Augustus C. Kinney
Encyclopedia
Augustus Crouch Kinney was an American
physician and scientist in the state of Oregon
. A native of Iowa
, his family moved to Oregon Country
when he was an infant where he was raised and started his medical career. He practiced the majority of his career in Astoria, Oregon
, and was a leading expert on tuberculosis
.
and Eliza Lee (née Bigelow) Kinney in Muscatine, Iowa
. Two years later he traveled the Oregon Trail
with his family in a wagon train that included Joel Palmer
and his family. Kinney’s family settled in the Chehalem Valley of what is now Yamhill County, Oregon
, where his father grew an orchard. His father also was a member of the Oregon Constitutional Convention
and territorial legislator. Augustus earned his education at Pacific University
in Forest Grove
, and at McMinnville College (now Linfield College)
in McMinnville
, before entering medical school
.
In 1866, he married Jane Welch, and the marriage did not produce any children. He started his medical training at Willamette University College of Medicine
in Salem
where he graduated in 1869, and the next year he graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical College (now New York University School of Medicine
) in New York City
. Kinney was one of eleven children in the family, with eight living to adulthood, including his younger brother Alfred who also graduated from medical school.
, where his brother joined him. He left Portland in 1873 for California
, where he remained until 1875 when he returned to Oregon. Kinney set up practice in Astoria
where he remained until his death. His treatments for tuberculosis
received notoriety from around the world and was considered a leading expert on the disease in the United States. Kinney was also a frequent contributor to medical journals.
, which Kinney believed was ozocerite. He also donated a collection of fish from Astoria to the Smithsonian Institution
in 1888. Augustus Kinney died on March 24, 1908, at the age of 62 at the Fabiola Hospital in Oakland, California
, of cancer and was buried at the IOOF Cemetery (now Salem Pioneer Cemetery
) in Salem
. His nephew Augustus, from his brother Alfred, also was a doctor who studied tuberculosis.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician and scientist in the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. A native of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, his family moved to Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
when he was an infant where he was raised and started his medical career. He practiced the majority of his career in Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, and was a leading expert on tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Early life
Augustus Kinney was born on July 26, 1845, to RobertRobert Crouch Kinney
Robert Crouch Kinney was an American businessman and politician in what became the state of Oregon. A native of Illinois, he helped found Muscatine, Iowa, before crossing the Oregon Trail and settling in what became Oregon...
and Eliza Lee (née Bigelow) Kinney in Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 22,886 in the 2010 census, an increase from 22,697 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Muscatine County...
. Two years later he traveled the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
with his family in a wagon train that included Joel Palmer
Joel Palmer
General Joel Palmer was an American pioneer of the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. He was born in Canada, and spent his early years in New York and Pennsylvania before serving as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.Palmer traveled to the Oregon...
and his family. Kinney’s family settled in the Chehalem Valley of what is now Yamhill County, Oregon
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
, where his father grew an orchard. His father also was a member of the Oregon Constitutional Convention
Oregon Constitutional Convention
The Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857 drafted the Oregon Constitution in preparation for the Oregon Territory to become a U.S. state. Held from mid-August through September, 60 men met in Salem, Oregon, and created the foundation for Oregon's law. The proposal passed with a vote of 35 for...
and territorial legislator. Augustus earned his education at Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
in Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
, and at McMinnville College (now Linfield College)
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
in McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
, before entering medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
.
In 1866, he married Jane Welch, and the marriage did not produce any children. He started his medical training at Willamette University College of Medicine
Willamette University College of Medicine
Willamette University College of Medicine is a former school of medicine that was part of Willamette University. Founded in 1867 as the first medical school in Oregon, the school relocated between Portland and the main university campus in Salem several times. Eventually the school was merged with...
in Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
where he graduated in 1869, and the next year he graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical College (now New York University School of Medicine
New York University School of Medicine
The New York University School of Medicine is one of the graduate schools of New York University. Founded in 1841 as the University Medical College, the NYU School of Medicine is one of the foremost medical schools in the United States....
) in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Kinney was one of eleven children in the family, with eight living to adulthood, including his younger brother Alfred who also graduated from medical school.
Career
In 1871, Kinney began a medical practice in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, where his brother joined him. He left Portland in 1873 for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he remained until 1875 when he returned to Oregon. Kinney set up practice in Astoria
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
where he remained until his death. His treatments for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
received notoriety from around the world and was considered a leading expert on the disease in the United States. Kinney was also a frequent contributor to medical journals.
Later life
Kinney did some scientific work in addition to his medical work. This included studying the Nehalem Beeswax along the Oregon CoastOregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
, which Kinney believed was ozocerite. He also donated a collection of fish from Astoria to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in 1888. Augustus Kinney died on March 24, 1908, at the age of 62 at the Fabiola Hospital in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, of cancer and was buried at the IOOF Cemetery (now Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery is a cemetery in Salem, Oregon, United States.-Overview:...
) in Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. His nephew Augustus, from his brother Alfred, also was a doctor who studied tuberculosis.
External links
- Surgical kit in leather case – OHSU Archives