Rush Medical College
Life Span: 1843-1867 (I), 1867-1871 (II)
Location: SE Corner North Dearborn and Indiana (Grand) streets1
Architect:
Chicago Evening Post, May 28, 1867
Rush Medical College.
The corner-stone of the above institution was laid yesterday under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity. The new building will be located on the corner of North Dearborn and Indiana streets, and is to be an addition to the old college building, which is to be entirely remodeled.
The exercises were to have commenced at three o’clock, but the rain at that time delayed the ceremony until half-past four. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, there was a large representation of the Masonic fraternity.
J. W. Clyde, acting Grand Master, made a brief opening address, in which he stated that the institution upon whose foundation they wore standing was one of a benevolent nature, intended to minister to the suffering; hence there was a peculiar fitness in their ancient and honorable order performing such a ceremony.
The corner stone was then laid with the usual ceremonies.
Hon. William B. Ogden, of New York President of the Board of Trustees, in some brief and appropriate remarks thanked the fraternity for the interest they had shown in the institution.
Prof. Dr. Laskie Miller then made a short address in which he recounted briefly the history of the College.
The oration on the occasion was delivered by Prof. Adams Allen.
Chicago Evening Post, October 2, 1867
THE NEW MEDICAL EDIFICE.
Rush Medical College changes its local habitation but not its name to-day or rather enlarges it.
This noble institution has a history as old and as honorable as that of the city itself. Founded thirty years ago, it has graduated 1,200 students—an average of forty each year. Called upon almost from year to year to enlarge its accommodations, in keeping with the growth of the metropolis and of the great Northwest tributary, thereto, it has yet almost fallen behind the rapidly increasing demand made upon it. The time had come when nothing short of a new building in addition to the old—and superior to that both in “modern improvements” and in architectural beauty—would suffice. The old building—32 feet by 70— communicates with the new, which fronts 60 feet on Dearborn street and 72 feet on Indiana street, and is four stories in height. Its two main lecture rooms have a seating capacity of 625.
Doctors disagree, and we disagree in regard to the disagreeing “schools;” but we all agree as to the necessity of doctors. Whether it is faith in the doctor or the drug, we all have occasion at some time to congratulate ourselves on the existence of doctors and drugs. It is pleasant to know, too, that under a more experimental and strictly inductive system of practice, and stimulated by the new discoveries daily making in physiological science, particularly in the direction of temperament, idiosyncracy and individual habits,—leading the good physician to make each separate case in a sense his own,—we are slowly but surely coming to get the maximum of doctors and the minimum of drugs. Growing recognition of the vis medicatrix naturae simplifies the problem in a great majority of cases into the inquiry: how to aid nature.
From this point of view we look with pride upon the medical profession of our city, by whatever names called. It is an honor to our city in the private professional relations of its accepted members; while its public spirit and large and wise views of the science of hygiene and the art of prevention, and the rare administrative ability shown by its representatives in our Board of Health have beyond all doubt spared thousands of lives to our city this summer and saved millions of dollars to business.
Mayor Rice always makes a good speech, and we shall expect something particularly good to-night in his Rush College dedicatory address. Dr. Gunn is a man of eminent practical knowledge and attainments,—alert, practical, sensible,—and in his address we shall look for the most advanced sentiments and views upon the progress of the profession, not only in experiment science and skill, but in the amenities and humanities of life as well.
Rush Medical College
1870
Chicago Evening Post, October 12, 1867
Rush Medical College on the corner of North Dearborn and Indiana streets. Built in the Italian style, four stories high, with pressed brick front. Size 53×65 feet. Cost $50,000.
History of Chicago, A. T. Amdreas, 1885
Rush Medical College.—
The history of this college during the epoch herein treated is thoroughly one of earnest labor and gratifying result. The organization of another medical college in 1859, was a provision, by the medical fraternity, for the demands made by the growing number of students that came to the city; and the institution of the medical department of Lind University in no wise detracted from the attendance at Rush Medical College. The students multiplied, and ere long it was found necessary to erect a new building for their accommodation. This was done in 1867, at a cost of about $70,000, which expense was borne by the members of the faculty. The new building was erected on the vacant college-lot, immediately north of, and adjoining, the old one, which thus became an adjunct. The new edifice was sixty feet on Dearborn Street, by seventy-two feet on Indiana Street, and had two large lecture-rooms, each containing six hundred and twenty-five numbered seats. Every convenience for the prosecution of studies was afforded in the lecture-rooms, anatomical rooms, museum and laboratory, and its equipment and facilities gained for it the reputation of being one of the best medical colleges in the country, which encomium was fully justified by the station which its graduates subsequently occupied.
The faculty of Rush Medical College, since its inauguration, have been as follows:
- Professor of anatomy and surgery: Daniel Brainard, 1844-54; surgery and clinical surgeon, Daniel Brainard, 1855-65; principles and practice of surgery and clinical surgery, Moses Gunn, 1866-71.
