Dr. Joshua Marks

Dr. Joshua Marks, one of the prominent citizens of Ventura County, was born in Richmond, Virginia, July 12, 1816. His father, Mordecai Marks, was a native of Prussia, came to the United States when a youth, was reared in Virginia, and was a merchant there for many years. The Doctor's mother, nee Esther Raphael, was a daughter of Solomon Raphael, a tobacconist, and a descendant of the great painter Raphael. Her maternal ancestors were settlers of Pennsylvania, her great-grandfather, Solomon Jacobs, and her grandmother, Marion Jacobs, having come to this country with William Penn and settled in Philadelphia. Solomon Raphael, one member of the family, was appointed by the Masonic Grand Lodge of  Virginia as one of the gentlemen to receive General La Fayette on his visit to this country.

    At the age of eight years the subject of this sketch left Virginia, and was educated in New York city, at the college of Baldwin & Forest, on Warren Street, and at the Medical College of New Orleans, graduating at the latter place in 1847. He was appointed by Major Chepin of the Commissary Department of the United States army, as Assistant Surgeon under Doctor McFale, and was in Mexico during its occupation by the American army. He began the practice of his profession in Matamoros. During his stay in Mexico, the Asiatic cholera made its appearance there, in 1849, and was most malignant and deadly. The Governor of the country advised him to follow the disease, and gave him letters of introduction to the most prominent people and also to the Governor of Durango, stating how successfully he had treated the cholera, first at Saltillo and various other places, after which he went to the city of Mexico, and was given a part of the city to attend during the prevalence of cholera. He was examined by a medical faculty of Zacatecas, and received a license, in accordance with the law. His reputation in the treatment of the disease became such that he was paid $800 for twenty days' service, and $4,000 for 4,000 doses of his medicine with directions for use. A Gentleman, acting as his agent, sold $1,000 worth of the medicine at one time. He had six assistants giving the medicine under his direction, and so astonishing was its success that, by actual count, of 600 who received it only five deaths occurred. Some of this number took the medicine in the first stages of the disease. After this Doctor Marks was appointed surgeon on the steamship Independence on the Nicaragua route from San Francisco, and after making several trips both he and the Captain left the ship because they did not consider her seaworthy.

    The Doctor remained in California, and was elected County Physician of Mariposa County, and also held the same position in Placer County. He built the County Hospital and sold it to the city, and was County Physician and had full charge of the indigent sick in Stanislaus County. After leaving that place he went to San Francisco, where he practiced his profession for a number of years, and was a member of the Medical Society there. In 1861 he was appointed by Governor Downey, State Vaccine Agent. He is now a practicing physician of Ventura County and has charge of the County Hospital of Ventura. His long experience and special qualifications fit him to perform the duties of this office with both credit to himself and the county.

    The Doctor was married, in 1853, to Miss Catharine Curtis, in Sacramento. They have two sons: Joseph Edward, born in El Dorado county, May 20, 1855, now a lawyer of Santa Cruz; and Ide, also born in El Dorado County, February 18, 1857, is assisting his father in the hospital. Mrs. Marks arrived in California in 1847, and was elected an honorary member of the Pioneers' Society of California.

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