MEDICAL PRACTICE IN OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3549, 28 March 1922, Page 53

MEDICAL PRACTICE IN OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND IN THE EARLY DAYS.

By

ROBERT VALPY FULTON, M.D.

CLINTON OR POPOTUNOA. (Concluded.) Mr J. A. Anderson, one of the earliest born Otago settlers, gives the following interesting account : “Previous to the surveys of 1864 Clinton and the country surrounding it was called Popotunoa, and was divided into large sheep stations. George Steel, a settler of the early fifties, secured the grant of soma land on the Kuriwao Stream for the purpose of building an accommodation house. In later years, on his farm at Wairuna, Steel was considered an authority on the growing of English grasses, and wa* also a breeder of prize cattle and sheep, and he was always in great request as a judge at the Agricultural Shows, often going to Christchurch for that purpose. In 1862-63 Thomas Pollock built a nublic house at the mouth of the Popotunoa Gorge, on the Invercargill public road. Pollock was very fond of horse racing, and usually kept two or three of his own horses in training for country races. Clinton has had in ; ts time quite a number of medical men, but iu the early days had to depend upon -Manning and Richardson, and such doctors as could be got from Invercargill, Tapanui or Lawrence. Ur Manning I knew very well, as he wa,s always looked upon as our family doctor, and many a tale could be tokl of his caustic and ready sayings and doings. An American of the name of Smith, contractor for the Dunedin-Green Island section of the railway, met with the doctor at the Waiwera South Hotel. Soon they got into a heated argument, and the doctor rose with all the dignity he could assume and said, “Do you know that 1 am Dr Manning?” “And I, said the other, ‘‘am Jerusalem Smith.’’ “Jerusalem Smith,” replied the doctor musingly, “Well, I have heard of Jerusalem donkeys, but never before have I heard of a Jerusalem Smith.”

Previous to that time the doctor was stopping over night at the same hotel when the first escort from the Lakes came along with 24,0C)00z of gold. Requiring the sitting-room for the gold over night, the doctor, who was in possession, was requested by St. John Branigan, w.ho was in charge, to leave the room. This at once rose his ire, and he said, “Do you know I am Dr Manning?’’ “Where’s your diploma- ” said St. John. “Oh ! I do not carry' my diploma here,'’ pointing to hie own arm at the spot where Branigan on his sleeve had his “stripes.” The doctor, however, was moved out of the room. At a marriage feast a turkey was placed before the doctor to carve. He was a beautiful carver; in fact, it was a treat to see him at the work. Anxious to proceed to work he was somewhat delayed by a rather long grace by the minister. At its conclusion the doctor exclaimed, “A v-e-r-y good grace! A v-e-r-v good grace! but, like my turkey, required carving.” The first medical man in Clinton was Bogle, about 1873-4. .He was well thought of, and Dr Manning in leply to a question, said he would be a good doctor when he had filled the cemetery. Agassiz followed—a middle-aged, buxlvlooking man —an army doctor. He had been twice married. ' His elder children showed evidence of coloured blood in their veins. They were wild young schoolboys who could run like hares. He did not stay long. Dr Kveleigh, who came next, was said to have been a retired man of means who had lost his money, and came out from England to Clinton. He was a little, old, fresh-looking man, fond of gardening, and wrote readily to the Clutha Leader on local industries. He went by the name of the “Barley-water Doctor,’’ barleywater being a. common prescription from him. I think he was a very honest man, and hid nothin" from his patients. Just before leaving Clinton, his wife, a tall lady, came out from Home to join him. They removed to Oaversham, where 1 am under the impression he met with a severe accident and died. In 1862-3 the runholders formed a cricket club. The members consisted rf H. and F. Clapcott, of PoDotun-oa (where practice took place) ; Spooner* of Kuriwao ; Rich, of Wairuna ; Oliver, of the Cairn (18 miles away) ; Teschemaker, of Waipahi (10 miles distant) ; Schlotel Bros, (two), of Waipahi (afterwards runholders at Tapanui) ■ and others. The team lia-1 a very- successful tour extending to as far ae Oamaru. One of the team—Charles de Vere Teschemaker, of Waipahi—was quite a notable character. A keen sport : he owned a racehorse called Birthday thatwon the Hurdles in Dujedin, and a number of other high jumping races. A Mr Charles Stewart, the popular manager of the Bank of New South Wales in Dunedin, was doing a round of the country districts, and was to stay over one night at Waipahi. The housekeeper there (Mrs Howie) heard Teschemaker and some friends talking of the great game of cards they were going to have, and how they- would give the banker a “good time.’’ The result however turned the other way about, for the banker won £2O from the local sports. In Dunedin, Gibson Smith had a fall out with Teschemaker (probably over racing matters), and determined to horsewhip the latter. He procured a whip, followed his opponent along the street, and laid on with the whip. Teschemaker, who was a man cf splendid physique, at once turned round and very soon had the doctor on the pavement on the flat of his back, and there sat quietly on him until he handed the doctor over in charge of a- policeman. A court case followed, and the evidence of Teschemaker, given in a highly ex aggerated “haw haw” manner, proved so amusing that the incident was acted in the theatre for some nights. (Thatcher?)

