The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
DR.. j. w. MARSEE IS DEAD
PROBABLY THE BES7-KNOWN GEN.
ERAL SURGEON IN INDIANA.
Few Knew OF His Serious Illness
Dean OF Medical College
of Indiana.

DR.. Joseph w. Marsee, probably the best
known general surgeon in Indiana, died last
night about $50 o'clock at his home No.
7OS North New Jersey street. Few of his
friends even knew of his illness, and those
who were acquainted with the fact that he
was confined to his home had little fear of
serious turn. The ultimate cause of his
death was peritonitis of about three days
duration, this having been brought on by a
long-standing gastric trouble, which may
have become malignant. DR.. Evan Hadley
was his attending physician, and was with
him when he died. During the last half
hour of his life DR.. Marsee was partially
conscious. The last surgical operation he
performed was On railroad brakeman who
was knocked from a train near Brightwood
several weeks ago. Since then DR.. Marsee
had been confined to the house. The news
Of his sudden collapse was spread generally
among the physicians Of the city last night,
and there was universal regret among
them. The faculty of the Indiana Medical
College, of which he had been dean since
1894, having succeeded the late DIR. E. S.
Elder, will meet at 10 o'clock this morning
at the college quarters to take proper ac-
ton.
DR.. Marsee was born in this city fifty
years ago, his childhood being passed in
the old Marsee homestead on South street.
In 1868 he was graduated from Butler Col
lege, in the same class with Granville S.
Wright, Alexander c. Ayres, Scot Butler
and tho late Mrs. Chauncey Butler. Three
years later he was graduated from the Col
lege of Physicians and Surgeons of New
York, returning to Indianapolis to become
superintendent of the City Hospital, to
coed Dr. Evan Hadley, the physician who
attended him in his last illness. In 1871
Butler College conferred the degree of mas
ter of arts upon DR.. Marsee In 1878 he be-
came member of the Marion County Med
ical Society. He married Miss Flora Davis,
an old schoolmate, and to them were born
five children two of whom are living-Mary,
aged eighteen, and Noble, aged thirteen. A
brother, John Marsee, and two sisters are
also surviving. DR.. Marsees father was
well-known pioneer preacher. DR.. Marsee
was surgeon for the Big -Four Railway sys-
tenn centering in this city.
DR.. A. w. Brayton, vice dean of the Indi-
ana Medical College, and who has been
ISOLATED with DR.. Marsee in college work
for the last eighteen years, gives the esti-
mate Of DR.. Marsee which follows:
DR.. Marsee was the supreme surgeon of
Indiana He had clear perception of sur
gical principles, and was a luminous eX-
positor, both pathological and practical, of
both the art and science of surgery. He
was conspicuous for the correctness of his
diagnosis, originality and ingenuity in me-
chanical devices and admirable excellence in
He had also more than mere surgical in
sight and manual deXterity; he had a genial
and sympathizing love for both his patients
and worthy students. His truthfulness was
transparent; he had an exalted sense of
honor as to the scientific and the profess
sional aspects of his work. DR.. Marsee was
a great teacher. He was demonstration Of
anatomy five nights In the week. and five
months in the year, il the dissecting rooms
of the Indiana Medical College, for seven
years. Over one thousand of the twelve
hundred graduates of the college have re-
ceived instruction from him in either anat-
seven years he carried, condensed, Gray's
Anatomy, about Testament size, in his hip
pocket, and read 1t at odd moments, even
IN proSy church sermons, for in early life he
took an active part in church and Sunday
school work.
He was a lover of short stories of which
he had a large collection; an admirer of
DR.. Conan Doyle, whom he met when he
lectured in Indianapolis. He also read the
and Scott. He was fond of music and the
drama; his recreation of late years was III
the theater He was elected member OF
the Indianapolis Literary Club several years
ago. but declined the membership because
of the press of his work and his disinclina-
treatise and but few papers before the
county or state society One of these pa
pers was a mastery and practical essay on
the Common Injuries of the Hand, be-
fore hundred physicians Of the city, based
upon his large experience of railway in
jurieS; another on Fracture of the Femur,
read before the state society in 1854 DIR.
Marsee did not need to write; his converse
ton on surgical subjects was clear, lucid
and voluminOus; he was an expert as a wit
ness, and excelled in addresses to local coun-
ty and railroad society meetings, llluStrat-
ing his work by lantern slides, which ne
photographed himself. He was a wizard in
the use of plaster of paris dressings; he
made for years his own braces ana trusseS;
he devised many surgical appliances. lie
covered every field of surgery-popularlzed
skin grating and plastic surgery. he re-
moved tumors and did laparOtomies and
hernia operations, but his great work was
in the surgery of the bones and jointS-gen-
eral and orthOpedic surgery.
AS A RAILWAY SURGEON.
Railroad men liked to say that he was
rough" this was only because he was d.
rect and immediate in his work, but in the
treatment of children and women his touch
was infinitely gentle and tender, as hum
dreds of families in this city know by ex-
perience.
AS an organizer and executive officer DR..
Marsee had no superior; he was dean of
the college Qn which he was for twenty
four years teacher) the last five years,
body than the thirty or forty teachers VINO
worked under him and with him. He taught
on an average seven to ten hours week
in the college and in the clinical theaters or
the City Hospital and of st. Vincents In
Urinary. He was the surgical mainstay of
st. Vincent'S; its amphitneater was DullL
for him; there he did his last operation,
less than three weeks ago, and his photo