In IHcmovtam. 
THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF C. C. HILDRETH, M.D., A.B., A.M. 
A memorial sketch read before the Zanesville Medical Society, September 5, 1889, 
H. Culbertson, M.D., Zanesville, O. 
Having been appointed by this Society 
to read an essay upon the life and charac- 
ter of our departed brother, I have the 
honor to present the following testimonial: 
The life of Charles Cook Hildreth was 
extremely uniform, direct, and complete. 
His mission was simply to heal the sick. 
He was born at Marietta, Ohio, April 
28, 1811, and died August n, 1889, at 
Zanesville, Ohio, the place of his life-work. 
His father, a native of Massachusetts, was 
Dr. Samuel Prescott Hildreth, and his 
mother Rhoda Cook Hildreth. Educated, 
in part, at Marietta, Ohio, his collegiate 
course was completed at Ohio University, 
Athens, Ohio. Graduating in 1828 or 
1829, he was made an A.B. and A.M. by 
that college. In March, 1833, he gradu- 
ated at the Medical College of Ohio as 
M.D., and soon settled at Zanesville, 
Ohio, and continued in the practice of his 
profession here until the day he was para- 
lyzed, a period of fifty-six years. He was 
married to Miss Sarah A. Swearengen, 
March 23, 1836, who survives him but is 
in feeble health. 
Dr. Hildreth enjoyed a large practice 
during all his professional career. Al- 
though a skillful physician, he was also a 
very able surgeon and obstetrician, and in 
all these domains his practice was exten- 
sive and success great. He was a member 
of the old Medical Society of Zanesville in 
1835 or 1836; of the late Muskingum 
County Medical Society; of the late Zanes- 
ville Academy of Medicine; of the Zanes- 
ville Medical Society; of the Muskingum 
Valley Medical Society; of the Ohio State 
Medical Society; and of the American 
Medical Association. He contributed 
largely to the medical journals in this and 
other states. He did not belong to any 
societies other than medical. He invested 
his means mainly here, in real estate and 
corporate companies. His life was a most 
active one in the practice of his beloved 
profession, indefatigable in his efforts for 
the sick and dying, scarcely ever absent 
from his post, a Nestor of medical skill. 
Dr. Hildreth was not a strong man 
physically, yet he possessed great tenacity 
of life, which endured for more than 
three score and ten years, and he went The Life and Character of C. C. Hildreth, M.D. 
down in the harness. There is no doubt 
had he cast aside his work and taken his 
seasons of rest and pleasure he would have 
lived several years longer. But he loved 
his professional work, and this was his 
pleasure; and so he lived, working day 
after day and year after year, in sunshine 
or cloud, sick or well, for the good of his 
patients. 
His death was unexpected. Although 
he had evidently been failing for the last 
three years (especially in the last six 
months), he clung to his duties. On Tues- 
day afternoon, August 6, last, just after 
performing an operation upon a diseased 
jaw, he became speechless and nearly fell 
into a chair; soon right hemiplegia devel- 
oped, and motion and sensation became 
nil on this side. The left side of the body 
was normal. Tuesday night he became 
unconscious, and remained so until early 
Friday morning, when he recognized 
parties and signified answers by nodding 
his head. This continued until Friday 
evening, when his respiration became im- 
paired for the first time during the prog- 
ress of the case. The heart also began to 
fail about this time. Under remedies the 
heart became regular, but the respiration 
continued to fail from the return of 
hemorrhage upon the brain, and he died 
comatose on Sunday noon, August n, 
1889. 
The hemorrhage of brain was both 
primary and secondary, and from the im- 
pairment of speech the left middle cere- 
bral artery was probably ruptured and the 
speech center and other motor and sen- 
sory centers involved. His blood vessels 
were no doubt calcareous. The first day, 
in the evening, he had one involuntary 
stool, and also incontinence of urine, 
which latter persisted throughout the case. 
He had the use of his left extremities 
throughout the case. He died with his 
desire gratified, on the fifth day of his 
sickness, for he did not wish to be long 
sick. 
The character of Dr. Hildreth was as 
well-defined as his life. In him we witness 
the advantages of a thorough literary and 
medical education. He possessed a trained 
mind over which he had perfect control. 
A mind which enabled him to analyze the 
most abstruse medical problems and to ac- 
cept that which was truth and reject error. 
