Any list of prominent Wayne County physicians includes names of “beloved physicians” that are spoken with great love and respect.
Dr. Avington Simpson Cook was one of the first physicians to practice in Wayne County. It has been said of him: “A well remembered figure was Dr. A.S. Cook on his horse, riding to the remotest corners of the county in the service of his fellowman.”
Dr. Hiram Alfred Phillips practiced medicine in Wayne County in the latter part of the nineteenth century and his daughter, Ella (Phillips) Haynes said, “I remember hearing my mother, Emerine Ingram Phillips, say that my father never refused a call, no matter what hardship he had to endure to make the trip to some remote section on horseback, and when he left home, she never knew when the would be able to return, for if it was a case that required nursing such as a pneumonia or typhoid fever case, where there as a crisis he would remain until his patient was considered out of danger. This service was rendered without thought of remuneration, for often the family was not able to pay in cash. Sometimes the pay would consist in fare produce or some service from the patient.”
Dr. Claude B. Rankin received medical degrees from schools in Louisville and New York City. For over fifty years, “Dr. Rankin was loved and respected and had a long, active and honorable career in his profession serving the people of Wayne County.”
In 1956, Dr. John W. Simmons and Dr. C.L. McHargue opened the Monticello Clinic Hospital with seven beds. Others serving on the medical staff were Dr. Frank Duncan, Chief of the Medical Staff; Dr. Robert B. Breeding, and Dr. Mack Roberts.
These are just a very few of those dedicated physicians who helped pave the way for the dedicated army of physicians that are serving the people of Wayne County in the twenty-first century.
There was one “doctor” that lived and practiced what, today, is called an “alternative” medical discipline.
Though his name is not listed along with the popular Wayne County physicians, Dr. Pylap Medekle was a well-known and accepted “doctor” who had a rather large following in Wayne County.
Little is known of Dr. Medekle but it is said that he was “born in the swamps of Florida on March 23, 1847” [His grave marker indicates he was born March 23, 1844. He once wrote: “…I was born in the swamps of Florida March 23, 1848.”] and was “the son of one of the old Indian medicine men [Waro Medekle] of the Seminole tribe of Florida.” His father “was a full blooded Seminole and his mother of French decent.”
“My father called me Singing Red Bird, which he said was right according to the rules and customs of naming their children after the first thing that attracted the attention of the mother after the birth of the child.”
Young Pylap was certainly influenced by his surroundings and “he studied medicine under his father who enjoyed the highest rank of an Indian medicine man.”
Dr. Medekle, “since a boy devoted his entire life as an herb doctor, using in his practice nothing but pure crude herbs in his practice…”
The early years of Dr. Medekle’s practice is described in his own words: “I studied the properties of roots and herbs where they grew and the phenomena of diseases at the beside of the patient, being tutored by my father—who was said to be an Indian medicine man—until the year 1868 when I started traveling in pursuit of more knowledge of roots and herbs, not staying hardly long enough in one place to be permitted to vote…”
The time of Dr. Medekle’s arrival in Wayne County was March 1890. “…I located at Mount Pisgah, Wayne County, Kentucky, March, 1890.” He married Miss. Leverna Cooper, daughter of Wilse and Elizabeth Cooper, of the Coopersville community in Wayne County about 1896. It is possible that he lived and practiced his medicine in Wayne County from his home in the Coopersville community around 1910-1915.
The 1900 Wayne County Census lists Pylap Medekle as “single” and a “physician.” The same census records lists Verna Cooper as “single” and a “servant.” Oceola and Ira L. are listed as being a “son.”
Ten years later in the 1910 Wayne County Census there is a listing for a “Pilap Medekle” as being a “farmer.” “Mandy L.” is shown to be a “wife” and three sons—Oda, Ocie, and Lonzo are listed along with Zona, a daughter.
Dr. Medekle was apparently a very patriotic citizen having proved “himself a worthy American citizen during the World War [World War I] by contributing generously to every practical drive.”
