THE early history of medical education in California is bound up with the lives of three remarkable men-three surgeons-one for many years a Fellow of the American Surgical Association. It partakes of the romance of pioneer days and savors of the gold rush.The men who braved the dangers and the hardships of the long journey round the Horn, or traversed on horseback or on foot the two thousand miles across the great American desert from the Missouri river to the Pacific, were a hardy lot-weaklings could not keep the pace. These pioneers made a colorful group coming as they did from all walks of life.Following those who came to dig gold were others who came to prey upon them: gamblers, bandits, thieves-criminals in wide variety. With almost no law but lynch law, men had to stand on their own feet; and individual character speedily came forward and took things into its own hands. But there was much more decency than knavery.In a country in which stage robbery was almost an honorable profession, the doctor was immune to bandlitry, because it was tacitly understood that if a stage robber happened to be wounded, the doctor would attend him and not divulge the fact nor the bandit's hiding place to the authorities.In this heterogeneous company there came a fair sprinkling of fine young men of good family, many just out of college, attracted by the very romance of going to California; some of them trained in the professions of law, medicine and theology. These men left an indelible impression on the community and California owes them an immeasurable debt; for many of them recognized their opportunities for constructive work in the fair new state and remained to "grow up with the country".In the open places all those who had the slightest knowledge of medicine were called on to help the sick and wounded; malaria particularly and typhoid kept them busy. The man without a diploma who could give a dose of physic or of quinine or iodide of potash held almost as high a position in the com-321 21

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