ALBERT BELCHAM KEYES, M.D., F.A.C.S. --
Biography contributed to Illinois Genealogy Trails by Shirley K. Keyes, [Twelk@Stateline-ISP.com]
ALBERT BELCHAM KEYES, M.D., F.A.C.S. , Born August 16, 1862
TO MY OWN FAMILY
I came from a little village of 50 people called Ashingdon, County of Essex, England, where the Keyes family had
owned the whole parish for hundreds of years.
The parish church (St. Andrews Minster) had been built by King Canute, The Dane (1016-1035 A.D.) to celebrate
his victory over Edmund Ironsides, in the River ( ), The ( ) in ( ) south of River Thames, 40 miles from London.
The first christening recorded in the old parish registry is of a daughter of Thomas and Susanah Keyes.
The Keyes family came originally from Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex, where there are many old tombstones still decipherable
dated 1700, of which I have photographs. ( ).
Up to my 7th year, I lived with my father and mother at Moon's Farm, Ashingdon, Essex (8 miles from Southend)
on Sea Essex. Father then bought the Priory, Prittlewell, Essex (now a public park) selling it in 7 or 8 years
and removing to Southchurch Hall, Essex, long the abode of Edward and Mary Kilworth, parents of Mrs. Mary Keyes
(my mother). My father's name was William Keyes.
He and one sister survived their parents, the Thomas Keyes of Moon's (I believe). The sister was married to a
Mr. Digby, Lord of the Manor of Rayleigh Essex (8 miles from Ashingdon). I left England in September 1883 on the
Arizona, ( ) Line of Liverpool, England.
I was educated from my 6th year in Boarding Schools at Alfred House, Kelvedon, Essex, Deal Kent, and St. John's
College, Hearstpierpoint, Sussex, England and the Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL (graduating
in medicine 1890).
In 1885, I served in the Illinois National Guard, (1st Regiment) Company A, in the Stock Yards Riots.
In 1885, you will find in the Tribune from me calling attention to the awful pollution of Lake Michigan, it being
then undrinkable, its shores infested with rats and refuse of all kinds. It was the rarest thing to see anyone
swimming or bathing in Lake Michigan even in the hottest days of summer. And we drank this water from cribs just
off shore.
In 1886, during the Haymarket Riots, Chicago, was waiting in Company A, 1st Regiment Armory, Jackson Boulevard,
Chicago, (now Illinois Theatre site) to go out to relieve the police.
The man who marched by my side was Private John A. Logan, Junior, later Major Logan, who was killed in action
in the Philippines-a comrade of very beloved memory, a very brave, highminded and patriotic (gentleman and soldier).
Son of Gen. John A. Logan of the Civil War; ( ) of Illinois.
During our wait in the Armory before starting for the Stock Yards Riots a peculiar thing occurred-many Chicago
boys (not guardsmen) crowded round the entrance and taunted us, saying they didn't have to go, etc, etc. This
was so unbearable that one big fellow was seized and dragged to a Company room, where he apologized and was sworn
in and dressed in uniform and taken along. This man is now one of our leading insurance brokers. He turned out
a very likeable fellow and a good solider.
Wrote and published in the then National Guard paper a plan of conduct of Drills of the Guard as so many had to
be discharged because of business and so we often lost the trained men just when we needed them most for ( ) duty
during riots, etc. This plan was much abused but during the Spanish War a Lieutenant Colonel whom I met on the
street told me that they now wished they had adopted it. Fort Sheridon ( ).
1887 won the prosectorship by competitive examination in Anatomy at the Northwestern Medical School before graduation.
1890 offered and took place temporarily as interne, St. Lukes Hospital. After serving some months I found the
doctor (Owens 1890) who had begun practice in the country-installed him in his internship (refusing all inducements
to stay as I had won a place in Cook County Hospital) and went to London and took a course in Guys Hospital returning
in October and took my own internship in Cook County Hospital where I served nearly two years, without a single
reprimand but received complimentary letter from the Board of Comissioners.
1890 after graduating, I after being discouraged on all sides took the competitive examination in medicine and
surgery, examination for one of the then only 8 places as interns in Cook County Hospital (800 patients) open to
all comers from medical colleges of America and won the 5th place and served 2 years as intern.
1890 and 1891 during this service as intern in Cook County Hospital in the Chicago typhoid epidemic reduced the
death rate to a little over 6%.
Invented rectal feeding of typhoids during the Mussitatio-Floccitotio stage (when nothing can be taken by stomach),
which succeeded beyond all expectations.
