James Stone, Wytheville’s longest practicing physician, is hanging up his stethoscope. Over the years, he’s delivered babies and treated everything from sniffles to dangerous infections. Forty-five years ago, Stone had already earned an undergraduate degree from the Virginia Military Institute and graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1968. After finishing his residency at Norfolk General Hospital and completing a stint in the military, he decided to strike out on his own.