Tichenor, G. H. [George Humphrey], M.D.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Tichenor, Dr. G. H., 214 Canal street, New Orleans, was born in Ohio county, Ky., April 17, 1837; son of Rolla and Elizabeth (Humphrey) Tichenor, both of whom were natives of the State of Kentucky. The father was a merchant and steamboat owner, and continued in these pursuits throughout life. His death occurred at Columbus, Ky., in 1853. The mother died at Rumsey, Ky., in 1851. To their union 2 children were born, the subject of this sketch being the eldest. G. H. Tichenor received the usual public school education of that time, which was somewhat limited in most sections of the South, at Rumsey, and after leaving school devoted considerable time to the private study of chemistry.

Shortly after the beginning of the Civil war the young man was commissioned by the Confederate government to manufacture gun cotton. Later he was appointed an assistant surgeon in the army, and some time afterward passed the required examination by the army board and was commissioned surgeon at Okolona, Miss. Following this commission, it is said that Dr. Tichenor introduced the first use of antiseptic surgery in the Confederate army, and by so doing saved the lives of many soldiers and made amputation of limbs unnecessary in frequent cases. After the close of the war the doctor resumed the study of chemistry, and a little later made a special study of the subject of antiseptics, this ultimately resulting in the perfection of the preparation since known as Dr. Tichenor's antiseptic refrigerant. In 1884 he located at Baton Rouge, La., and remained there about 4 years, following which, in 1888, he removed to New Orleans, formed a partnership with J. M. Sherrouse, and located at 230 Canal street. This partnership continued about 5 years, when the business was merged into the Sherrouse Medicine Co., and by lease Dr. Tichenor continued to control the manufacture of the antiseptic until the year 1905, when the Dr. G. H. Tichenor Antiseptic Co. purchased the unexpired lease of the Sherrouse Medicine Co. The officers of the Dr. G. H. Tichenor Antiseptic Co. are: A. D. Parker, president; W. R. Irby, vice-president; Dr. G. H. Tichenor, manufacturing chemist, and T. A. Lipscomb, secretary and treasurer. The personnel of the officers has remained the same since the original organization of the corporation. The business is now located at 214 Canal street, in a building owned by the company, and this fact testifies largely to the substantial growth of demand for the preparation there manufactured, which is said to increase with each succeeding year. The marriage of Dr. G. H. Tichenor and Margaret Ann Drane of Kentucky, was solemnized Nov. 12, 1863, in Canton, Miss. Mrs. Tichenor is a daughter of Rev. T. J. and Margaret (Thurman) Drane, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, but now deceased. To Dr. and Mrs. Tichenor 3 children have been born, namely: Rolla A., an attorney and notary public of New Orleans; G. H., Jr., a practicing physician in the same city, and Elnore Drane, a practicing physician of Detroit, Mich. The latter is a graduate of the University of Michigan, having graduated from the last-named institution with the class of 1911, following which he served some time in the Harper hospital infirmary at Detroit. For 2 seasons the young doctor was assistant bacteriologist at the University of Michigan. The father, Dr. G. H. Tichenor, is a member of Amite Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and affiliates with the Baptist church. He has practiced medicine and surgery more than 45 years.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 430-431. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.