Monadnock Moment No. 125

Era 4: Expansion and Reform - 1800 to 1860

Silas Cummings, Doctor

Silas Cummings was born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire in October of 1803. He attended Dartmouth College and graduated from the school's medical department in 1827. He then returned home to Fitzwilliam to begin a medical practice.

Dr. Cummings' account book for the first two years of his practice has survived. It gives good insight into the work of a physician in the late 1820s. Dr. Cummings charged 12 cents for an office visit or house call and the same amount for pulling a tooth. He charged $1.00 per day for attending a patient full-time and $2.00 for delivering a baby and all treatment involved with the pregnancy.

Dr. Cummings also sold medicines to his patients, including bitters, laudanum, opium, sedatives, body plasters, and a great variety of colored pills. He also used juniper berries, bloodroot, lime water, rosemary, orange peel, and liquorice in his treatments. Bleeding was a widely used treatment and Dr. Cummings kept a ready supply of leeches in his office.

July 4th of 1827 was a typical day for the doctor. On that day he made one house call, had five office visits, dressed an injured leg, and sold his patients a variety of pills, powders, bitters, and one dozen leeches. During a ten month period in 1827 and 1828 Hannah Rockwood made 55 office visits and purchased a great quantity of medicine, running up a bill of $18.08. She paid her bill with 37 pounds of ham and veal, and 56 pounds of butter and cheese.

Silas Cummings' practice was a success and he served as doctor for the people of Fitzwilliam for 55 years until his death in 1882.