The Doctor Is In, and She's Taking Patients by Mail
Mrs. S. D. Hewes, one of the first female medical practitioners in Seattle, opens her doors to the sick in 1878.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
MRS. S. D. HEWES, M. D., HOMOEOPATHIST. Being one of the First Lady physicians in Seattle, she offers her services to the people of Seattle and the North Pacific Coast. Mrs. Doctor Hewes comes West after ten years of constant and successful practice. She will open her house to the sick. Mothers can find a home with the best medical attendance during confinement, and patients for general medical treatment are welcomed. She will also treat the sick by letter and fill orders for medicine by mail or express. Her residence is on Union street, between Fourth and Fifth.
“Mrs. Doctor Hewes comes West after ten years of constant and successful practice. Will open her house to the sick.”
In 1878, medical care in Seattle was a precarious, frontier profession, and Mrs. Hewes was carving out space as a rare female professional. Her practice of 'treating the sick by letter' predates our modern telehealth revolution by nearly 150 years, showing that the need for accessible, remote healthcare is a constant thread in Washington's history.
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