Dr. Cornett.
Dr. Wm. T. S. Cornett was born July 11, 1800, at Carrollton, Ky., and died May 6,1897, at Madison, Ind. He was educated at Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky., and studied medicine in the office of Dr. Hendershott at Burlington, Ky. Returning to Lexington he took one course of lectures in the medical department of the University, then came to Indiana, locating at Versailles, Ripley county, in 1825, where he remained in active practice for forty years. In 1841 he was elected State senator and represented his county in this capacity for six years. During this service he gave much attention to educational matters, especially to the care of our common school fund and for a portion of the time was chairman of the committee on education. During the session of 1843-4 he proposed an amendment to the revenue bill by which money was secured with which to build our first hospital for the insane. On the organization of the Indiana State Medical Society he was elected its president, delivering the first annual address at Indianapolis, May 15, 1870. In 1852 the University of Louisville and the Indiana Central Medical College, both conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Medicine. In 1866, having become somewhat infirm, he gave up active practice and removed to Madison, Ind., where he practiced only in consultation, but continued his interest in the profession, keeping up with its literature and advancements, and becoming a member of the Jefferson county medical society. He also interested himself in the study of geology, becoming thoroughly familiar with the geology of southern Indiana, and collecting quite a lodge cabinet.
In October, 1828, he was married to Ann Mason at Lawrenceburg, Ind., who was his faithful wife for sixty-nine years, having died January 7, 1897.
[The statement that Dr. Cornett was the first president of the State Society is an error. Dr. W. H. Wishard desired the Journal to set this matter right by stating that Dr. Livingston Dunlap, of Indianapolis, was the first permanent president. A succinct and accurate account of the 'genesis of the State Society, by Dr. Wishard, may be found in his address as president of the State society in 1889. See proceedings for that year. The local medical society of Indianapolis, in May, 1849, issued a call for a State medical convention to be held June 6, '49. They met in Wesley chapel, Indianapolis, with Dr. John H. Sanders, temporary chairman, and Dr. John S. Bobbs, secretary, and twenty-eight in attendance. Of the charter members. Dr. Florer, of Texas, Dr. J. M. Uaston, Dr. P. H. Jameson and Dr. W. H. Wishard, of Indianapolis are living. Dr. Livingston Dunlap was the first permanent president. After the permanent organization fifty-seven physicians were elected to membership, though not present, among them Dr. Cornett, of Versailles, who was elected president to preside at the next meeting; and in May, 1850, he delivered the first annual address, his subject being "The Rise, Progress, Present State and Future Prospects of Medical Science." Dr. Cornett was the oldest surviving president of the society. His life of professional and Christian usefulness is worthy of all praise. The above is from Dr. W. H. Wishard's presidential address.
The Journal in May, 1893, published an autobiographical sketch of Dr. Cornett, pages 321-23, with an excellent photograph. In this sketch Dr. Cornett says the legislature repealed the law regulating the practice of medicine in order to give the people a chance to employ steam doctors. Some of the States—Illinois and Michigan are doing the same thing now in order to give the people a chance to employ osteopaths.]
