Through the generosity of Mrs. Joyce Lundy Rhodes and her brother Dr. Donald R. Lundy, Jr., the Lycoming County Historical Society has received a number of items from the former veterinary office of the senior Dr. Lundy. Until recently, the objects were displayed in a vignette setting at the Sones Farm Museum. They will be reinstalled at the Taber Museum.
Dr. Donald R. Lundy was in active practice from 1936 until 1980. He did maintain an office at 198 North Main Street in Hughesville, but he was often on the road, travelling to the farms that needed his expertise. During his long tenure, he treated hundreds, if not thousands, of farm animals. Cows, sheep, goats and pigs were among his clients. His practice was focused in Lycoming County, but he treated animals in Columbia and Sullivan Counties as well.
The gift includes an extraordinary range of medicine bottles, pills, powders, and balms, supplemented by the many specialized tools, which indicate that the doctor had to be prepared for many different scenarios. These range from dehorning or castration, righting a breach in the birth canal or unfortunately, pulling a dead calf from the birth canal. Smaller implements have also been acquired, such as a small metal device which would fit over a horse’s teeth to prevent the horse from chewing on wooden stanchions. The chewing was known as cribbing.
Born in Warrensville, April 8, 1914, Dr. Lundy was the son of George Russell and Lulu Mae Super Lundy. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in 1936 and spent his first several years of practice in his native Warrensville. He was a life member of the Keystone State Veterinary Association and a past member of the Northern Tier of Veterinarians Association. He married Emily A. Worley and they had two children as mentioned above. Dr. Lundy passed away June 25, 1999 and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Hughesville.
We are grateful for this addition to the Collection.