Seldom do we find so acute a logician as 
he. His indications of cure were clean 
cut, and his application of remedies point- 
ed and effectual. His powers of diagnosis 
were excellent. He never gave up the 
ship until life was extinct. He was an 
early and late attendant at the bedside in 
serious cases, and watched their progress 
with unusual closeness day and night. His 
life was truly one long self-sacrifice to the 
interests of his patients. He took no 
respite whatever from his labors, and 
never visited any distant place of recrea- 
tion. He was ever in his office when not 
attending to his professional duties else- 
where. His office was his home, and here 
he greeted his friends and patients warmly 
and sincerely. But nowhere did he shine 
more brilliantly than at entertainments of 
his medical brethren at the meetings of 
medical societies at his home. He was 
very fond of the drama, and until within 
the last three years he attended all such 
entertainments as were worthy. This was 
his greatest amusement. He was a fluent 
and accurate speaker on medical topics, 
and many will remember the force of his 
practical teachings. I think therapeutics 
in medicine was his favorite subject. To 
him the art of medicine was nothing unless 
it cured, or aimed to cure, disease. In 
surgery he was bold, cautious, and de- The Life and Character of C. C. Hildreth, M.D. 
cisive. As to the propriety of executing an 
operation, none were better judges than 
he. He had an art, I think peculiar to 
him, of doing a minor operation and gain- 
ing a successful issue of the case, when 
many would have done bolder surgery and 
sacrificed more tissue. 
He was an obstetrician of large experi- 
ence, great skill and success. I doubt if 
anyone exceeded him in art and practice 
in this branch. I have been surprised at 
the facility with which he applied forceps 
and performed obstetric manipulations. 
He, I believe, was the first to propose the 
knee-elbow position in intra-uterine ver- 
sions. He advocated the use of anaes- 
thetics, and the simultaneous employment 
of ergot in labor, and in this practice he 
was remarkably successful and skillful. 
In surgical operations his delicate hand 
wielded the knife with grace, skill, preci- 
sion, and rapidity, and in fifty six years he 
did all of the major and minor operations, 
many of them repeatedly. 
Notwithstanding his numerous profes- 
sional duties and obligations, he found 
leisure to devote to literary pastime. It is 
not generally known, but it is true, that he 
was familiar with poets and poetry, and 
could repeat, impromptu, line after line of 
his favorite authors. I think he preferred 
the fascinating lines of Longfellow. It is 
true also that he wrote beautiful poetry 
himself, and his poetical lyrics were laden 
with sparkling wit. Yet he never pub- 
lished any of such productions. 
Dr. Hildreth was the most reticent 
man I have ever known. He used to say, 
“Why speak ill of any one; this world is 
large enough for us all.” The only way 
one could discover his feelings was by his 
acts. He detested unprofessional tricks to 
obtain practice. He lost all confidence in 
such parties and would have no personal 
relations with them. If, however, he 
found parties violating the secrets or obli- 
gations of medical consultations, nothing 
would induce him to meet such persons in 
council. But not one word would he ex- 
press against such physicians. He was a 
rigid interpreter and observer of the code 
of ethics and expected others to be the 
same. I never knew him to do a dishon- 
orable act in his profession. 
At the same time he was forgiving, for 
beneath his proud nature he possessed one 
of the kindest hearts. He was not demon- 
strative, but his acts spoke tenderness 
louder than words. He was a true friend 
and one that could always be depended 
upon. He abhorred a lie, and lost confi- 
dence in anyone detected in a falsehood. 
He held “an honest man is the noblest 
work of God.” He was cautious and sym- 
pathized with those about him in his pro- 
fessional, social, and financial relations. 
He was quite liberal with his patients, but 
in a financial bargain he was as shrewd 
as any one, and his investments were 
profitable. 
He was the most punctual man I have 
ever known. He met every engagement 
when due, and the consultation found him 
present to the minute. 
For sixteen years I had the pleasure of 
being associated with him as an Examin- 
ing Surgeon in the Pension Board at this 
place. Never was there a more just and 
conscientious examiner than he. I need 
scarcely say his ability was great in this 
capacity, and he always sympathized with 
soldiers. His motto was: Lay well the 
foundation, be secret in design, execute 
promptly, and persevere. 
So then thus has passed away from this 
earth a truly great man and good physi- 
cian. It becomes this Society to put on, 
not these exterior habiliments which be- The Life and Character of C. C. Hildreth, M.D. 
speak sorrow for departed ones, but that 
enduring grief which lives and dwells in 
the heart. 
I may sincerely and devotedly ask, 
“When shall we, in this Society, see 
his like again ? ” Answer if you can ! 
In reference to our lamented brother 
and ourselves, we may say with Randolph : 
“ Strive to live well: tread in the upright ways, 
And rather count thy actions than thy days; 
Then thou hast lived enough amongst us here, 
For every day well spent I count a year. 
Live well, and then, how soon soe’er thou die, 
Thou art of age to claim eternity.” 
Reprint from 
The Cincinnati Lancet-Clinic, 
Sept. 21, 1889.