Amazing claims were made concerning Dr. Medekle’s success. In 1915, Mary Jane Leffew offered this testimony: “I wish to tell you what Dr. P. Medekle’s herbs have done for me. I was taken sick August, 1887 and lingered on till 1890 During this time 7 (seven) doctors and 2 (two) midwives treated me and I got worse all the time, and I got so I could not turn myself in bed without help of others. I was bedfast for 3 years and in December 1890 P MEDEKLE came to see me, as it was thought by many that I could not live, so he began to treat me. I was so I could go about in March 1891, feeling greatly relieved. I followed taking his herbs till August 1891. I felt I was sound and well and sure was. I never took much medicine until 1913. I called a doctor and he said I had bone erysipeias and could not be cured without an operation. So I called P MEDEKLE from Coopersville. When he came he said I had rheumatism and I am about well of it. So I feel I owe my life to P MEDEKLE, for I sure he saved my life two different times. I felt sure if anyone will give the Indian a fair chance they will soon see it is useless to suffer. I had rather risk him in my family in any disease than any doctor I ever knew. I am sure he can cure by the help of God and his God given herbs. I am the wife of P.H. LEFFEW and 64 years of age.”
A Rev. H.H. Guffey of the Zula community in Wayne County wrote to Dr. Medekle in 1915: “Dear Brother: I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that I had not forgotten you, and I never will forget you for your Herbal treatment with my cancer, it is completely healed up, and I am sure it is permanently CURED, and I take special delight in admonishing everyone who is sick or afflicted with any kind of weakness, to consult and converse with Dr. P. Medekle, for his Herbs give a complete and permanent cure.”
For some years he “did a traveling practice, often riding horseback to see sick patients.” Some say he rode a white horse everywhere he went. One of the best photographs of Dr. Medekel has him holding a snake. It is reported that he regularly carried a rattlesnake in his pocket as he made his visits.
It seems that he had a “dream” to establish a hospital so more people could be served and treated. That “dream” became a reality when he opened the “widely known famous institution known as the ‘Indian Sick Home’ where thousands of patients from practically every state in the Union were successfully treated.” “I am located in Somerset, Kentucky, on Jacksboro Street, second house South of Station ‘A’ postoffice, about fifty yards East of the depot.”
When the “Indian Sick Home” burned in Somerset, Dr. Medekel moved to Oliver Springs, Tennessee. There he “established a sanitarium in [a] large brick house, which attained a considerable reputation. He used medicines mainly extractred from native herbs and plants, and particularly attracted cancer patients from a wide area. Jerry Bass, who was alleged to be half-Indian, worked with Dr. P. Medekle, and apparently learned the treatments for cancers because he continued the treatments on an itinerant basis for many years.” The sanitarium “burned in the late 1920’s (possibly from spontaneous combustion of dry herbs stored in the basement) which brought an end to the operation of the sanitarium.”
From Oliver Springs, Dr. Medekel moved his practice to Graysville, Tennessee, where he rented the Advent Sanitorium for two years.
Dr. Medekle was apparently a very patriotic citizen having proved “himself a worthy American citizen during the World War [World War I] by contributing generously to every practical drive.”
Amazing claims were made concerning Dr. Medekle’s success. In 1915, Mary Jane Leffew offered this testimony: “I wish to tell you what Dr. P. Medekle’s herbs have done for me. I was taken sick August, 1887 and lingered on till 1890 During this time 7 (seven) doctors and 2 (two) midwives treated me and I got worse all the time, and I got so I could not turn myself in bed without help of others. I was bedfast for 3 years and in December 1890 P MEDEKLE came to see me, as it was thought by many that I could not live, so he began to treat me. I was so I could go about in March 1891, feeling greatly relieved. I followed taking his herbs till August 1891. I felt I was sound and well and sure was. I never took much medicine until 1913. I called a doctor and he said I had bone erysipeias and could not be cured without an operation. So I called P MEDEKLE from Coopersville. When he came he said I had rheumatism and I am about well of it. So I feel I owe my life to P MEDEKLE, for I sure he saved my life two different times. I felt sure if anyone will give the Indian a fair chance they will soon see it is useless to suffer. I had rather risk him in my family in any disease than any doctor I ever knew. I am sure he can cure by the help of God and his God given herbs. I am the wife of P.H. LEFFEW and 64 years of age.”
