The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-04-05
STUDENTS'D UELS
HOW THEY ARE FOUGHT AT THIS
DAY IN GERMANY.
Described by a Surgeon who Helped
to Patch Up the Faces of Particle
pants-Well Protected by Padding
Nerve In the Combat and Under
the Needle.
(From the Utica Daily Press.)

(FrOm the Utica Daily Press.)
DR.. Harry S. X. Shaw. formerly Of the
medical staff at the Utica State hospital,
has been for some time in Germany study
Ing the methods employed in hospitals
there Recently he visited Heidelberg, the
great German university town, from which
place he sent the following interesting let
ter:
"One Of my greatest desires when l
reached Heidelberg was to witness a stu
dent duel and to see if there was any COM
parison with our college sport, the much
mallgned game of foot ball. l began to fear
my curiosity would have to be satisfied with
an incomplete view from the outside. which
is the only way to see the duels unless you
are personally acquainted with member of
a corps OF verbinding. Therefore, when I
was invited by young doctor to accom-
pany him l was more than pleased. To real
ly have my hands in German blood on such
an occasion APPEALED very strongly to me.
After breakfast on the appointed day
carriage drove to the house and the stu
dent who had asked my medical friend to
look after him alighted and invited us to
ride with him. On the way was much
interested watching this student, whose
numerous scars testified he was no novice.
He smoked, chatted and laughed and ap-
peared as happy rs il he were going to play
q game of golf. Our destination was on
tAO oIAeI SIue Oh the Neckar TO an old inn
called 'Hirschagasse. This has been used
many years for the duels and is quite cele-
Drated on that account. We walked through
tne Inn and up some narrow stairs to
1air-sized room with a low ceiling, sup
ported with beams. On one side were sew
eral long tables, covered with swords, jack
cts, pads and the various paraphernalia
peculiar to duels. The other side of the
room was reserved for the surgeons. There
were three windows and before each win
dow was chair placed In the middle of
large zinc tray, filled rather suxgestiyely
WIN saWdust. and on each chair lay rub
Ger apron. These chairs had tables on three
sloes we were almost the first to arrive
ana the doctor, without delay donned
large white apron, and l then assisted him
10 prepare his disinfectants, arrange instru-
mentS, thread needles and place plaster
hgatures. cotton bandages and gauze in con-
7enlent places. Shortly two other surgeons
arrived and made their preparations, SO that
soon the room was strongly suggestive of
surgical clinic. Great formaIity was OBJ
served Dy all the students, and when one
came INTO the room he would gravely bow
TO those present and then go to his particu-
lar friends and bow and shake hands with
each one. but would entirely ignore men of
the other corps. At first [ was rather con.
fused when student came I'D to me. grave
~ bowed and muttered his name, but l soon
discovered it was not a challenge to duel
out a mark of politeness, and 1 in turn
was expected to give my name and return
the bow.
After our surgical preliminaries were
completed l Wandered into the large adj
joining room. 1t was about the size of
a small hall and was we'll lighted by manv
windows. 1T was decorated with strings
OF evergreen, which must have been there
Tor years, and corps banners, caps and
colors, which decorated the walls and gave
the room rather an attractive appearance
a row OF tables extended down both sides
and across one end where there was also
cafe bar arrangement with sandwiches
and beer and wine for sale. Near this
stood one of the German monument like
stoves, and alongside was a leather lounge
At the other end Of the room was large
space thickly covered, with sawdust This
was the arena. Returning to the ante room
] found that many students had arrived
and that in different parts Of the room two
sturents were stripping for the fray, sur
rounded by, enthusiastic friends
The process of armament is about as fol-
lows They first strip to the waist and
put On white linen jacket. A pad is
then strapped over the abdomen and an
reach from the neck to about four inches
down the arm and cover also a portion of
the chest are strapped over both shoulders
The right fighting arm is the one ex-
posed and is very well protected. thick
and very heavy muff pad is slipped on
which reaches from the shoulder to the
wrist. With this on it is impossible to
bend the arm, and from this time on it
Is supported in a horizontal position by
some friend thick padded bandage is
wrapped around the wrist several times and
light glove put on the hand, which is pro-
tected by the large hilt of the sword A
think canvas apron is fastened on, which
covers the front of the body and extends
strapped. All these aprons were thickly
down the leg to the knee, where it is
w hn eynr 0f
gave the young hero a ferocious appearance
A large gauntlet glove is put on the left
hand which covers the arm almost to the
shoulder and the hand is fastened behind the
back. Then a thick bandage is wound sew
eral times around the neck which must
restrict all head motion and be very hot
and uncomfortable. pair of large metal
goggles completes the outfit. These are
kept in place by means of a strap which
binds down the ears tight.
The finishing touch was to fill the space
between the goggles and forehead with
grease to prevent any blood from trickling
down into the eyes. The seconds are also
protected but not to so great an extent. They
wear goggles, gauntlets and the neck ban
dage. They also wear a cap with a long
leather visor attachment, which covers the
exposed side of the face.
when all was ready the combatants
walked out into the other room with their
right arms extended and supported. With
great SOleuluity anu WIN an entire alb
sence OF any cheering or demonstration by
the friends the duelists took their posi-
lions. referee stands about fifteen feet
away and each contestant is attended by
a couple of his friends, his doctor and mis-
seconds By this time all the students
were grouped around, smoking and supping
wine, and some stood on chairs and even
on tables. Everything is now ready and
there is an awful stiffness. With the great
est formality each second introduces his
principal to the referee, who return a stiff
bow. Then the seconds in return remove
their hats, step forward and reclte little
piece. to which the referee respOn Is. The
seconds then measure a swords distance
between the chests of the men, who now
have their swords and whose arms are
uplifted. When this done the referee gives
the word and the fight begins and one
hears the sharp clash of the swords. The
swords are about three feet long and
seemed to me to be rather heavy. One
edge is sharp the entire distance ard the
other only six or eight inches from the end
The point is not sharpened but is quite
broad. During the duel the contestants do
not move from their first positions The
arms are in vertical position and are not
moved. All the sword play is due to the
wrist motion alone. I was disappointed not
to see the graceful movements one expects
In fencing. But this is not fencing. The
duel must not last longer than fifteen
minutes, but all time is taken out as we
do in football, so that they may last over