Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

In the mid-nineteenth century, three events coincided to make California the 31st state of the USA: The Mexican-American war of 1846–1848, The Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 and the discovery of gold in 1848. Within a few years a population explosion had occurred and with it came the need for organization of the practice of medicine. This paper outlines the biographies of some physicians who were instrumental in the early years of the Golden State.

Keywords

Physicians Bear Flag California gold-rush

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Onofrio

. California biographical dictionary. Vol. 1, St Clair Shores, MI: Sommerset Publications Inc., 1999, pp. 171–273.

Harris H. California’s medical story. Springfield IL, Baltimore MD: Charles C Thomas Publisher, 1932, pp. 24–25, 86, 103, 107, 125–126, 133, 143, 184, 325, 328–329.

Library of Congress. Early California history: an overview. Mexican California, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbmexico.html (accessed 13 July 2014).

Onofrio J (op. cit. ref. 1): vol. 2, p.461.

The White House. James K Polk, http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/jamespolk (accessed 13 July 2014).

Onofrio J (op cit. ref. 1): vol. 2, pp. 371, 496.

California Department of Finance, http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/state_census_data_center/historical_census_1850-2010/view.php (accessed 13 July 2014).

Library of Congress. Early California history: an overview. Towns and cities, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbtowns.html (accessed 13 July 2014).

Jones

GP.

Thomas M

Logan

. Organizer of California state board of health and co-founder of the California Medical Association. California and Western Medicine 1945; 63: 6–10.

10.

Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society, http://www.ssvms.org/Museum.aspx (accessed 13 July 2014).

11.

Brieger

. Health and disease on the western frontier. A bicentennial appreciation. (Medicine in American history). Western Journal of Medicine 1976; 125: 28–35.

12.

Old City Cemetery Committee, Inc., http://oldcitycemetery.com/cholera.htm (accessed 13 July 2014).

13.

California Medical Association. CMA History, http://www.cmanet.org/about/cma-history/ (accessed 13 July 2014).

14.

Hansen

WJ.

Robert

Semple

. Pioneer, promoter, politician. California Historical Society Quarterly 1962; 41: 223–235.

15.

Radcliffe

. Robert Baylor Simple pioneer. California Historical Society Quarterly 1927; 6: 130–158.

16.

Thrapp

. Encyclopedia of frontier biography. Vol. 2, Glendale, CA: The Arthur H Clark Company, 1988, pp. 681–713.

17.

Popkin Roy

William M

Gwin

. California Medicine 1966; 104: 54–56.

18.

Benicia Herald. Robert Semple. California giant, http://beniciaheraldonline.com/robert-semple%E2%80%88california-giant/ (accessed 13 July 2014).

19.

Encyclopedia.com. Napoleon III, http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Napoleon_III.aspx (accessed 13 July 2014).

20.

Encyclopedia.com. Maximilian, http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Maximilian.aspx (accessed 13 July 2014).

21.

The White House. Ulysses S. Grant, http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ulyssessgrant (accessed 13 July 2014).

22.

Wilson JL. Stanford University School of Medicine and the predecessor schools: an historical perspective. Chapter IX. Early local medical societies of California, http://elane.stanford.edu/wilson/html/chap9/chap9-sect1.html (accessed 15 July 2014).

23.

Jones Guy

Benjamin Franklin

Keene

. California and Western Medicine 1940; 52: 27–28.

24.

Hays

LF.

Benjamin Franklin

Keene

. Founder of the California Medical Association. California and Western Medicine 1942; 54: 296–300.

25.

Wilson JL (Op. cit. ref. 38): Chapter X. Founding of the Medical Society of the State of California, http://elane.stanford.edu/wilson/html/chap10/chap10-sect2.html (accessed 15 July 2014).

26.

Gundrum

. California’s medical practice acts. California and Western Medicine 1925; 23: 595–598.

27.

Lyman George

. The beginnings of California’s medical history. California and Western Medicine 1925; 23: 561–576.

28.

Rixford

. Early history of medical education in California. Annals of Surgery 1928; 88: 321–332.

29.

Gilcreest

EL.

Hugh Huger

Toland

. Great pioneer surgeon and founder of the medical school of the University of California. Part I. California and Western Medicine 1938; 48: 263–266.

30.

Gilcreest

EL.

Hugh Huger

Toland

. A skillful surgeon- ‘Toland’s luck' part II. California and Western Medicine 1938; 48: 350–353.

31.

A history of UCSF. 1868-1898. The origins of the University of California and affiliated colleges, http://history.library.ucsf.edu/1868_hospitals.html (accessed 15 July 2014).

32.

Charnock

. Medicine moves west. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 1956; 44: 455–460.

33.

California Department of Finance, http://www.dof.ca.gov/research/demographic/reports/estimates/e-1/view.php (accessed 15 July 2014).

34.

Medical Board Of California, http://mbc.ca.gov/About_Us/Statistics/Licenses_by_County.aspx (accessed 15 July 2014).

Physicians of the Bear-Flag Republic

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References