One old country resident gives the' following interesting touches about the South Otago doctors in the old days, and we here include them altering the names. “Dr ‘Weatherstones’ used 'to attend the Presbyterian Church, and in order to make a show had .his groom told to come to the church for the doctor to go to see some one the time the service was going on. Of course, the doctor had to make a fuss and off out in a great hurry, but the groom told afterwards that it was very seldom that the doctor was really wanted. There was a man of the name of Mackintosh getting a ride on the top of a bullock waggon loaded with sawn timber from the bush, and there being many terrible holes in the road the waggon wheel went in, and poor Mac fell off, and as he apparently could not stand, the driver went on without him. He told the first farmer he came to that he bad left Mac lying on the road, and some of the neighbours went back to find him. It was a very- cold frosty- night in winter, and they found him lying in the ditch half full of water. They got him on a stretcher, and tnough he seemed in terrible pain they- carried him to the nearest farm house about half a mile away-. When the doctor came he pronounced the injure to be ‘concussion obb de backbone..’ His hack was broken, and he only lived two days. This same doctor wan very fond of sheep’s head broth, and he would generally- stroll up after his work was over, and get from the local butcher a good head and take it home. People say that he had some particular way- of singeing it, and cooking it himself. Now the doctor had broken his leg, and walked very lame, and could run not at all, and one day he was taking a fine head home when a hungry dog followed close behind him for some way. and then suddenly grabbed the head and off with it and the old doc with his game leg could not- run fast enough and so lost his “tup’s herd.’ Mr D. A. McLachlan, one of the old residents supplies the following notes - n the early doctors :

