The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-05
INDIANA MEDICAL COLLEGE FAC
ULTY's ESTIMATES OF DIR. MARsEE.
Memorial Setting Out Points OF the
Great surgeons Character
and skill.

the community, and even to the most inti-
mate friends of DR.. Marsee, occasioned by
his death. DR.. Brayton said that the nat
urally buoyant manner of DR. Marsee was
such that he rarely made mention of feeling
Ill though he had not been we'll man for
some months past. Perhaps not half
dozen, even, of his intimate friends knew
that he was seriously i'll at the time of his
death.
DR.. Evan Hadley spoke more particularly
IN reference to DR.. Marsee's illness He had
oeen called only four days previous to his
death. DR.. Marsee had long complained of
burning sensation in the stomach and re-
Gently suffered severe attacks of pain, for
the relief Of which medicine was occasionally
necessary. During the early fall he took
a three weeks rest at ST Vincent's Hospi-
tai, being benefited by his sojourn there.
lie did not recover his full strength, how
ever, and was obliged occasionally to miss
lectures Two weeks ago he was again
Obliged to cease work, and remained at his
home from that time until his death. Al
most TO the very last he argued that his
stomach disturbance was functional in char
acter, never seeming to realize that he would
not recover. Three days before his death
local abdominal tenderness developed. his
temperature rose and there were other evil
dences of circumscribed peritonitis. Per-
slstent vomiting set in. his pulse grew weak
ana thready, leading to death from asthenja
Dr. Henry jameson in his remarks said
ne mad had casual conversations with DR.
Marsee during the time the doctor was at
ot. Vlncents Hospital. He was reticent
ABOUT his health. He did not seem to want
10 annoy others concerning his ailment He
TAXED or business matters and college af-
lars, remarking that rest always helped
nun. lie attributed his stomach trouble
originally to an attack of influenza but did
not look upon the case as at all serious He
tSqi a chiefly of the pain. Speaking of
MS acquaintance with DIR. Marsee Dr.
Jameson said that perhaps he had known
nlm Intimately longer than any other mem
oeth on tne 5aculty; They were students to-
set9er at Butler University, again medical
students in New York city, where they We're
Iroommates During all this long period he
mad found DR.. Marsee always the same
loyal in his friendship, sterling in his char,
acter ana with rare moral courage He hal
frank ana sincere way of doing things
sense OF justice in his words and manner
Wnlcn never gave offense, though there
a nng pc diirerences of opinion between him
Dr.: John H Oliver had been intimate with
1t. Marsee for twenty-five years, and had
Those most intimate with Dr. Marsee could
appreciate best his rugged character. his un-
eeTq p H nature and his high attainments.
students were very dear
DR.. w. n. Wishard, in speaking of DR..
Marsee s life, observed that one seldom saw
SO sturdy a character, person so absolutely
honest and unfiinching in carrying out his
convictions as DR.. Marsee. He had rare
gifts as an executive and as a teacher AS
lecturer he spoke with extraordinary clear
ness and force. The shock of his death was
SO sudden that the community can scarcely
his value will be more fully appreciated
Ut r. A Morrison was a student at
Butler College with Dr. Marsee His DEATH
said Dr. Morrison, was to him severe
personal loss, which could not be meas
ured in words. The speaker felt that he
had never had a closer friend. DR.. r c.
Walker had been associated with DIR. Mar
see twenty years a teacher. The occa-
sion was an extremely sad one to him.
eeoliege ne had seen DIR. r. n. Todd. DR..
stevens, DR.. Theophilus Parvin, DR. T. B.
Harvey, DR.. E. S. Elder, and now Dr. Mar
see pass away. DR.. Walker said his old
associate teachers were nearly all gone Dr.
Marsee's death overwhelmed him with sor-
row and reminded him that his own end
DR.. l. c. Cline first became acquainted
with DR.. Marsee in 1872 and since then they
h ma %, psen constant friends Or. Cline said
ne mad been impressed by the faculty Dr.
Marsee had of stimulating others to work
He was power in the college, in the city
and In the State. Dr. Theodore Potter said
that when the college building burned and
DR.. Marsee was not present to bring order
out OF chaos. he felt that he must indeed
years ago, when DR.. Potter first came to the
city They had made frequent excursions
over the state to the meetings of different
county medical societies. DIR. Marsee pref
senting papers of a practical nature in ref
erehce 10 surgery, and DIR. Potter discussing
the subject of bacteriology whiC.j was then
coming into prominence in the field of med
icine. These journeys and the intimate as
ISOLATION with DR.. Marsee had given him
true insight to the nature and character
of this great man. The most striking char
acteristics OF him were his unbounded ge-
nlality and Interchangeable and rugged hon
DR.. o. G. Pfan, in his tribute to DR..
Marsee, said that he first met the surgeon
while he was demonstration of anatomy in
the Medical College of Indiana He was
blunt, honest and practical. Dr. Pfaff mar
rated the incident of a student who was
gingerly dissecting; holding the scalpel and
Iorceps at the ends in order to avoid SOIL
ing his fingers. Dr. Marsee said: Let me
show you how to dissect" Grasping the
students hands he rubbed them vigorously
over the most soiled portion of the subject
and then observed: Now you'll be able to
dissect without any trouble"
Dr. A. &. kimberlin said that Dr. Marsee
was man wholly unselhsh in his opinions,
utterly free from hypocrisy. He would not
screen his most intimate friend if in the
wrong lie was punctiliOuS in requiring the
strictest observance of rules governing any
Institution with which he was connected
DIR. John Sluss remarked that the loss would
be felt intensely by the younger teachers
or the institution. DR.. Marsee was to them
Ike father in his wise counsel Dr. E. f.
I1ouSts sdlu lldt III the death or DIR. MarSee
he had lost an exemplar, q true friend with
great head and true heart. He was a
man of sterling integrity. In DR.. Hodges's
judgment, DR.. Marsee was the greatest
medical man in the State. He did not write
much, but he was thorough.
Drs. jameson, Hadley and Wynn prepared
the following memorial, which was adopted
by the faculty:
'Dr. Marsee was pre-eminent as a sur
geon, master in diagnosis and as an OPP
orator AS chief executive of the college
ne eXacted from every teacher a fun meas
ure of service, gave freely of his own time
and that painstaking attention to details
winch nave told in the rapid and orderly
advancement Of the institution. More con-
sptcuous yet have been his services as a
teacher for twenty-four years He was i'm
the student to earnest endeavor In the
preparation of lectures he was exhaustive
and in their presentation lucid and forceful.
The hundreds of medical students who have
listened to his lectures will bear eloquent
testimony to this fact and mourn with us
his death as a personal loss. AS a man. al
admired his rugged honesty, his tender
tentious but generous henevolence and his
answering devotion to what he considered
duty. As an evidence of his devotion and
keen sense of duty to his family he pur-
sued his professional work when rest would
have been solace and benefit to him in his
falling health. An all-wise Providence has
taken from us a beloved friend and col
league, but the memory of his example Will
remain an everything inspiration TO better
effort
Meetings 20 he Held.
DIR. C. J.. Cline. president of the Marion