My Genealogy Hound

Dr. James H. Smith, physician at Mount Vernon, Mo., is of German descent, and the son of George W. Smith and the grandson of ______Smith, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and was there married to Miss Margaret Rayhill, who bore him eight children. They moved to Bullitt County, Ky., and after a residence here for some years they came to Illinois. This was about 1840. They settled in Lawrence County on a farm, and here Mr. Smith soon after died. His son, George W. Smith, was born in Kentucky in 1823, and grew to manhood on the farm, receiving a common-school education. He was a young man when he came to Lawrence County, Ill., and he here married Miss Jane Baird, daughter of James Baird, of Lawrence County, Ill., and of Scotch descent. The fruits of this union were four children, James H. being the only one who lived to maturity. G. W. Smith was a prosperous farmer, owning 640 acres of land. He died March 10, 1856, at the age of thirty-three years. He was a Democrat politically. Dr. James H. Smith, son of the above, was born in Lawrence County, Ill., on his father’s farm, February 20, 1846, and received a liberal education at Cecilial College, Hardin County, Ky. He then studied medicine under Dr. Silas Hall, of Lawrenceville, Ill., and afterward began the practice of his profession at that place. He then attended two full courses of medicine at the Physio-Medical Institute, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and then continued the practice of medicine at Lawrenceville, meeting with good success. He married Miss Lizzie A. Spencer, daughter of William and Lucy (Wittaker) Spencer, who were of English descent. The Spencers were Lawrence County people, formerly from Tennessee and Indiana. To the Doctor and Mrs. Smith were born ten children, seven now living: Lillian H., Jasper L., Leni L., Bertha J., James W., Hattie and Winnie. In 1887 Dr. Smith came to Lawrence County, Mo., and has since brought his family to reside in Mount Vernon. A large and lucrative practice was immediately opened to the Doctor, which for the short time he has been in this county is remarkable. His treatment is satisfactory and effective. The physio-medical practice, or, as formerly known, the old Thomasonian practice, consists almost entirely of botanical treatment. As it is little known in this section the following explanation is necessary: Physio is from the Greek, phusis, nature or things natural. It is found in the word physiology—phusisor logos—a, discourse on natural laws. The title of physician is derived from the same word, and means a follower of nature. Medical is understood by all, meaning to medicate or heal. Physio-medical, therefore, means the art of healing by following nature, or the treatment of disease in harmony with the laws of life. All true science is based on nature’s laws. Conforming to nature, physio-medical practice rejects every poison, for poisons are dangerous to life, and can do nothing but harm. They aggravate disease, retard recovery, break down the constitution, and leave in the body diseases of their own making. The physio-medical school is the only one that rejects poisons and the theories that justify their use. It uses in treatment the hundreds of powerful yet harmless agencies that nature has provided for the cure of disease, and uses them on principles that harmonize with the laws of life, and speedily restores health without damage or taint to the constitution. Both Dr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Christian Church, and in political opinions he is a Democrat, but a strong temperance man, using no alcohol in his practice. He is in favor of local option. It is needless to say that the Doctor is a man of high moral character and a gentleman. He is a very skillful physician, and is very successful in his practice.