Page 8 Volume 10, No. 2 Spring 2017 for his human experimentation, but there is no Bartholow, Roberts. A Practical Treatise on Materia question in the medical community as to the Medica and Therapeutics. 5th ed. New York: D. importance of Bartholow’s findings and innovation Appleton and Company, 1884. in neuroscience. However, his methods continue to Bartholow, Robertsus. “Calori Animali.” University of spark debate. Almost a century and a half later, Maryland Theses 1852. Baltimore: The Medical Heritage Library. scholarly articles about Bartholow’s experiment on Bartholow, Roberts. “The Physiological Aspects of Mary Rafferty are still being published. The 2015 Mormonism, and the Climatology, and Diseases of American Medical Association Journal of Ethics Utah and New Mexico.” The Cincinnati Lancet and succinctly summarized the controversy that is Observer. 10:4 (April 1867): 193-205. relevant today: “Technological Innovation and Cambiaghi, Marco, and Stefano Sandrone. “Pioneers in Ethical Response in Neurosurgery.” Neurology: Robert Bartholow (1831-1904).” Journal Dr. Roberts Bartholow: “Strange Child of Genius” of Neurology. 261 (2014): 1649-50. By Sharon Burleson Schuster Bartholow’s weapons in war and civilian life were a Devilbiss, Frank J. “History of New Windsor, Maryland.” sense of superiority, logic, inquisitiveness, and The Carroll Record. May-July 1895. History of Neurosurgery in Cincinnati. Cincinnati: The ruthlessness. At the time of his death, his Materia An unassuming headstone in the New Windsor Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church cemetery reads simply, Mayfield Clinic, 2009. Medica was in its eleventh printing. He dedicated his “Roberts Bartholow, M.D., LL.D., 1831-1904.” The dash between his birth and death represents 73 years of notable Juettner, Otto. Daniel Drake and His Followers: accomplishments, a remarkable medical career, important discoveries, and a dark side to one of medical history’s most world-acclaimed book “To the Memory of Father, Historical and Biographical Sketches. Cincinnati: brilliant stars. The life of Dr. Roberts Bartholow was a strange journey that began in New Windsor. The stellar student, Mother and Brothers by The Survivor.” Harvey Publishing Co., 1909, 260-67. acclaimed physician, political activist, and assistant Civil War surgeon tangled with Indians and Mormons in the West, Menon, Jayant, and Daniel J. Riskin. “Technological police in the East, and in the end, with his own demons. Bartholow died at his home in Philadelphia at age Innovation and Ethical Response in Neurosurgery.” 72. He returned to his native New Windsor in a pine AMA Journal of Ethics 17:1 (January 2015): 62-8. box. Some might say he is “at rest” within the ornate Warner, Nancy M., Ralph B. Levering, and Margaret was a year of firsts and noteworthy iron gates of the church graveyard. Others claim his Taylor Woltz. Carroll County, Maryland: A History, 1892 events in America. The first voting restless spirit haunts the village of New Windsor. 1837-1976. Westminster, Md.: Carroll County machine was unveiled as were the electric clothes When a “psychic sensitive” employed to investigate Bicentennial Committee, 1976. dryer, escalator, bottle cap, and toothpaste tube. The activity in the graveyard laid hands on Bartholow’s Reds beat the Cards 5 to 1 in the first Sunday headstone, she was startled by the negative “vibes” About the Author: Sharon Burleson Schuster is a 30-year veteran National League baseball game. Arthur Conan Doyle that she received and shouted out the words that writer, photojournalist and columnist with local and national published The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The came to her, “They didn't understand!” publications including The Carroll County Times, Lancaster Farming, Country Woman Magazine, Antique Week, and more. She is author of Pledge of Allegiance was first recited in public The History of Greenwood Church, New Windsor, Maryland, and schools on Columbus Day. Ellis Island became a Spirited Tails and Legends of New Windsor, Maryland. She is a reception center for new immigrants. Grover Selected Sources: member and past president of New Windsor Heritage. Sharon retired as an educator of 30 years in Maryland public schools and served as Cleveland was elected President. an adjunct instructor for Western Maryland College. The author raises Bartholow, Roberts. “Experiments on the Functions of the sheep on her New Windsor farm, The Deeps, which has been in her There were also strange occurrences in 1892. It was Human Brain.” The British Medical Journal. May 30, family for four generations. a Leap Year, consisting of 367 days with two fourth- 1874, 727. of-July dates on the calendar, owing to the alteration Bartholow, Roberts. Medical Electricity: A Practical The Publications Committee welcomes your comments on this article Treatise on the Applications of Electricity to and past Carroll History Journal articles to assist us in determining the of the International Dateline by Samoa. The New Medicine and Surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lea best topics for our readers. Please send