Jones, Joseph, M. D.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Jones, Joseph, M. D., distinguished in medical science and archeological research, was born in Liberty county, Ga., Sept. 6, 1833, and was a son of Rev. Charles Colcock Jones, D. D., a distinguished Presbyterian minister and author, among whose important literary productions was a ''History of the Church of God.'' The paternal grandfather, Capt. Joseph Jones of the Liberty independent troop, served in the War of 1812. The paternal great-grandfather, Maj. John Jones, was aide-dc-camp to Brig.-Gen. Lachlan McIntosh in the Revolutionary army, and fell before the British lines around Savannah in an assault in Oct., 1779. The ancestors of the Jones family removed to America from England and located at Charleston, S. C., about two centuries ago. Joseph Jones received his early education through private tutors at the paternal homes, Montevideo and Maybank plantations, in Liberty county, Ga. In 1849 be entered South Carolina college, at Columbia, and after completing the freshman course matriculated at Nassau Hall, Princeton, N. J., from which he graduated with the degree of A. B., in June, 1853. He subsequently entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1855. The following year he became professor of chemistry in the Medical college of Savannah, Ga., and from that time until his death he occupied the position of medical instructor. In 1858 he became professor of natural philosophy and natural theology in the State university at Athens, Ga., and in 1859 was called to the chair of chemistry in the Medical college of Georgia, at Augusta. In 1861 he volunteered in the Liberty independent troop, and entered upon active service in October of that year. During his connection with his cavalry troop he acted as surgeon to several kindred organizations doing duty on the Georgia coast. In 1862 he was commissioned a surgeon in the Confederate army, and his duties as such did not terminate until the end of the war. In 1866 he accepted the professorship of the Institute of Medicine in the University of Nashville. In 1869 he removed to New Orleans to begin his labors in behalf of the Louisiana university, now Tulane, and from that time until near the end of his life he was actively associated with the position of professor of chemistry and chemical medicine in that institution. Dr. Jones was appointed visiting physician to the Charity hospital shortly after coming to New Orleans. He acted as chemist for the cotton planters' convention in 1860, and was the compiler and author of the first report submitted to that body on the agricultural resources of the Empire State of the South. When the Southern Historical society was organized in New Orleans, May, 1869, he became its first secretary, and was the framer of its constitution. About 1873 the organization was transferred to Richmond, Va.

In 1880 Prof. Jones was made president of the Louisiana State board of health. The board had been reorganized in accordance with provisions of the state constitution of the previous year. He was appointed by Gov. Wiltz, and his term expired in April, 1884. During this 4 years the quarantine stations were repaired and equipped, approaches to the southern and eastern coasts of Louisiana strengthened by additional guards, every obligation met by cash payment, and the president and finance committee retired leaving a surplus of nearly $10,000 to the credit of the board. During this same 4 years, also, the board of health inspected about 10,000 vessels, which carried not less than 150,000 passengers and seamen. Notwithstanding the prevalence of yellow fever in Vera Cruz, Havana, Rio de Janeiro, Brownsville, Tex.; Pensacola, Fla.; Naval reservation, Fla.; Brewton, Ala., and the Mississippi Quarantine station, New Orleans, and the Mississippi valley were free from the scourge. In April, 1887, Dr. Jones was elected president of the Louisiana State Medical association. He bore a prominent part in the deliberations of the Ninth International Medical Congress, Washington, D. C., 1887, on which occasion he acted as president of the fifth section, public and international hygiene. In 1890 he was appointed surgeon-general of the United Confederate Veterans. He was a member of the leading American and European scientific and medical societies. Dr. Jones' chief claims to distinguished recognition rested upon his achievements in the field of original investigation and his reputation as an authoritative and an exhaustive writer.