1891 wrote and published Cook County Hospital Treatment of Typhoid. This treatment was publicly commended by
Dr. Wm. E. Quine before the Chicago Medical Society. Shipping their moistured cases into the County Hospital just
before death naturally raised our death rate.
1891 while out one day met Mr. McDowell (who had been with me in 1st Regiment during the Stock Yard Riots). Gave
Mr. McDowell all particulars as to the contaminated water of Lake Michigan as the cause of typhoid, which was published
in the Daily News for a week. This was two years before it was again take up during World's Fair in 1893, by Dr.
Arthur Reynolds, then Health Commissioner of Chicago, and the Editor of the London Lancet, which culminated in
the 5 mile cribs.
1891 while on the surgical side, invented the Subscapular operation for Empyema Thoracist and read before the
Chicago Medical Society and published. The operation is very generally done in General Empyema today.
(During the World War 1918 this paper was authorized republished by the War office in Washington, D.C. and was
re-written and republished by me then Captain O.R.C. Medical U.S. Army.)
1891 invented performed the bloodless hip joint amputation receiving a complimentary letter about it from Dr.
Senn.
1891 at this time I met Dr. Henrotin who offered me a position as Assistant in his office. He was not on the
staff nor did he ever visit me during my internship. In fact I did not know him only very slightly. I took the
position with Dr. Henrotin getting ready for operations and doing his night calls in Little Hell among the poor
in which he carefully instructed me to take a cab and to tell the driver that if I did not come out in 20 minutes
to call a policeman and have him come in and get me, as there was great danger to doctors in this district. We
did not lose a single typhoid in my years of service in our private practice.
1892 was offered position instructor in Surgery at Rush Medical College by Dr. Nicholas Senn which I accepted
and served with him 5 years.
1901 entered Gynecological Department Clinical Operator Presbyterian Hospital.
1902 west to Berlin, Vienna, and Munich and Paris hospitals for study.
1904 made Assistant Professor Rush Medical College and full member of Attending Staff Presbyterian Hospital.
From 1904 to 1918 and after continued as Operator in Gynecology at the Presbyterian Hospital and Rush Medical
College Public Clinic where I had to do the major operations of all kids often at a minute's notice.
1907 took competitive examination for Attending Surgeon in Cook County Hospital and was appointed full General
Operating Surgeon till 1918. Took 3 competitive examinations in all and had to all kinds of operations from the
brain to the heels, with success acceptable to a suspicious public.
1911 the War office from Washington, D.C. sent Army Surgeons to inspect hospitals in Chicago and see operations
unknown to local surgeons, and I received after this inspection an offer of a Commission 1st Lieutenant in U.S.
Army Reserve without further technical examination.
1916 promoted to Captain without examination.
1917 organized by orders from Washington War Office Canadian and Home British Recruiting Office for which I later
was thanked from Ottawa, Canada and the Consul General of Great Britain.
1917 wrote and published (authorized by War Office, Washington, D.C.) methods of operating Hernia (Ruptures) best
suited to the hardships of soldiering.
1917 appointed Chief Surgeon Advisory Board "C", U.S. Army in Chicago.
1918 May ordered to Custer Camp Michigan as Operator for 65,000 officers and men-operated without a single adverse
comment.
1918 July ordered to Richmond, VA, U.S. Army General Hospital near embarkation points (Fortress Monroe and Newport
News, VA) where last examination of combat soldiers was made and also some returned from France wounded were received.
After some weeks of test, was appointed only operator though many from New York, Boston, and Pennsylvania surgeons
were there.
Operated satisfactorily to Surgeon General's Office (without a single adverse comment) till ordered to Hot Springs,
NC as Chief of Surgery.
While here instituted prophylatic measures against influenza which was rampant in the camps resulting in its almost
absence from the Hot Springs Camp though the while we received many dead from other camps as well as there being
many cases in the surrounding mountains.
No soldier influenza fatalities occurred in our camp.
1919 took examination of Army Examining Board and promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel.
(Albert Belcham Keyes was born 8/16/1862 in Ashingdon, Essex, England and died 10/11/1936 in Chicago, IL. He is
buried in Memorial Park, Wilmette, IL. He married Florence Norris Martin 10/27/1891. She was born 1/10/1861 in
New Haven, New Haven, CT and died 4/10/1922 in Chicago, IL. She is buried in Memorial Park, Wilmette, IL. Dr. Keyes
is listed in the "The Old Lady on Harrison Street, Cook County Hospital, 1833-1995" book (by John G.
Raffensperger, Editor) as 1909 attending staff "perhaps the first group of physicians to pass the civil service
examination" as a surgeon.