The Project Gutenberg eBook, Little Pills, An Army Story, by Robert Henderson McKay

Title: Little Pills, An Army Story

Being Some Experiences of a United States Army Medical Officer on the Frontier Nearly a Half Century Ago

Author: Robert Henderson McKay

Release Date: April 26, 2011 [eBook #35973]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

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LITTLE PILLS
AN ARMY STORY BY R. H. McKAY

Formerly Acting Assistant Surgeon United States Army

Being Some Experiences of a United States Army
Medical Officer on the Frontier Nearly
A Half Century Ago

1918
PUBLISHED BY
PITTSBURG HEADLIGHT
PITTSBURG, KANSAS

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

BY R. H. McKAY

This little sketch of army life on the frontier was first written, merely for the pleasure it might bring to my children in looking it over in after years. It remained in the form of a manuscript for that purpose, until some of my friends urged its publication. The merit of the story itself, if it has any, lies in the fact of actual experience, but probably a matter of more importance is to call attention to the wonderful changes that have taken place in the fifty years just passed. The term frontier today would be a misnomer. There is no frontier. The immense areas of wild and waste country that then existed has vanished before the tide of civilization and settlement. The present generation can never realize the vast changes. Possibly this little book may bring to mind, by way of contrast, at least some of the conditions then and now.

LITTLE PILLS

CHAPTER I.

My children have often asked me to write out some of my experience while a medical officer in the United States Army on the frontier, and I have often resolved to do so. But for many years after leaving the service my time was so thoroughly taken up in an effort to make a living and educate the children that my good resolutions received scant attention. Now in my 78th year the apathy of old age is such a handicap, that great effort is required to do things that at one time I could have done cheerfully but did not.

I think my experiences during the Civil War gave me something of a taste for military duty, for when in the summer or early fall of 1868 I noticed that an Army Medical Board was in session at New York, I at once made application to appear before it for examination for a position in the regular service. I was examined in October, 1868, and as the board continued in session for some time afterwards I waited with some anxiety and misgivings as to the result of my examination. I had the impression that the examination would be severe and was doubtful of my ability to pass. In this connection it is proper to say that some had failed in these examinations that afterwards became noted medical men. Among them, I was informed, was Dr. Austin Flint, Sr., whose work on the practice of medicine was standard and considered the best when I was a student. His son, Dr. Austin Flint, Jr., also became famous as our great Physiologist and his work on that subject is standard today. It was not until the following January that I heard from my examination, and was then directed to report at St. Louis to be mustered into the service as Acting Assistant Surgeon in the United States Army. There was necessarily some delay in disposing of the few things we had, some of which we sold and some of which we stored. Finally everything being disposed of, we left