of these plants, so far as they are known, possess real medical value. Cinchona, jalap, hydrastis, sanguiniaria, etc. came to us from the Indian. Animal and mineral substances are also occasionally used as remedies. Among southwestern tribes, the bite of a snake is often treated by applying to the wound a portion of the body of the same snake. The Papago use crickets as medicine; Apache, spider's eggs and Tarahumare, lizards. Among the Navajo and others, red ocher combined with fat is used externally to prevent sunburn. The Hopi blow charcoal, ashes or other products of fire on an inflamed surface to counteract the supposed fire which caused the ailment. Antiseptics are unknown, but some of the cleansing agents or healing powders employed probably serve as such, though undesignedly on the part of the Indians. As tribes gradually become educated, we find an increase of the White man's medicine, used by the Native medicine men in their ceremonial treatments of Indians. Especially is this true with such pain relievers as aspirin, acctanilid, and phenacetin. Tablets of one or more of these drugs are mixed with their own concoctions. Liniment is another remedy they make use of during their ceremonies. The cause and nature of disease being to the Adnan in large part, mysteries, he assigns them to supernatural agencies. In general every illness that could not plainly be connected with a visible influence, was regarded as the effect of an introduction into the body, by malevolent or offending supernatural beings, or through sorcery practiced by an enemy, or noxious objects capable of producing and continuing pain or other symptoms, or of absorbing the patients vitality. In every Indian tribe there were an d in some tribes still, a number of men who are regarded as the possessors of supernatural powers, that enable them to recognize, antagonize or cure disease, and there were others who were better acquainted with actual remedies. Some are believed to have obtained from the deities, usually through dreams, power of recognizing and removing the mysterious causes of disease. He was given appropriate songs or prayers and became possessed of one or more powerful fetishes. He announces or exhibited these attributes, and other convincing tribesmen that he possessed the proper requirements was accepted as a healer. in some tribes he was called to treat all diseases, while in others his functions was specialized and his treatment and ability was regarded as efficacious in only a certain line of diseases or afflictions. He was feared as well as respected. In many of the southwestern tribes, especially in California, the medicine man combined the functions of priest with those of healer, and thus exercised great influence among his people. All priests were believed to possess some healing powers. Medicine men were always well paid of not in money, with blankets, silver, sheep, goats, ponies, cattle, hence soon became rich and well to do members of the tribe. The ordinary procedure of the medicine man was about as follows -- he inquired into the symptoms, dreams, transgressions of the patient whom he examined, and then pronounced his opinion as to the nature, generally mythical of the ailment. He then prayed, exhorted, or sang to the accompaniment of the rattle, made passes with his hand, sometimes moistened with saliva, over the part affected and finally placed his mouth over the most painful spot and such hard to extract the immediate principle of the illness. This result he apparently accomplished, often by means of slight of hand, producing the offending cause in the shape of a throne, pebble, hair or other object, which was thrown away or destroyed. Finally, he administered a mysterious powder or other tangible medicine and perhaps left also a protective fetish. There were many variations of this method according to the requirements of the case, and the medicine man never failed to exercise as much mental influence as possible over his patient. If the case would not y to a simpler treatment, a healing ceremony might be resorted to. If all means failed, particularly in the case of internal diseases, the medicine man often suggested a witch or wizard as the cause. In this connection I recall a case of a Navajo Indian policeman who came to me with pain in his back, under the lower border of the scapula. He asked that I cut in there and remove whatever object might be causing the pain. He said he had a similar pain 5 years before under the other shoulder. The agency physician made an incision and removed the tooth of a coyote which animal is regarded as a devil among those Indians. My curiosity was aroused, so the next time I saw the agency physical I asked for his explanation. H e said this Indian kept insisting on having a pain which he thought purely imaginative so he tried the same sort of trickery he thought the Indian medicine man guilty of. He had the Indian bend over the back of a chair, made a shallow incision in the skin, then with a pair of tooth