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DR.
J. W. UNDERHILL.
Joshua Whittington Underhill, M. D., a leading
practitioner and public-spirited citizen of Cincinnati, is a
native of Maryland, born January n, 1837, in the settlement
known as "Quindocque," near Kingston, Somerset county. He is
the son of Thomas H. and Eleanor (Whittington)
Underhill, and grandson of Thomas Henry Underhill,
a sea-captain resident at Snow Hill, Maryland, where he died
at the age of eighty-two years. His paternal grandmother's
maiden name was Leah Powell; she was from
Worcester county, in the same State. Both the Underhill and
Whittington families are of English stock, their ancestors
immigrating to the colonies long before the Revolution. The
latter is a very numerous family, more inhabitants of the
eastern shore of Maryland bearing its name than any other
patronymic. The younger Thomas H., father of the
subject of this memoir, had one brother, William, who
lived and died in Merumsco, on the eastern shore; also two
sisters, who were married and reside, respectively, in
Snow Hill and Baltimore. He and his wife were both
young when married, in 1835, and shortly after the birth of
their son Joshua set out for Missouri, then almost a terra
incognita in the illimitable west. In the absence of railways,
the Alleghanies were crossed in an emigrant wagon, which made
a halt with the little family at the village of Hendrysburgh,
in Belmont county, Ohio. This region was still half
wilderness, but presented so inviting an aspect to the young
couple that they concluded to settle then and there. In 1840 a
second child was born, who received the name of Henry
Thomas. It lived but a few weeks, however, and soon
afterwards the mother died, at the age of twenty-three, when
Joshua was but three years old. He was kindly cared for
by a childless family, and given as good an education as the
country schools of Ohio afforded at the time. His father
remarried and shipped for South America about 1856, where he
is supposed to have died, as he was never heard from
afterwards. Joshua was reared on a farm in Kirkwood
township, Belmont county, and early became inured to the
severest toil, but by attendance at school about fifty days
every winter, gained sufficient knowledge to teach the
elementary branches. By teaching he made money enough to
take him half through his junior year at college, when he
entered upon the study of medicine, continuing to teach from
time to time to secure funds for his course. He read at first
with Dr. J. T. McPherson, a prominent physician, now of
Cambridge, Ohio, and completed his studies at the Cincinnati
College of Medicine and Surgery. After many hindrances, he
began practice at Burnettsville, White county, Indiana, early
in the summer of 1861. But, much as he was pleased with the
novelty surrounding a juvenile Esculapian, he could not resist
the demand which the country was then making for help in the
hour of her peril, and accordingly abandoned a rapidly-growing
practice to enter the army. He enlisted as a private in
company E, Forty-sixth regiment, Indiana volunteers, but was
offered a position in the line where promotion promised to be
rapid. He preferred, however, to remain a private until the
way was opened for promotion in the medical department. He had
to wait for this but nine days, when he was appointed hospital
steward. A few months subsequently he was commissioned
assistant surgeon, and eventually was made surgeon of his
regiment, which commission he held until the muster-out in the
autumn of 1865, just four years from the time of entering
service. His regiment entered the field in December, 1861, in
Kentucky, under General Nelson, but was shortly
afterward transferred to General Pope's command
in southeastern Missouri. He was present at the capture of New
Madrid, at the bagging of five thousand of the enemy at
Tiptonville, West Tennessee. Descending the Mississippi river,
then, his regiment, with one other", constituted a convoy to
the gunboat flotilla. He was present at the capture of
Memphis, June 6, 1862, which the regiment garrisoned for a few
days; then, convoying a part of the gunboat fleet, it
continued to roam up and down that part of the Mississippi
river within the Federal lines, and also upon many of its
tributaries. Much of the summer of 1862 was passed in clearing
the White river of Confederate batteries, and at St. Charles,
on that river, the regiment had a sharp engagement with the
enemy June 17, 1862. It landed and attacked the rebel forces
in the rear, while several gunboats, including the Mound City,
bombarded their batteries from the river. A plunging shot from
a sixty-four-pound gun penetrated the ill-fated Mound City,
and, cutting the connecting pipe, every part of that vessel
was instantly filled with hot steam, which scalded to death
six-sevenths of the entire crew of one hundred and
seventy-five men. No more sickening, heart-rending sight did
Surgeon Underhill witness during his four years'
service. His command continued to serve on various expeditions
through Arkansas and the Yazoo country till Grant, in
the spring of 1863, organized his movement against Vicksburgh.
His command left for the rear of that stronghold early in
April, and participated in the battles of Port Gibson,
Champion Hills, and, indeed, in nearly all the engagements
that finally culminated in its capture. Afterwards he was with
Sherman's army in their siege and capture of Jackson,
Mississippi. Next his regiment was transferred to the
department of the Gulf, where, under General Banks, it made
incursions through different parts of Louisiana, and was with
him in his ill-starred Red River expedition. It was in the
engagement near Mansfield, Louisiana, where the Federals
suffered disastrous defeat, and continued with the army on its
retreat to Pleasant Hill, where another battle was fought.
Dr. Underhill was in all the contests fought by his
command, including those of Carrion Crow Bayou and Cane River,
and numerous skirmishes. He is now an active member of the
Cincinnati army and navy officers' society.
