James Barnsfather

Dr. James Barnsfather was born in Banff, Scotland, in 1838.  The family were landed proprietors in Stenton, and the mother of Barnsfather was a daughter of a distinguished naval officer under Nelson at Trafalgar.  Having been educated in the classics and in chemistry at Edinburgh read Medicine in London, Dr. Barnsfather came to this country in 1866, and studied in both the Miami and Cincinnati Medical Colleges, graduating in 1873 and becoming a naturalized citizen in 1877. 

He has practiced in Cincinnati and in Dayton, securing a large practice.  But his chief service to his profession and to the world, despite his frequent contributions to medical literature, was doubtless rendered while engaged as a microscopist, in which pursuit he is an expert and an enthusiast.  Files of the Cincinnati Medical news show that in 1874 Dr. Barnsfather discovered the bacillus of scarlatina maligna, but the editor advised him not to give the discovery to his incredulous brethren.  The same year he found the bacillus of consumption, which was found by Koch eight years later, while the Scarlatine bacillus was credited to a Eurpoean microscopist thirteen years after Dr. Barnsfather's discovery and carful documentation.  It is fair to say that the doctor did not, at the time of his discoveries in 1875, recognize the tremendous importance which the profession has since accorded to the finding of the bacilli.  All the world knows it now, though few are aware that the great facts were first brought to light by this Dayton doctor. [He lived at 139 Sixth Avenue.]

The GAR (a short history of the organization is at this site) held it's annual encampment in Dayton in September,1898.  All of the Dayton images and texts dated 1898 are from the souvenir booklet prepared for the occasion.