STONE, Richard French - M.D. - Putnam

RICHARD FRENCH STONE, M. D., aged 35; resident of Bainbridge, Monroe Township, Putnam Co., Ind.; was born in Bath County, Ky., April 1, 1844. His father was Gen. Samuel STONE, who moved to this county in 1852, when the subject of this sketch was eight years of age; his mother was a daughter of Col. James H. LANE, one of the early pioneers of Kentucky, and a sister of Hon. Henry L. LANE, of Crawfordsville, and the late Maj. Higgins LANE, of Bainbridge, Ind. His father, while a resident of Kentucky, took an active part in politics, and served several terms in the Legislature of that State; his ancestry on both sides were formerly from Virginia, and are supposed to be of Irish descent. Dr. STONE is one of six sons, all of whom are living except Maj. Valentine H. STONE, of the 5th U. S. Artillery, who died of yellow fever at Key West, Fla., September, 1867; his parents after living one year at Bainbridge, moved, in 1853, to Carpentersville, where he resided until he was grown. At the age of sixteen Dr. STONE began the study of medicine, and after reading three years, attended his first course of lectures in 1863, at the Rush Medical College, Chicago, in the days when the celebrated surgeon, Daniel BRAINARD, stood at the head of the school; after his return from Chicago, he began the practice of medicine at Cataract, Owen Co., Ind., but, in a short time received the appointment of Medical Cadet U. S. Army, with rank and pay of West Point Cadet; he served two years in the army in the capacity of Surgeon; in May, 1864, he was assigned duty at Madison U. S. General Hospital, Indiana, and in September following, received orders from the Surgeon General to report for duty at one of the large military hospitals of Philadelphia, and assigned duty with Drs. Richard DONNGLESON and J. M. Da COSTA, of that city, but was the greater part of the time under the special instruction of Surgeon Samuel A. STORROW, U. S. A., and ex - Professor in the National Medical College, Washington, D. C., who was then in charge of the Officers' United States Hospital, and to whom he owes more than to any other one man for his professional knowledge. While on duty in Philadelphia, he obtained permission to attend his second course of lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine in March, 1865, being the youngest graduate in a class of 117; after he graduated, he was appointed by the Medical Director of the Department of the East, A. A. Surgeon U. S. Army. Early in the spring of 1865, an epidemic of yellow fever was prevailing among the United States troops stationed at Key West, Fla., and, in compliance with an order from Surgeon General BARNES, it fell to his lot to go South and help take charge of them; he remained at Key West, Fla., until the epidemic had about subsided, not, however, escaping a light attack of this terrible disease, from which he fortunately recovered; after this, he was ordered to take charge of some troops on the southwest coast of Florida, near the mouth of the Suwanee River, and in July, 1865, was ordered to the State of Florida, and placed in charge of the 1st and 2d Florida Cavalry; being the only medical officer with these regiments, he passed a Board of Medical Examiners, and was personally recommended by Maj. Gen. John G. Foster to be commissioned as Surgeon, with rank of Major of Cavalry, but unfortunately for him, before his commission was received an order was issued by Gen. Grant mustering out all volunteer cavalry east of the Mississippi; he was then assigned duty with the 7th U. S. Infantry, and was also in charge of the post hospital, Monticello, Fla.; he remained in the Department of the Gulf as Contract Surgeon until April, 1866, when he was relieved from duty at Tallahassee, and returned to Putnam County, where he resumed the practice of medicine; in 1867, he practiced in the city of New Albany, and, in 1868 - 69, in Carpentersville; but in the fall of 1869, he located in the town of Bainbridge, and, on the 24th of November, of that year, was married to Matilda C. LONG, daughter of Dr. William LONG, of New Maysville, Ind. Dr. STONE has been located in Bainbridge for the last ten years, and been engaged doing a general practice during this time, has for the last few years devoted special attention to the diseases of women and children; he has written a few articles and monographs on especial departments of medicine, and invented one or two important surgical instruments. His political sentiments are Democratic, and he has always been identified with the Democratic party; he is also a member of the District Medical Society of Western Indiana, and of the Medical Society of Putnam County.

