Scotland resident to speak at ancestor's apothecary

The great-great-granddaughter of a 19th century Athens area physician will be a guest lecturer Saturday at the Durham Apothecary & Museum in Maxeys.

The event is from 10 a.m. to noon at the museum on North Main Street in the Oglethorpe County town.

Ruthie Cadell, who is living in Scotland and studying herbal medicine at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London, will visit the museum where her ancestor, Dr. William Meigs Durham, once practiced.

Cadell is the daughter of Dr. Hal Herbert, a dentist in Florence, S.C., said Dennis Short, who with his wife, Faye, own and restored the historic building.

Cadell is coming back to the United States for vacation and has scheduled the visit to Maxeys, he said.

"Ruthie Cadell feels so honored to speak in the building where her great-great grandfather practiced medicine over 150 years ago. This year marks 100 years since the death of Dr. William Meigs Durham in 1919," Faye Short said.

According to a history of the museum, Dr. Durham came to Maxeys after the Civil War where he served in the 42nd Georgia Regiment. He practiced eight years in Maxeys, then moved his office to Atlanta, where he became a professor of surgery at the Eclectic Medical College for 20 years.

People are asked to save a space at the lecture by e-mailing lfayes@windstream.net.