A Rev. H.H. Guffey of the Zula community in Wayne County wrote to Dr. Medekle in 1915: “Dear Brother: I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that I had not forgotten you, and I never will forget you for your Herbal treatment with my cancer, it is completely healed up, and I am sure it is permanently CURED, and I take special delight in admonishing everyone who is sick or afflicted with any kind of weakness, to consult and converse with Dr. P. Medekle, for his Herbs give a complete and permanent cure.”
For some years he “did a traveling practice, often riding horseback to see sick patients.” Some say he rode a white horse everywhere he went. One of the best photographs of Dr. Medekel has him holding a snake. It is reported that he regularly carried a rattlesnake in his pocket as he made his visits.
It seems that he had a “dream” to establish a hospital so more people could be served and treated. That “dream” became a reality when he opened the “widely known famous institution known as the ‘Indian Sick Home’ where thousands of patients from practically every state in the Union were successfully treated.” “I am located in Somerset, Kentucky, on Jacksboro Street, second house South of Station ‘A’ postoffice, about fifty yards East of the depot.”
When the “Indian Sick Home” burned in Somerset, Dr. Medekel moved to Oliver Springs, Tennessee. There he “established a sanitarium in [a] large brick house, which attained a considerable reputation. He used medicines mainly extractred from native herbs and plants, and particularly attracted cancer patients from a wide area. Jerry Bass, who was alleged to be half-Indian, worked with Dr. P. Medekle, and apparently learned the treatments for cancers because he continued the treatments on an itinerant basis for many years.” The sanitarium “burned in the late 1920’s (possibly from spontaneous combustion of dry herbs stored in the basement) which brought an end to the operation of the sanitarium.”
From Oliver Springs, Dr. Medekel moved his practice to Graysville, Tennessee, where he rented the Advent Sanitorium for two years.
With his health failing, Dr. Medekel returned to Kentucky in 1927. In Corbin, Kentucky, he “first located in the Rayburn and Jenkins Bldg on Main St., later moving to the Dunn bldg in South Corbin renting practically the entire building and furnishing it for the purpose of keeping patients…He had several hundred patients…and met with success in relieving suffering humanity that came to him for help.”
Dr. Medekel had several children including two sons, Dr. A.L. Medekle and Dr. O. Medekle. Both of these sons seemed to have followed in the footsteps of their father in their practice of herbal medicine.
Death came to Dr. Medekel in 1928 while he resided in Corbin, Kentucky. His obituary reads in part: “Dr. P. Medekel, Indian Doctor died suddenly Friday evening about 7:15 o’clock in his office in the Alex Dunn bldg in South Corbin. The Dr. had been in failing health for several years, suffering from angina pectoris of the heart but had been feeling good for several days; he was dead when medical aid arrived…A memorial service was held at the South Corbin Baptist church Sunday afternoon, where a large number of friends gathered to pay last respects to the Dr. Several friends paid tribute to him by telling of the wonderful blessing he had been to them and all suffering humanity. The body was taken to his home in Oliver Springs, Tenn., and then removed to this old home in Pine Knot for burial…The Doctor had a host of friends in this city and entire state as well as many other sections of the country and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.”
(NOTE: The Wayne County Museum has printed a book about Dr. Pylap Medekle titled DR. PYLAP MEDEKLE—INDIAN HERBALIST. The publication can be purchased in the museum gift shop or by contacting the museum at 606-340-2300.)
-Harlan Ogle