DR. RICHARD FRENCH STONE. He whose name heads this sketch was born near Sharpsburg, Bath County, Ky., April 1, 1814, and is of English, Scotch and Irish lineage. His mother, whose maiden name was Sally Lane, is still living at about the age of eighty years, and retains to a remarkable degree her intellectual vigor and rare conversational powers. She was the youngest daughter of Col. James H. Lane and a sister of the late Hon. Henry S. Lane, United States senator and first Republican governor of Indiana, and a man conspicuous in the affairs of his country. On his father's side Dr. Stone is descended in the fourth generation from Josiah Stone, a native of England, who in the early part of the last century came to America as a cabin boy, and was left in Prince William County, Va., while the captain of the vessel made another voyage, but the ship was lost at sea and all on board perished, thus Josiah was left alone in the world when a mere lad. He was apprenticed to a Mrs. Magaw, who reared him to manhood and bequeathed to him a considerable fortune. He married a Miss Coleman, who bore him three sons and four daughters, but this family afterward became scattered, some continuing their residence in Virginia, others moving to Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, and distinguishing themselves in nearly every avocation of life. Valentine Stone, the third son, was a soldier of the Revolution, was married twice and became the father of five sons and five daughters. His second wife was the daughter of William French, of Virginia, the grandfather of Judge Richard French, the famous orator of Kentucky, for whom the subject of this sketch was named. Valentine Stone was noted for his strength, being broad shouldered and muscular, and many anecdotes are told of his physical prowess in old Virginia. In 1 790 he removed to Boonsboro, Ky., and became an associate of Daniel Boone. He acquired the title for 2,000 acres of land lying on Bald Eagle Creek, which is today perhaps as rich a body of land as can be found within the borders of Kentucky. His patent was signed with the name of Patrick Henry, governor of Virginia. He settled on this land in 1799, when his son Samuel was but two years old. The latter received such education as was to be had in his youth, and early became interested in political affairs, being frequently elected to office by the Democrat party, serving many terms as representative in the Legislature, his first election taking place in 1824. He was also connected with the State Militia for about thirty years, and was promoted from an ensign to the rank of brigadier general. He possessed a fine physique, like his progenitor, had a fine, courteous and soldierly bearing, and in his political speeches was able, convincing and impressive. He was a man of generous impulses and sympathetic nature, enjoyed a good story, and was, himself, an excellent racoetcur. He was a prominent slave holder, his slaves were well cared for, and he maintained that he had a moral and constitutional right to own them, but he believed that his sons would be more likely to acquire habits of industry and self reliance in an anti slavery State, and for that reason he removed to Putnam County, Ind., in 1851, where he lived the retired life of the farmer until the opening of the Civil War. As many of his relatives in the South, among them Gen. John B. Hood, had enlisted in the cause of secession, he was a strong Southern sympathizer and often engaged in heated discussions with his neighbors of opposite views. Although he was himself too old to engage in active service, three of his six sons entered the service of the Union army, one being the late Maj. Valentine H. Stone, of the Fifth United States Artillery, who was twice promoted by the personal recom

312 MEMOIRS OF INDIANAPOLIS

mendation of Gen. Grant, for gallant conduct in the field, and who had the immediate charge of Jefferson Davis while a prisoner of war at Fortress Monroe. He died of yellow fever during the epidemic of 1867, at Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas. Another son, Hon. H. L. Stone, a prominent lawyer of Louisville, Ky., served in the Confederate army, and was with Gen. Morgan on his famous raid. The father died near Bainbridge Ind., January 11, 1873, and was buried with Masonic honors, having been a member of that order for more than fifty years. Dr. R. French Stone was eight years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Indiana, and his early days were spent in attending the common schools and Bainbridge Academy and laboring on the farm. He supplemented his education by home study and instruction under private teachers, and thus acquired some knowledge of the languages and sciences. He selected the "healing art" as his future calling in life, and in order to defray the expenses of a medical education he began teaching school, and although the district in which he began his pedagogic labors was said to be one of the worst and most refractory in the county, he met the unruly leaders with their own weapons, and was soon the perfect master of the situation, although he was at that time but sixteen years of age. Four years were devoted to this pursuit and the study of medicine, under the instruction of Dr. J. B. Cross, and in 1863 he entered Rush Medical College, and while there made several efforts to call upon his brother, who was a Confederate prisoner in Camp Douglas, but was unsuccessful, and this news coming to the ears of his brother, the latter scaled the prison walls one dark night and made the call on his own account. He disguised himself, went to the medical college and made himself known to his brother. They went to a hotel, took a meal together, viewed the city throughout the day, and then bade each other an affectionate farewell and met no more until the war was over. During the following spring Dr. Stone tendered his services to the United States Government, and after being examined was appointed a medical cadet in the United States army. In May, 1864, he was assigned duty at the United States General hospital, at Madison, Ind., and was afterward assigned to one of the large military hospitals at Philadelphia, and while there attended the University of Pennsylvania and received the degree of M. D. during the one hundredth anniversary of the foundation of that institution, at which time he was not quite twenty one years of age, being the youngest in a class of 117 graduates. He was later appointed acting assistant surgeon in the United States army, and when an appeal came from Key West, Fla., for medical aid during the yellow fever epidemic among the Union soldiers stationed there, Dr. Stone, though entirely unacclimated, bravely offered his services and faced the pestilence on that panic stricken island. He had a serious attack of that malady, but remained there until the epidemic had subsided, after which he was ordered to Cedar Keys, near the mouth of Suwanee River, Florida, and was later placed in charge of the First and Second Florida Cavalry, being the youngest man in the medical department to hold positions of such responsibility. He afterward had charge of the post hospital at Monticello, Fla., and remained with the Department of the Gulf until 1866. At his own request he was released from duty, and in 1867 established himself at New Albany, Ind., but shortly after removed to the village in which his childhood had been passed and there spent two years. He then resided in Bainbridge until 1880, then came to Indianapolis, and upon the establishment of the Central College of Physicians and Surgeons he was made professor of materia medica, therapeutics and clinical medicine. This chair he held until 1886, in which position he won eminent distinction. His didactic lectures were noted for their clear, concise and practical character. Many years' experience in the general practice of his profession had not only made him familiar with disease iii its varied forms, but gave him a just conception of the powers of nature, an abiding faith iii the resources of medical art, and a well defined knowledge of the uses, effects and capabilities of remedies suggested for its cure. He was thus enabled to reject as useless that which was speculative in therapeutics, as well as to speak with authority of all that was valuable in that department of medical science. Having been a close and almost constant student of medical literature for many years, having also studied disease in the great book of Nature, at the bedside in private practice, and in the wards in civil and military hospitals in various parts of the United States, from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic seaboard, and from the northern lakes to the inter tropical regions, there was no lack of material to illustrate the

