Aunt Neave

 

Aunt Neave
Mama Neave
Genevra Earhart Moseley
Picture  1941

After many months of trying to farm and manage four undisciplined children, Papa must have thought there had to be a better way, and started writing to an old maid who was a very good friend of my mother.  She lived about twelve miles from us in an adjoining county.  Everybody called her "Aunt Neave."  Her father, Dr. Earhart, was a well-known man in that area, and she usually accompanied him on his trips to the back country.  She was an excellent rider and could ride side saddle as well as any man (could ride in a traditional saddle).  She was one of eight children and stayed at home to take care of her ailing mother and father.  Accompanying her father on many of his calls, she picked up a great deal of knowledge of medicine and dentistry.

The doctor's instruments and equipment were rather small and consisted almost entirely of a bleeding machine for curing the ill, and a pair of forceps for pulling offending teeth.

The bleeding machine was a little steel box about two inches square and containing numerous little concealed knives, held in place by little strong springs.  When a "trip" was touched, the knives would appear and lacerate the skin when held tight against the body.

It was common belief, in those days, a good bleeding would cure almost any ill.  Aunt Neave came in rather handy for preparing the patients for the bleeding, and holding them while it was administered.  The doctor left Aunt Neave all his dental tools, consisting mostly of a pair of forceps, when he was unable to use them anymore.