This is the final section of Chapter 17. ALTERED CONDITIONS. "The conditions of practice when the Scott County Medical Society was organized were very different from those of today.  Even so late as 1873, when the writer, just graduated from the State University of Iowa, began practice here with cholera victims for his first patients, Davenport, with less than half its present population, was scarcely more than a village.  Its buildings, though scattered over much ground, were few of them more than two stories in height.  Where the Masonic temple now stands was a cottage in which dooryard (on the immediate corner) was the one-story brick office of Dr. Emeis.  Another oldtime cottage home, set back in its green yard, occupied the present site of the United States express office on the northeast corner of Third and Brady; while Main street, almost from Second to Fifth, presented a beautiful colonnade of tall, spreading elms.  The old brick court house, with its high-columned porch and its surmounting wooden ball (now a relic in the Academy museum) still stood in the midst of its shady grove; the city council had its modest assembly room on the corner of Brady and the alley above Fifth; the postoffice rented quarters on Perry and Third streets, in the same building with the Gazette, which was gotten out with no assistance from linotype machine or Hoe press; the Academy of Sciences had not found a settled home; and the dream of a free public library had yet long to wait for its realization.  There were no granitoid walks in the city then, and no paved streets; the business regions, indeed, and some others had the so-called 'macadam,' soft and uncurbed, but it sank out of sight often faster than it could be renewed.  There were no telephones, electric lights or electric cars, tri-city or interurban.  Little 'bob-tail' horse-cars, indeed, jogged along Third and what is now East River streets, or climbed Brady hill with much urging of the over-worked power, especially on those days when the masses were attracted by the then popular county fair to the site of our Central park.  There was but one railroad and one important productive industry - lumber; this beside caring for the money and supplying the wants of the prosperous farmers of the county.  The passing of the sawmills, with their array of improvident winter idlers, has been gladly welcomed by the long suffering doctor!  The physician's office has had several distinct stages of evolution from its simple estate in those days; and his then rather honorable mud-covered buggy and horse have mostly given place, if not to the shining closed carriage or automobile, at least to rubber tires and the convenient 'wheel.'  Then he had no X-ray to confirm his diagnosis, and no anti-toxin for prevention or treatment; but he did his best then as now to save life and limb, and to win the gratitude of such of his patients as were capable of appreciating the value of his services and the extent of his self-sacrifice." The following physicians are members of the Scott County Medical Society at this time, with the officers:  President, Dr. G. F. Harkness; vice president, Dr. E. S. Bowman; secretary-treasurer, Dr. J. V. Littig; delegate to the annual meeting of the Iowa State Medical Society, Dr. Edward Strohbehn; alternate delegate, Dr. G. M. Middleton; Drs. William L. Allen, George W. Banning, G. S. Bawden, P. A. Bendixen, J. D. Blything, E. S. Bpwman, H. U. Braunlich, J. F. Baker, J. D. Cantwell, O. S. Dahms, J. A. DeArmand, George E. Decker, A. P. Donohoe, Sadie C. Doran, A. W. Elmer, E. O. Ficke, Lucius French, C. E. Glynn, L. F. Guldner, A. L. Hageboeck, J. T. Haller, G. F. Harkness, C. C. Hetzel, C. F. Jappe, C. T. Kemmerer, T. W. Kemmerer, J. F. Kempker, O. W. Kulp, Ray R. Kulp, Frederick Lambach, J. W. Littig, D. J. McCarthy, Jennie McCowen, Carl Matthey, Henry Matthey, E. D. Middleton, G. M. Middleton, J. C. Murphy, Frank Neufeld, L. J. Porstmann, J. R. Porter, C. H. Preston, William H. Rendleman, F. E. Rudolf, O. P. Sala, B. H. Schmidt, P. H. Schroeder, Anne M. Shuler, T. D. Starbuck, Edward Strohbehn, William A. Stoecks, K. H. Struck, William F. Skelley, Anton Sauer, Karl Vollmer, J. S. Weber and Lee Weber, of Davenport; William W. Bailey and F. C. Skinner, of LeClaire; W. F. Bowser, of Blue Grass; William S. Binford, of Dixon; J. B. Crouch, of Eldridge; E. T. Kegel, of Walcott; and J. C. Teufel, of Buffalo. 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