AND MARION COUNTY, INDIANA. 313

subject matter of his clinical teaching. These circumstances enabled him to form opinions of his own, and these opinions he did not hesitate to express throughout his lectures with reference to many controversial points of pathological and therapeutical importance. He recognized the fact that to be a skillful physician involves not only a thorough understanding of diseases, but the application of the right remedies at the right time and in the right manner. Therefore the typical features of a given malady, its pathological history and phenomena. its diagnosis—general and differential, as well as indications for treatment, were presented with such accuracy and force that the student saw before him all that was distinctive and important in the case, while the principles of treatment were expressed before his classes with a clearness and precision that warranted its intelligent management in the future. Since 1882 he has been a member of the consulting and clinical staff of the Indianapolis City Hospital and City Dispensary, and has been for years a member of the Medical Board of Examiners of physicians aspiring to positions in these institutions. In 1883 he was appointed visiting physician to the Indiana Institute for the Blind, and held that position seven years. In 1885 he was appointed United States examining surgeon of the Pension Bureau at Indianapolis, and in 1889 was re appointed to the same position by President, Harrison. He is a member of the G. A. R., and for several years has been surgeon of Maj. Robert Anderson Post. He was formerly visiting physician to the Marion County Asylum, has been medical examiner for several life and accident insurance companies, and is a member of the Marion County Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. March 23, 1893, he was appointed by Gov. Claude Matthews a member of his staff, with a commission and rank of colonel, and was made surgeon general of the military forces of Indiana, a position he now holds. He has contributed many valuable articles to medical literature and is the author of the well known reference book, "Elements of Modern Medicine," which work includes the principles of pathology and therapeutics, and has met with an extensive sale. He has now in preparation a new publication, entitled "Biography of Eminent American Physicians and Surgeons," which is being published at Indianapolis and which will without doubt prove a literary venture of extraordinary merit and success. It may be said that the professional career of Dr. Stone has been that of an all round practitioner. He has performed many important surgical operations in a skillful manner, and as an obstetrician lie has the remarkable record of never having lost. a mother in all the many hundreds of cases of childbirth that he has attended, including nearly every variety of complications and instrumental deliveries. At the present time he gives much of his attention to gastro intestinal and rectal diseases and consultation practice. Although a Democratic adherent he is not a partisan in any sense of the term, and has never aspired to any office, persistently refusing to hold any position not in the line of his chosen profession.

November 24, 1869. lie married Matilda C. Long, daughter of the late Dr. William Long, a noted pioneer physician of Maysville, Ind., and one living child is the result, of this union, Donald L. Stone, born October 1 (i, 1886, a promising and handsome lad who is now in school.

.

Record # 430, 19th and 20th Century Indiana Physicians