At the termination of the war he went to New York city,
where he attended a post-graduate course of lectures at the
Bellevue hospital medical college, taking also private
instructions with Professors Austin Flint
and Frank Hastings Hamilton. He received
the ad eundem degree from that institution, and in May, 1866,
settled in Cincinnati, where he has since resided, and
continues to practice his profession. At first he devoted
himself to no specialty, but has of late given attention more
particularly to obstetrics and diseases of women, although
still doing general practice. Since coming here he has been
active in the profession, and has built up a large and highly
successful practice. During the same season of his arrival in
this city he was appointed demonstrator of anatomy in his alma
mater, the Cincinnati college of medicine and surgery, a
position which he resigned two years later. In 1872 he was
appointed lecturer on medical jurisprudence in the same
institution, which place he held for seven years, when he
exchanged it for the professorship of materia medica and
therapeutics. The latter he gave up for the chair of
obstetrics, which he has filled since his appointment thereto
in the spring of 1880. He was also one of the medical staff of
the Cincinnati hospital appointed in the spring of 1875, but
resigned after little more than one year's service. He has
been the medical adviser of several life insurance companies,
and still serves three companies in that capacity. He is also
a member of the American Medical association, of the Ohio
State Medical society, the Cincinnati academy of medicine, and
the Obstetrical Society of Cincinnati, and is a fellow of the
American Gynecological society. Of the Cincinnati Obstetrical
society he was one of the founders, was two years its
secretary and one year its president. Not only in the
practical duties of his profession has he been an active
worker, but he has not neglected its literary side, as is
shown by the following partial list of his contributions to
medical science:
Analysis of fifty-four cases of scarlet fever
(twenty-two pages), Cincinnati Medical News, June, 1874.
Puerperal Septicemia; including a report of two cases. First
published in the Cincinnati Medical News in 1876, November and
December, and April, 1877. Subsequently a brochure of
forty-four pages. Relative sterility, (American Journal of
Obstetrics), July, 1877. Observations on pseudocyesis, and on
pregnancy in its relation to capital punishment; page 18,
American Journal of Obstetrics, January, 1878. Relation of
medicine to law; an address to the graduating class of
Cincinnati college of medicine and surgery, delivered at
Pike's opera house, February 23, 1878, Cincinnati Medical
News, March, 1878. Remarks on post mortem caesarian section,
American Journal of Obstetrics, July, 1878.
Subnitrate of bismuth
contaminated with arsenic; general remarks on the
jurisprudence of pharmacy. (Cincinnati Lancet and Clinic,
September 28, 1878). The female generative organs in their
medico-legal relations; read before the Obstetrical society of
Cincinnati, November, 1878; and published in the American
Journal of Obstetrics, for January, 1879 (twenty pages). The
hydatidi-form mole; its causes, symptoms, medico-legal
relations, etc. (read before the academy of medicine and
published in the Obstetric Gazette, January, 1879, twenty
pages). Report of a case of hydatidi form mole, also report of
a case of carneous mole (American Journal of. Obstetrics,
1879). A case of cerebral embolism, occurring in the
puerperal state, and closing remarks (in debate) concerning
the case (American Journal Obstetrics, October, 1879).
Impotence, as applied to the male; read before Cincinnati
academy of medicine, April, 1880. Remarks on puerperal
eclampsia, with report of two cases (Obstetric Gazette, April,
1880). A case of anencephalic foetus (Obstetric Gazette, May,
1880). Valedictory address to the Obstetrical society of
Cincinnati, when retiring from the presidency of that
society; pages fifteen, 1880. Besides the above, he has
published reports of numerous cases, and fugitive articles in
places now forgotten, and has read before societies many
articles that were never given to the medical press. He has a
taste for medical writing and would have written more were it
not for the engrossing cares of the busy practitioner. Al-he
has mixed somewhat in political life, he has never done so to
the injury of his professional obligations, is temperate in
all his habits, and lives as regular a life as the exacting
duties of his profession will allow.
Dr. Underhill has always taken an intelligent
interest in public affairs, believing that it is the duty of
the citizen, when called upon, to serve the Government in
civil as well as military affairs. Hence he has never refused
to do duty when summoned to serve the State in any capacity,
and has served it as faithfully in politics as in war. An
ardent Republican, he has lent his voice often to the councils
of the party. In the fall of 1870 he was elected coroner of
Hamilton county, and served through his term of two years. In
April, 1876, he was chosen from his ward a member of the board
of education of Cincinnati, for two years, and was reelected
in 1878, and in 1880, the law having been altered so as to
provide for twelve members to be chosen at large to that body,
he was nominated and elected for the long term (three years),
receiving the second highest majority of the twelve elected.
He was chosen president of the board at its annual
organization in April, 1880, and again in 1881. He is also in
that body one of the board of examiners for teachers. Like
most professional men, Dr. Underhill married
rather late in life. At the age of thirty-seven he was united
to Miss Lida E. McPherson, of Cambridge,
Ohio, eldest daughter of his first medical preceptor, and a
lady in every way well worthy of his companionship. She is a
graduate of the famous female seminary at Troy, New York,
formerly taught by Miss Emma Willard.
They have had three children, one of whom, Mary, a most
interesting and intelligent little girl of six years, died
after a distressing illness, April 15, 1881. The Daily
Enquirer of the next morning said of this event:
Thus has one of the brightest, most beautiful of lives
closed—a life, brief as it was, that gave evidence of happy
promise and a character supernaturally lovely. She was
remarkably precocious, and her intellectual development was at
the expense of her frail form. Everyone who saw her was
impressed with the radiant loveliness of her features and her
gentle, thoughtful disposition, and the blighting of this fair
bud of promise will be deplored by all who knew her, while her
parents have received a cruel blow from which they will never
recover.
Both Dr. and Mrs. Underhill are active and faithful
members of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church in this city.
(Submitted by Sharon Wick) |
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