Chapter 17 cont. SCOTT COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY. On the 18th of October, 1858, pursuant to a published notice that a meeting would be held for the purpose of organizing a medical society for Scott county, nine physicians met at the office of Drs. Witherwax and Carter, then on Third street west of Brady.  Dr. James Thistle presided and Dr. Tomson was secretary.  Committees were appointed to report upon the several subjects of constitution and by-laws, code of ethics and fee bill, and then the meeting adjourned.  Thirteen physicians met at the adjourned meeting on the 28th of October, at the office of Drs. Fountain and Adler, on Second street, between Brady and Main, and the reports of the respective committees were received and adopted.  Under that report a constitution and by-laws, as well as the code of ethics recommended by the American Medical association, was also adopted and the following permanent officers to serve one year were elected:  president, Dr. E. S. Barrows; vice president, Dr. Lyman Carpenter; secretary, Dr. J. J. Tomson; treasurer, Dr. James Thistle; and censors, Drs. T. J. Saunders, John Adler and John W. H. Baker.  It had been agreed upon that the regular meetings of the society should be held four times in the year, yet the necessity seemed to exist for a special meeting and the members agreed to meet again in two weeks.  Consequently the society convened in the Young Men's Literary association room on the 11th of November, the vice president occupying the chair.  At this meeting the fee bill was adopted and the constitution was signed by the members then initiated.  The first regular quarterly meeting took place January 27, 1857, at the office of Drs. Fountian and Adler, President Barrows in the chair.  At that meeting a resolution was adopted and a committee appointed relative to forming a union with the Rock Island County Medical society.  Drs. Barrows and Saunders were elected delegates to the American Medical association to convene in Nashville, Tennesee, the succeeding May.  The second quarterly meeting was held in the  council chamber at the corner of Brady and Third streets, April 28th.  Members of the Rock Island County Medical society were admitted as honorary members, which entitled them to all privileges save that of voting.  Dr. Patrick Gregg, first president of that association, read an eloquent and instructive address.  Dr. Baker was appointed to deliver an essay at the next meeting.  Drs. Fountain, Thistle, Carter, Pelton and Barrows were appointed delegates to the state association to meet at Iowa City the following June.  At the meeting held October 27th, resolutions were adopted making the annual meeting to occur the last Tuesday in January.  This society has now been in existence over a half century and has had a most honorable career. The original members of the society were as follows:  T. J. Saunders, Horace Carpenter, W. M. Line, John T. O'Reardon, George W. Carter, William Keith, John M. Adler, Lyman Carptenter, John W. H. Baker, Lewis F. Pelton, Johnson J. Tomson, J. M. Witherwax, J. Thistle, E. J. Fountain, C. C. Parry, E. S. Barrows, and A. S. Maxwell.  These were the original signers of the constitution and by-laws of the society.  Then shortly afterward the following were taken in as members:  George E. McCosh, William H. Saunders, George B. Harrison, H. P. Hitchcock, Alfred H. Ames, James McCortney, Ignatius Langer, Charles S. Shelton, James Gamble, James S. D. Wallis, Thomas Gault, Samuel Knox, W. A. Hosford, Thomas J. Iles, J. A. Church, W. F. Peck, James Irwin, S. D. Richardson, D. W. Stewart, and L. French.  The honorary members of the society from Rock Island County Medical society were as follows:  William A. Knox, Samuel C. Plummer, W. F. Cady, Calvin Trusdale, Samuel K. Sharpe, P. Gregg, and J. R. Hayes.  The following extracts from the minutes of the society practically give a history of the medical fraternity of Scott county: Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L