Professor of chemistry and materia medica:2 James Van Zandt Blaney, 1844: chemistry and pharmacy, James V. Z. Blaney, 1845-64 (E. S. Carr, acting professor during the War), 1865-69, emeritus, 1870-71; Henry M. Lyman, 1B70-71.
Professor of theory and practice of medicine: John McLean, 1844; materia medica and therapeutics, John McLean, 1845-47 ; materia medica, therapeutics and medical jurisprudence, John McLean, 184S-54; Hosmer A. Johnson. 1855-56; materia medica and medical jurisprudence, John H. Rauch, 1857-58; Ephraim Ingals, 1859-70; James H. Etheridge, 1871.
Professor of obstetrics: M. L. Knapp, 1844; obstetrics and diseases of women and children, Graham N. Fitch, 1845; John Evans, 1845-56; William H. Byford, 1857-58; DeLaskie Miller, 1859-71.
Professor of anatomy; W. B. Herrick, 1845-47; general and descriptive anatomy, W. B. Herrick, 1848-50; anatomy and physiology, W. B. Herrick, 1851-54; anatomy, Joseph Warren Freer, 1855-59; R. L. Rea, 1859-71.
Professor of the institutes and practice of medicine: Austin Flint. 1845; Graham N. Fitch, 1846-47; principles and practice of medicine, Graham N. Fitch, 1848; Thomas Spencer, 1849; N. S. Davis, 1850-54; Thomas Spencer, emeritus, 1855; principles and practice of medicine and clinical medicine, N. S. Davis, 1855-58; J. Adams Allen, 1859-71.
Professor of physiology and pathology: Nathan Smith Davis, 1849 50; William B. Derrick, 1855-56; William B. Herrick, emeritus, 1857-58; Hosmer A. Johnson, 1857-58; A. S. Hudson, 1859-62.
Demonstrator of anatomy: W. B. Herrick, 1848-50; Joseph W. Freer, 1851-54; Edmund Andrews, 1855; I. H. Hollister, 1856-58; Edwin Powell. 1859-63; I. P. Lynn, 1864; Robert M. Lackey, 1865; William Lewitt. 1S66-67; Chas. T. Parkes, 1868-71.
Professor of surgical anatomy and surgical pathology: Joseph W. Freer, 1859; physiology and surgical pathology, J. W. Freer, physiology, microscopical and surgical anatomy, J. W. Freer, 1862-65; physiology and microscopical anatomy, J. W. Freer, 1866-71.
Clinical lecturer on diseases of the eye and ear: Edward Lorenzo Holmes, 1864-67; professor of ophthalmology, Edward L. Holmes, 1868.
Clinical lecturer at City Hospital: Joseph P. Ross. 1865-67; professor of clinical medicine and diseases of the chest, Joseph P. Ross, 1865-71.
Lecturer on legal medicine and insanity: D. A. Morse, 1869.
Professor of military surgery and surgical anatomy: Edwin Powell, 1866-71.
Assistant to professor of physiology: F. L. Wadsworth, 1869 to 1871.
Assistant to professor of materia medica: E. Fletcher Ingals, 1870-71.
Assistant to professor of obstetrics: C. T. Fenn, 1870-71.
Assistant to professor of chemistry: L. W. Case, 1870-71. Assistant to professor of surgery: Charles T. Parkes, 1870-71.
Prosector to chair of surgery: J. C. Morfit, 1856; Edwin Powell, 1857-58; G. J. Cloud, 1861; William Lewitt, 1866-67; William Little, 1868; clinical assistant and prosector of surgery, H. F. Chesborough, 1869; prosector to professor of anatomy, F. Henrotin, Jr., 1870-71.
The following tabulated statement gives the number of graduates from 1858 to 1871:
Hon. Grant Goodrich has been the secretary board of trustees since the foundation of the of the college, and has signed the diploma of every graduate since William Butterfield’s graduation. During these years, also, the dispensary of the college was maintained under the administration of various members; of the faculty, until October 9, 1871, when it and the college building, the result of twenty-seven years of care, were incinerated. The fire reached to the college about 2:30 o’clock a. m. Professor DeLaskie Miller was in the college at the time, and was driven from it by the smoke and flame. The value of the property is thus designated by Dr. J. Adams Allen: “There was much in the museum of Rush Medical College destroyed by the fire of 1871, that no money could replace or measure. The pecuniary loss in that which money might replace may be estimated at not less than $125,000.”
Faculty members and students stand amid the ruins of Rush Medical College at Dearborn Street and Grand Avenue after the Fire of 1871
Rush Medical College
Sanborn Insurance Map
1869
NOTES:
1 Rush Medical is currently operating a facility at the NE corner of Dearborn and Grand.
2 Materia medica: Substances used in the composition of medical remedies : drugs, medicine
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