all comments to the editor at York Times reported “the most wonderful exhibition Brothers & Co., 1887. [email protected]. Thank you. of the aurora, or northern lights, possibly ever seen from American soil.” While the heavens were illuminated with a rose-red aurora, one of medical PUBLICATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS: history's most brilliant lights went dim. Dr. Roberts Bartholow, Professor and Dean of Faculty, © 2017 Jefferson Medical College, c.1890. (Photograph by The Historical Society of Carroll County, Maryland, Inc. Frank J. Batavick, editor Frederick Gutekunst, U.S. National Library of Medicine) 210 East Main Street Roberts Bartholow was at the zenith of his career a Mary Ann Ashcraft Westminster, Maryland 21157 dozen or so years before his world collapsed in 1892. Samuel T. Brainerd Phone: 410-848-6494 Fax: 410-848-3596 The fourth edition of his 738-page Materia Medica teaching style. He was said to be “a bomb-shell in Eleanor S. Darcy Email: [email protected] Website: www.HSCCmd.org and Therapeutics was published world-wide in the Academy of Medicine where the old fogies used James E. Lightner 1881. His credentials spread across the title page: simply to relate their case and expressed their Sharon B. Schuster “Roberts Bartholow, M.A., M.D., LL.D., Professor opinions.” Catherine E. Baty, Curator of Collections of Materia Medica and General Therapeutics in the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, ETC.” However, despite his eminence, the Cincinnati Gainor B. Davis, Executive Director The hefty reference book was even translated into Enquirer carried this headline about him on James E. Lightner, Chair, Board of Trustees Japanese. Newspaper accounts of 1892 acclaimed his February 18, 1892: “HE LOST HIS MIND.” Page 2 Page 7 The Early Years nervous strain that his entire system was informed that the doctor was traveling for his shattered and that he was rapidly going to health.” His wife and unmarried daughters went on Roberts Bartholow's grandfather, Thomas pieces. It was even intimated that he had with their lives. The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a Bartholome, was born in Holland c.1730 and sought the use of powerful drugs and tonics to notice in “General Society Notes” advising that emigrated to the United States at age 16. According brace himself up. Then strange and erratic “Miss Bartholow and the Misses Bartholow, No. to a granddaughter, he pronounced his name “Bar- actions were committed by this doctor. 1525 Locust Street, receive Thursdays from 4 to 6.” thol- may,” but descendants spell and pronounce it “Bartholow.” Roberts Bartholow, son of Jeremiah The Cincinnati Enquirer reported his diagnosis as His Legacy and Pleasant (Peddicord) Bartholow, was born in “monomaniac on obtaining eminence as a physician. New Windsor on November 18, 1831, and raised . The oldest and most celebrated medical writer of On Sunday, January 29, 1893, The Chicago Tribune near Hampstead. Jeremiah was among the first the age,” Bartholow was considered “the hardest ran an item in the “Personals” column on page 28: trustees of the Methodist church in New Windsor, worker ever known in the medical profession. The “Dr. Roberts Bartholow, the eminent professor of built in 1843. form of his insanity is known in the profession as Jefferson College, Philadelphia, who became insane paranoia, a form of dementia or delirium.” A some two years ago from hard study and overwork, Historian Otto Juettner presents Roberts Bartholow Calvert College, New Windsor, c.1850. (Courtesy New Windsor colleague, Dr. Whittaker, proclaimed that Bartholow has recovered his mental balance.” Yet records of the as a person of “peculiar make-up.” His “frigid Heritage) “was the only man he ever saw who really was over- last decade of his life are void of medical dignity, chilly reserve, and uninviting manner” worked.” The Philadelphia Inquirer carried the discoveries, public accolades, and active engagement accounted for his stance in life, a man who “never report of “specialists in insanity cases” who stated, at Jefferson Medical College where he retained his had an intimate friend or even a close associate . young scholar also served as assistant instructor of “He is 59 years of age, but in appearance is now 70. status as Professor Emeritus. cynicism and sarcasm stood during his whole life chemistry. A most pathetic feature of the lamentable case is that between the man and the world at large.” He was the hallucinations took the form of a violent Dr. Roberts Bartholow left a controversial legacy of also characterized as “a peerless wielder of the The 1850 Federal Census of Hampstead, Carroll prejudice against his wife, an exemplary woman of unethical experimentation and discovery that pen.” The Cincinnati Enquirer described Bartholow County, lists “Robert” Bartholow as a “student” of rare delicacy and feeling, refinement and culture.” nevertheless led to modern-day techniques in as one of “average height, stout build, reserved in Dr. Thomas Wells, living with him, his wife Juliann, Bartholow countered with, “Any statement that I am neurological surgery.