Dr Eveleigh came to Clinton about 3 1 years ago, bought a property of 10 acres with a small cottage thereon, added to it, and remained at Clinton for about- 4 years, then sold out and went to East Gore. He did not remain tong at Gore. He was rather old to practise, so his furniture was sold and he left for Dunedin, and that was the last- I heard of him. He was 74 years of age when he came to Clinton —rather too old for a countrypractice—yet he was a good horseman, and active at his time of life. His height w-as sft 6in, slender built, gentlemanly appearance, white hair, but had the appearance of being fair when young. Temperate in habits, and of a kindly disposition. He was married, but his wife did not live with him. I am not aware of any family. I am of the opinion that he died in Dunedin. Dr Eveleigh lived in what :s knowrj as the Ciinton-Tapanui road, now the Main road to Gore and Invercargill. During the coaching days the Main South road ran through the Popotunoa Gorge and Otaraia. direct to Mataura. The road from Clinton to Gore was not- formed .r passable then. I bought Dr Eveleigh s property at auction, also his horse and saddle.' The dwelling has been leased to several tenants since then. . A. McKenzie has it at present. N o one bought the doctor’s practice. Dr Eveleigh used to visit Ashlev Downes : the distance is seven miles, and the roads were then in fair order, especially for riding. The doctor always rode ; I never saw him driving. Of course many of the district roads were not formed and not fit foxdriving, especially in the dark. Dr Bogle was the first doctor settled in Clinton. He was a young, active man. I think he -was here "about six or nine months and returned to England. Dr Agassiz came after Bogle, and remained for a couple of years. Dr Agassiz lived in the teacher’s residence, Halsey street, during his stay. He was here in 1878, the year of the flood and heavy fall of snow. He was a foreigner, married for the second time. He was really a good doctor, but not without faults. " After him came Dr Eveleigh. His was the drawback of many —old age. Then Dr Low, a married man, was here about two years, and went to Gore for a time. While in Clinton he lived in one of my cottages in Sunda street. Then came Dr Watson : newly from the Home Country, I think. Tie was a- man with high credentials, a fine gentleman, worthy- of a better *b!aee. He was here about 8 or 9 months. After him came many- others of more modern times. We were in (he habit of giving a guarantee of £2OO a year besides private practice to the doctors, hut Eveleigh spoiled this idea, being unable to go out to visit his patients. A number of the subscribers refused to pay to the guarantee fund. “One of the first settlers m Clinton was Joseph Maitland; he is still here. and is between 80 arid 90 years. He built a sod hut next to the school ground, Halsey cti-eet. He dug out a cellar in the clay floor, and occupied his time for many years in the h-ope of discovering perpetual motion. During the last thirty years he has been trying to construct a new kind of velocipede to carry goods, etc. When exposed to view no one could see anything in itVmt lever upon lever. He took the structure, consisting of strips of timber and 4in nails, to Dunedin with the view of taking out a patent: Messrs Briscoe and Co. got it, hut nothin- came of it. The next settler was a Wm. Allen. He built what was known as the Royal Mail Hotel, together with a small store and Post Office in Lerwick street. This was in the coaching days, and they changed horses here. Later on Burrows bought Allen out, and afterwards the place changed hands, frequently, and not. long after the railway was put through the premises were abandoned as a.n hotel. The first blacksmith in Clinton was M cPherson. He sold out to Charlton, who is still here, but retired. The first carpenter war. Wm. Muir, but McLachlan was building in the township 10 or 12

months before Muir came, and was it that time a single man, residing in the Royal Mail Hotel. I was appointed foreman for Mr Jas. Young, builder and contractor, Balclutha, and with a few men carried out building in Clinton and surrounding districts. In 1877 I built for myself and settled "n Clinton, also starting contracting. The first storekeepers propel', after Allen, were Roy and Findlayson, who sold out to Jas. Garden ; bricklayer, Williams; saddler, Allen Low; clergyman in the early days, between Wairuna and Tapanui, the Rev. Mr McNicol. then the Rev. Mr Bates ; but none of them preached in Clinton Township. The Clinton manse was built for the Rev. Mr Connor, who resided here for many years. Then came the Rev. Mr Gordon—a man with exceptional delivery. 11 is better half complained of frequently seeing ghosts about the manse, and they only remained here about six months, and I think went from here to Temuka Then the Rev. Mr Spence came, and remained, about 13 years, and at present we have Mr Mason. The first schoolmaster was Macvee. He died suddenly, and Drs Agassiz and McLachlan made the necessary post-mortem examination. “Dr Eveleigh, who was an M.R.C.S. of 1834, came up to Dunedin from Gore, and practised for a time in the Glen Road, behind Judge Bathgate’s residence. He then moved to Waikouaiti. but was burnt out. and came back to Dunedin, settling at Caversliam near the foot of the Corstorphine Hill. He. died there in the late seventies. Clinton does not now boast of a resident doctor, but being so close to Gore, where there are four practitioners, and with fine roads available for motor ears, there is no difficulty in getting medical aid in one-twentieth of the time required in the “bad old coaching days.” NOTE. The book on Early Medical Practice is now finished, and copies are being sent to those who have forwarded subscription and postage. Those who do not receive their volumes have probably neglected to include postage, and are therefore a.sked to forward one shilling to pay for increased oast, or to call for their books at the Early Settler’s Hall or at No. 2 Pitt Street, Dunedin. The author will.be glad to hear in duo course from those who have read his book; criticisms and correction-? will be welcomed. Those who have not prepaid for their copies must now obtain them fro-m the booksellers, who have a limited number for sale. See advertisement in Otago Daily Times.