forceps, in which he had secretly placed a canine tooth he had extracted, he jabbed this into the wound. Then with a boring, twisting movement, he pretended to pull this tooth from the incision in the Indians' back. The wound was then dressed, and the Indian went away happy, with the thought that the tooth of a devil had been withdrawn from his body. These medicine men invariably became rich, for they would not serve w/io their price of cattle and horses. With Sioux Indians 1910-11 Fewer medicine men : depended more upon white man's medicine. During epidemics, such as small pox, Indians were rounded up like cattle, and compelled to undergo vaccination. Those having small pox were under police quarantine. Incident of child having convulsions from gastro intestinal origin. It was that as these Indians became civilized, they became syphilized. Among the 5 Civilized Tribes, witches and witchery disappeared soon after the close of the Civil War. The old Indian medicine men have gradually died off, and none of the younger generations have taken up the profession. During my 25 years at the Choctaw Indian Hospital, I recall activities of but three Choctaw medicine men - who yielded any influence as a healer among the older Indians. One by name of Campbell lived near Wilburton. Edwards who was more negro than Indian lived east of Amiers and Simon Peter lived near Smithville -- he was killed by his own son, so the story goes. While the old man was away, the son's wife became ill and a white doctor was called to attend her. When the old medicine man came to visit them, and found that a white doctor had attended her, he accused the son of breaking faith with his father. He became very angry and not only cursed her, but tore the bed covers off the bed and dragged the daughter-in-law out on the floor. The son could stand no further abuse from the father so grabbed a gun and killed the old man. When we opened the Choctaw-Chicasaw Hospital back in 1916, but few of the old Indians had ever been in a hospital or undergone surgery. To familiarize them with a hospital, it was decided to first use the institution as a home for the old and homeless Indians. So clinics were held all over the Choctaw country, and hospital service stressed for those needing such. Many came in but like the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but cannot make him drink." So with the old ones they could be lead in, but it was hard to get them to stay long. These people had always lived a few and do as you please life at home, and they saw no reason for taking a bath, expetorating in a paper cup, rather than behind the radiators or going to bed at a certain hour, or removing theeir outer clothes when they went to bed... One old Indian likened life in a hospital, to "living just like a machine."

One old Indian who did not understand hypodermic medication, reported me to Washington, for sticking a needle in old very sick Injun two or three times a day just to see if he was dead yet. We learned that Indians wanted medicine as son as they got to the hospital and was not satisfied unless they got it. Read part of letter. A few years back, the Choctaws accepted surgery only in dire emergencies. Most of these were the result of ruptured appendices, train accident, and wagon or car wrecks. The old lady about disposal of amputated foot. "Makes no difference where yous end him - cause I got friends in both places. Dave Yota was very faithful at going to church. And on Sunday morning you would nearly see him astride his faithful old plus going down the road. His wife always walked along behind, but trotted along like a faithful dog and almost kept up with him. One morning a neighbor stopped Dave and asked him why his wife didn't ride with him, where upon he replied, "Him got no horse." A story is told about a Big Indian who strayed way from his camp and got lost. Finally he stumbled upon a trapper going through the woods and asked the direction and way back to the camp. The trapper said what is the matter, "Indian lost.' No, said the Indian with a scorn. Indian no lost - wigwam lost." Then striking his chest with his first, "Indian here!" In a western town close to a reservation, and Indian paid a deposit of $50 t5o the local trader. The trader thanks the Indian for the money but the Indian stood with arms folded, evidently waiting for something else. The trader naturally asked the Indian if there was anything else. Yes< I want receipt. "" What do you want a receipt for? "Are you afraid that I will ask you for the money a second time. " The Indian shrugged his shoulders and said, "When I got to meet the great Father Saint Peter, he will want me to show receipt for $50 which I paid you before i can get into heaven. I want to show receipt when i come to gate. I don’t' want to hunt all over hell to find you!"

=== Dr. Wm. Edgar Vancleave of Tallihina, OK was born 1877. He grad from Ky Univ Med Dept 1905. Dr. Van C was connected with the Indian service & Choctaw-Chickasaw Sanatorium