The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-12-16
DUKE AS A SURGEON,
Remarkable Philanthropic and Sci.
entiic Work of Bayaria's
Charles Theodore.

The sixtieth anniversary of a very
notable man was recently celebrated
in Germany. 1t is that of Duke
/ Charles Theodore of Bavaria, who has
acquired high distinction by his work
as a philanthropist and his skill as q
surgeon. For many years he has been
treating persons afflicted with dis
eases of the eyes, and he has up to
date performed operations on 5000
persons suffering from ~cataracts.
The removal of c~ataracts is indeed the
work to which he now devotes his en-
tire time.
At first he declined to accept any
fees from " patients. Physicians
throughout the country, however, see
ing that he had practically a monop-
oily as regards the removal of cata-
racts, addressed a petition to him
some time ago in which they request
ed him to charge the customary fee,
onthe ground that otherwise he would
be doing an unintentional injustice to
other physicians, and the duke at
C promised to comply with their
|. request.
He planned, therefore, to charge his,
wealthy patients a good round sum
and to spend the money, when it
reached him, in establishing three
hospitals, where the poor afflicted with
eye diseases could be treated, one in
Munich, another in Moran and a third
in Tegernsee. AS the money, how
ever, did not come in as quickly as he
expected, he began to build the hos
pitfalls at his WI expense, and the cost
of maintenance to-day comes almost
wholly out of his own pocket. This
amounts to about $4,000 n year OF
his many wealthy patients few pay
him for his services, and they know
well that he will never press for pay
ment.
Such ingratitude would deter many
men from continuing in their philan-
thropic work. but the duke is not Ia
boring in order to earn gratitude or
money. As n matter of fact, he and
his family, in order to maintain the
hospitals. have been obliged to re-
duce their living expenses almost to
a minimum. Like most Germans, the
duke loves 4 good horse. but to-day al
most all the stalls in his stable ar,
empty. His wife. who was Princess De
Braganza, and his children have also
given up many Injuries in order to
be able to continue the good work.
About 80 patients visit the duke
daily, and from hardly one of them
does he receive a fee. If he is very |
busy his daughters, Elizabeth and
Mary, receive the patients as they ar
rive and give them any immediate re.
lief that may be necessary. That they
are competent to do so will be clear !
from the fact that they have both
studied medicine and have given great
attention to their fathers work.
The Tegernsee hospital occupies an
entire wing of the castle in which the
duke and his family reside. Poor pa
tients on their arrival receive at once
n hearty meal and a bath. Then the
young ladies examine them and report
to their father in regard to the condi-
ton of each.
If there is al imperative necessity
Incorporation is performed without de-
lay, but otherwise not for several
days. or until the patient has regained
strength by Il comfortable rest at the
hospital. During these days of rest
the patients receive the best possible
food and care, so that, as has been well
said. the duke does not only keep a
free hOSDital Int also n free reSt,u.
rant and n free home.-N. Y. Herald.