Attendance upon the sick in the new settlements of eastern Maine at the opening of the present century was a long remove from holiday entertainment. In the absence of roads the physicians in his visits to the scattered families of his own and neighboring townships was obliged to follow uncertain way-marks along angular and circuitous routes through dense forests--to cross un-bridged streams--climb over prostrate trees--to make circuitous routes of bogs and swamps and to scale hills and mountains. If darkness obscured his pathway while yet in the forest remote from human habitations, his only alternative was to brace himself for hours of solitude and nervous apprehension while he listened to the stealthy tread of prowling beasts (oftener imaginary rather than real) and the dismal hooting of long visaged owls. The companionship of a faithful horse or dog, if he was fortunate enough to possess one, would divert the sluggish hours of much of their dreariness, but the humble followers of Aesculapus were then oftener destitute of both then otherwise.

In the year 1806 the first physician of the township, in the person of Dr. Joseph Pratt, made his appearance. He was accompanied by a brother. The two brothers found a temporary home in the family of Joseph Garland. The destitution of a physician in the township before the coming of Dr. Pratt had been the occasion of inconvenience and anxiety, His coming was hailed with joy and he subsequently proved himself worthy of confidence, both as a physician and citizen. His practice extended to other townships.

An incident of his early practice will illustrate his fidelity to his profession as well as the hardships which the physician was occasionally called to endure. A Mr. Brokway of Amestown (Sangerville) desired the service of a physician in his family and Dr. Pratt was summoned. It was midwinter--the weather was cold and the snow deep. As a horse could not be used, a more primitive method of travel was resorted to. The distance to Amestown in a direct course was ten miles, but the route followed required more than twenty miles of travel. Daunted neither by distance, depth of snow now stress of weather, Dr. Pratt fastened on his snowshoes and started in response to the summons. His line of travel led him to Elkstown (Dexter) thence to his objective point. He arrived in Amestown in due time and accomplished the purpose of his visit, but when ready to start on his journey homeward, a violent storm of snow, the first of a succession of storms, began and detained him from day to day. When he reached home he found by counseling the calendar that he had been absent twenty-one days.