Among the more notable of his published work may be mentioned: "Observations on Malarial Fever," Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., 1858; Jan. and Feb., 1859; New Series, Vol. XIV and XV, Augusta, Ga.; "Observations on some of the Physical, Chemical, Physiological and Pathological Phenomena of Malarial Fever," the Transactions of the American Medical Association, Vol. XII, Philadelphia, 1859, pages 209- 627; "First Reports to the Cotton Planters' Convention of Georgia on the Agricultural Resources of Georgia, " Augusta, Ga., 1880; see also "Medical and Surgical Memoirs," containing Observations on the Geographical Distribution, Causes, Nature, Relations and Treatment of Various Diseases, 1855-1856, Vol. II, New Orleans, 1887, pp. 1111-1116; "Sulphate of quinine administered in small doses during health is the best means of preventing chills and fever and bilious fever and contagious fever in those exposed to the unhealthy climate of the rich lowlands and swamps of the Southern Confederacy," Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. XVII, No. 8, Augusta, Ga., Aug. 1861, pp. 593- 6l4. "Indigenous remedies of the Southern Confederacy which may be employed in the treatment of malarial fever,'' No. 1, Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. XVII; No. 9, Augusta, Ga., 1861, pp. 673- 718; No. 2, Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. XVII, No. 10, Oct., 1861, Augusta, Ga., pp. 754-787; "Relations of Pneumonia and Malarial Fever, with practical observations on the Antiperiodic or Abortive method of treating Pneumonia, "Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, Sept., 1866, p. 229; "On the prevalence of pneumonia and typhoid fever in the Confederate army during the war of 1861-1865";. "Sanitary Memoirs of the War of the Rebellion," collected and published by the United States Sanitary Commission, New York, 1867, p. 335; "Investigations of the Diseases of the Federal prisoners confined in Camp Sumter, Andersonville, Ga."; "'Sanitary Memoirs of the War of the Rebellion,'' erected by the United States Sanitary Commission, New York, pp. 467-655" "Trial of Henry Werz," 2nd session, 40th congress, 1867-1868; Executive Document, No. 23, Medical Testimony; "Reports embracing description of the Stockade, and the condition of the prisoners therein confined, and condition of the hospitals, etc.," pp. 618, 641, manuscript, pp. 1721 and 1766; "Investigations upon the nature, causes and treatment of Hospital Gangrene as it prevailed in the Confederate armies, 1861-1865''; ''Surgical Memoirs of the War of the Rebellion,'' collected and published by the United States Commission, New York, 1867, pp. 142-580; "Memoranda of Medical Clinic at Charity Hospital, New Orleans, La., 1869-1870"; Sec. 1., "Diseases of the Nervous System,'' New Orleans Journal of Medicine, April, 1870, pp. 233-273; Sec. 2, "Dropsy Considered as a Symptom," New Orleans Journal of Medicine, July, 1870, pp. 484-563; ''Medical and Surgical Memoirs,'' New Orleans, La., 1876; "'Out-line on Hospital Gangrene, etc.," New Orleans Journal of Medicine, Jan., 1869, Vol. XXII, pp. 22- 49; April, 1869, pp. 201-234; ''Leucocythaemia or Leukaemia,'' (white cell blood or white blood) ; Outline of clinical lecture delivered in Charity Hospital, New Orleans Journal of Medicine July, 1869, pp. 425-438; "Heart-clot,'' Outline of clinical lecture delivered at the Charity Hospital, New Orleans Journal of Medicine, July, 1869, pp. 469- 487; "Memoranda of Medical Clinic, at Charity Hospital, New Orleans, 1869 and 1870,'' Sec. 1, ''Diseases of the Nervous System,'' New Orleans Journal of Medicine, April, 1870, pp. 233-274; Sec. 2, considered as a symptom of various diseases,'' New Orleans Journal of Medicine July, 1870, pp. 484-563; "Contributions to the Natural History of Yellow Fever," New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, Jan., 1874, Vol. 1, New Series, pp. 466-516; "Contribution on Changes of the Blood in Yellow Fever," New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal. Sept., 1874, pp. 177-266; "Black Vomit of Yellow Fever," New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, Sept., 1876, pp. 169-165; "Malarial Haematuria; Nature, History and Treatment; illustrated by cases," New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, Feb., 1878, pp. 573-591; "Medico-legal evidence relating to the detection of human blood, presenting the alterations characteristic of malarial fever on the clothing of a man accused of the murder of Narcisse Arrieux, Dec. 26, 1876, near Donaldsonville, La.," New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, Aug., 1878, pp. 101-123; "Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1878 in New Orleans, La.," New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, March, 1879, pp. 683-715; April, 1879, pp. 703-780; May, 1879, pp. 850-872; June, 1879, pp. 942- 971; "Comparative Pathology of Malarial and Yellow Fevers," Transactions of the Louisiana State Medical Society, Annual Session of 1879, New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. VII, New Series, July, 1879, pp. 106-217, p. 297; "Treatment of Yellow Fever," New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, Sept., 1879, pp. 344-365; "Medical and Surgical Memoirs," New Orleans, La., 1876, p. 826; Vol. 11, 1887, p. 1348; "Annual Reports of the Board of Health of the State of Louisiana to the General Assembly, 1880-1883"; "Quarantine and sanitary operations of the Board of Health of the State of Louisiana during the years 1880-1883," p. 377, New Orleans, 1884; "Measures for the prevention and arrest of contagious and infectious diseases, including small pox and yellow fever," New Orleans, 1884.

Oct. 28, 1858, Dr. Joseph Jones was married to Miss Caroline S. Davis, of Augusta, Ga. Four children were born to them, viz.: Stanhope, Caroline S., Charles Colcock, and Mary Cuthbert. About 2 years after the death of the mother of these children in 1868, Dr. Jones was married to Miss Susan Rayner Polk, a daughter of Rt. Rev. Leonidas Polk, bishop of Louisiana, and lieutenant-general in the Confederate army (see sketch elsewhere in this work), June 21, 1870. In the same year he visited the British Isles and France, making a tour of hospitals and museums. To Dr. Jones and his second wife 3 children were born, viz.: Francis Devereaux, Hamilton Polk, and Laura Maxwell. To his reputation as a writer was united the distinction of being an extensive collector of archeological specimens, and through his own research and explorations brought together one of the rarest existing exhibits of such remains which is now in the museum of the University of Pennsylvania. A detailed account of these extensive explorations was deposited with the Smithsonian institution as contribution 59, entitled "Explorations of the Aboriginal Remains in Tennessee." His collection was enriched by the rarest specimens from Mexico, Peru, India, and other remote parts of the world. Dr. Jones' labors in behalf of medical education and in the cause of sanitary science were national in their character. Dr. Benj. Ward Richardson, F. R. S., of London, England, dedicated the sixth volume of his original work, "The Aselepaid," to Dr. Joseph Jones, in the following words: "To Joseph Jones, M.D., professor of chemistry and clinical medicine in the Tulane university of Louisiana--a model student of medicine, always seeking, always finding, always imparting with unwearied industry new and useful knowledge to the great republic of medical science and art-this, the sixth volume of 'The Aselepaid,' is sincerely dedicated." Dr. Jones died Feb. 17, 1896, while still earnestly engaged in the largely useful and helpful labors of an unusually active and useful life. He was in the 68th year of his age.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, volume 3, pp. 767-770. Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit. D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.