The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-10-24

The successful surgeon Is not likely
to be fiattered by the offer Of any posi-
ton in the United States army which
can be given to him, yet there are doz-
ems of surgeons among the recent vol
unteers who have gone into the service,
knowing it meant the loss of tive-sixths
of their income during the time they
remained in the army. Such eminent
specialists as DR.. Nicholas Sem, OF Chi
cago, and DR.. John Guiteras, OF Phila-
delphia, are now serving their country
in uniform, with the rank of modest
emoluments of surgical officers. Many
Others of more or less note all over the
country have sacrificed incomes two
or three times as great as they will re-
ceive in the army, and have run the risk
of injury to their practice in order to
serve in the present war. In fact
Uncle Sans surgical service can claim
the highest attainments in several spe-
cial lines likely to prove very i'm
portant in this war.
"The Importance of having the high
est professional skill available in be-
half of the wounded may be judged"
says Surgeon General Sternberg,
from the fact that in the civil war for
every II men killed in battle seven
died OF their wounds or died In hos
pitals,' according to the records. An
tiseptic surgery and skillful opera
tors should make it possible for us to
improve on that record in this war"
Another consideration, aside from
patriotism, that may have had an in
fiuence in bringing some eminent prac-
titioners into the service is the oppor-
tunity for valuable experience. This
may have been OF weight In the case OF
DR.. Senn, who is now in charge OF the
medical department at Camp Thomas.
It is precisely in operations for gun
shot wounds, and especially for those
wounds of the abdomen which were
conceded to be fatal in the war Of
1876, that DR.. Sem has made his
most interesting discoveries. DR..
Sem is one of the most popular sur
geons in Chicago and in Milwaukee,
where he made reputation before his
removal to the western metropolis.
Some of DIR. Senn's friends say that it
is due mainly to his influence that Mrs.
L. z. Letter, of Chicago, has purchased
the Chickamauga Park hotel at Craw-
fish Springs and offered it to the war
department. to be used as general hos
pitai. The gift is to be commemorated
in the name, 'The Letter United States
General Hospital" bestowed on the on
lyinstitution of its kind in the country.
Some magnificent demonstrations,
perhaps discoveries, in the surgery OF
gunshot wounds may be made there, it
is believed, before the close of the war.
It is probable that DIR. Sem received
from his private practice not less than
ten times what his pay in the service
will be. Twenty times might come
nearer to the correct figures. This is
certainly no light sacrifice for q pro
fessional man to make.
DR.. Sem was at one time surgeon
general of the Wisconsin national
guard and while in that position he
conceived the idea of organizing the
Association of Military Surgeons Of
the United States. The society was
formed in 1891, and DR.. Sem became
its president. The association has
been of valuable service in furnishing
men to the government in the present
war and is likely to grow far beyond
its original plans.
The chief surgical officer OF the
United States, Brig. Gen. Sternberg, is
physician of high attainments and an
investigator of originality and daring
in the obscurer germ diseases. DIR.
Sternbfrg's researches in the bac-
teriology OF pneumonia have attracted
great attention in the profession. On
account Of the professional standing
which he has given the army service
many an ambitious young surgeon 10
glad to serve under him, even II he
does have to sacrifice nine-tenths OF
his income for the sake of the country.
Next to the surgeon general comes
in the medical department, the as
sistant surgeon general, who has the
rank and pay of q colonel in the army.
The incumbent Col Greenleaf, is now
with Gen. Miles. The next grade is the
deputy surgeon general, with the rank
of lieutenant colonel. There are ten
deputy surgeon generals in the regular
service, and seven have recently been
appointed in the volunteer service with
the title of chief surgeon" ano the
rank of lieutenant colonel. 1t is to this
grade that DR.. Sem has been ap-
pointed.