DOCTORS
There have been many doctors who were important to the health
care of
Calgary. The first of these was Dr. Andrew Henderson, who arrived in
Calgary riding an Indian pony in June 1883. He was educated in Montreal
and was graduated from Mcgill University in both medicine and pharmacy.
He was the house surgeon at The Montreal General Hospital for 2 years
before departing for Calgary.
When Dr. Henderson first arrived he quickly built a large building
called the "Medicine Hall" it’s purpose was to be a pharmacy and office but
since the train hadn't arrived yet and there weren't any drugs or
supplies it was turned into the pay office for crews of the railway. He
was however to have the distinction of helping to deliver Calgary's
first born white child. The child was named John Calgary Costello, born
in November 1883.
Our second doctor was Dr. George Kennedy with the NWMP division in
Calgary. His duties with the police kept him very busy and he also
served the Indians of the Blackfoot, Cree and Stoney reserves.
When the train arrived in 1883 it carried in it two more doctors. They
were Dr. R.G. Brett and Dr. N.J. Lindsay. Dr. Brett had joined the
C.P.R. as a surgeon on construction in Winnipeg and he continued on till
the line reached past the Rocky's. He then returned to Banff and stayed
for the next 40 years. Medicine and politics were his main interests.
Dr. Brett graduated from Victoria College, Cobourg, Ontario and he
spent several years in post-graduate study as well as practising in New
York, Philadelphia, and Vienna. When he moved to Winnipeg he was
associated with the founding of the Manitoba Medical College.
Dr. Brett was also interested in politics and was first elected to the
legislative assembly of the Northwest Territories in 1888. He also
served as executive council of the Territories from 1891 to 1899. He
served on the senate of the University of Alberta from 1908 to 1912 and
was a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons from 1899 to 1906.
Robert George Brett was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the province of
Alberta in1915 and he held the job for ten years. He retired to Banff
and died in September 1929. He did much for our city and our province.
Dr. Neville J. Lindsay the other doctor on that first train was a bit
taken a back when he first saw Calgary. He was led to believe that we
were a boom town. In a letter to his family back home he complains that
we are a canvas town and that the only proper buildings are the I.G.
Baker and Company store, Jack Ellis restaurant, a barber shop and a few
shacks. The Royal Hotel the leading public house was doing business
under a striped canvas.
It's kind of funny when you find out that the "private room" he rented
from the hotel was nothing more then a stall that separated him from the
public by a canvas curtain. We Calgarian's are a hardy lot and we "make
hay when the sun shines" so in no time at all he was a busy general
practitioner practising his profession. He also became interested in
politics and the move to incorporate Calgary as a city. He was elected
to town council in 1884. Dr. Lindsay retired at age 63 and remained in
Calgary till his death in 1925.
|
|
|
|
| Dr. Henry George | Dr. Harry Goodsir Mackid | Dr. E. H. Roleau | Dr. J. D. Lafferty |
There were of course many other doctors in those early years that had
an influence on Calgary. Men like Dr.J. D Lafferty, Dr. E.H. Rouleau, Dr.
Henry George and Dr. Harry Goodsir Mackid. There was no public health
care then and these men were responsible for collecting their own bills.
They were often paid in chickens and eggs as well as cash. They also had
to put up with the many prejudges that existed. Many people depended on
prayers and incantations for healing. Household remedies were often
preferred to a doctors prescription and whiskey of course cured
everything. People trusted and acted on superstitions looking at the
doctor with some distrust when he wouldn't prescribe without first
examining the patient. There was a very deep fear of hospitals and
operations, believing them to be the fast track to the grave. Keeping in
mind the times it would have been a very scary thing.
