Page:A cyclopedia of American medical biography vol. 1.djvu/324

 CULBERTSON

CULBERTSON

ing eyes. Although comparatively an invalid, he worked incessantly, and it was during the last twenty years of his life that his most important work was done.

In 1S62 he received the gold medal of the Ohio State Medical Society for an essay on "The Use of Anesthetics in Midwifery," and in 1S76 published the greatest work of his life, a book entitled "Excisions of the Larger Joints of the Extremities." This was published as the prize essay of the American Medical Association for that year, and at the time was the most exhaustive treatise on the subject. He also wrote and published a great many articles for medical journals both in America and England.

He married Maria Louisa Safford, daughter of Dr. Elial T. Safford of Parkersburg, West Virginia, November 16, 1854, and had seven children, one of whom, Louis R., following in his father's foot-steps, practised ophthalmology in Zanesville, Ohio.

The father died at Zanesville, June IS, 1S90, of infirmities acquired by over- work and exposure in the service of his country. J. G. F. H.

Culbertson, James Cox (1840-190S).

He was born on December 19, 1840, at Culbertson Mills, Miami County, Ohio, son of William and Mary Ann Cox Culbertson whose people came originally from Scotland. James was the eldest of seven children.

In August, 1860, he went to Cincinnati and began to study medicine under Dr. John Davis, attending lectures during the session of 1860-61. April 19, 1861, he volunteered as a private in the fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry — the first troops enlisted under the call of Pres. Lincoln — and went to Camp Harrison and later to Camp Dennison then on, in 1S61, with the regiment to West Virginia. Dr. Culbertson was detailed to act as medical officer to three companies sent to French Creek. Soon afterwards he was detailed as hos- pital steward at Seminary Hospital, Rom- ney, Virginia and held many medical army appointments until 1S64. Owing to the

illness of Dr. Clendenin, much of the responsibility devolved upon Dr. Culbert- son. In September, 1S64, he entered Bellevue Hospital Medical College, and in October the vacancy occurred of senior assistant in the New York City Lunatic Asylum to which after a competitive examination he was elected. Arriving at the asylum, he found his predecessor had died of typhus fever, and the junior assistant was sick. That night the superintendent, Dr. Ranney, was at- tacked, and died five days later, leaving Dr. Culbertson the only acting medical officer. While thus employed he found time to attend lectures at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, and graduated there in March, 1S65.

In April, 1S65, he resigned and went to Cincinnati and soon after to Chicago, with a view to making it his home, but in October returned to Cincinnati and immediately began practice. On Decem- ber 23, 1873, Dr. Culbertson pur- chased the "Lancet and Observer," a monthly journal long established. From that time medical journalism was the principal business of his life, although for a number of years he took an active part in municipal affairs. In October, 1875, he purchased the "Indiana Journal of Medicine," published in Indianapolis, and united it with the "Lancet and Observer." In June, 1S7S, he took over "The Clinic," a weekly journal founded by the Medical College of Ohio in 1S71; a journal which numbered among its editors, James T. Whittaker and Roberts Bartholow. The title of the consolidated journal was changed to "Lancet and Clinic," and in 1904, to " Lancet-Clinic," Finally, in 1SS1, he bought the " Obstetric Gazette." From 1891 to 1S93 he was editor of the "Journal of the American Medical Association," and lived in Chicago.

He was professor of the theory and practice of medicine in the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery from 1893 to 1902, and exceedingly active in the advancement of the interests of the University of Cincinnati.