The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-11-03

They Do Many Operations in Wis.
consin for Big Money.
DIR. SEM AS A COUNTRY DOCTOR.

"A IA l.
Reforming the Bookkeeping OF the State
-Scofield Visits the AsylunlS, Etc.
Skim Milk, Lake Shipping and Other
Topics.
Madison, Wis, Oct. 31.-If you want
a Chicago surgeon to come to Wiscon-
sin to perform an operation, the
chanches are you telegraph for one OF
four-NichOlas Sem, the great Swiss;
Fenger, the German student; Ochsner,
the SWede; or Beyan. There are 9th
ers, Of course. The murphy button"
was invented by the Surgeon Murphy.
1t is a nickle device with which the
intestine is joined where q segment is
taken out. The two ends are gathered
over the button; the necessary in11am-
nation is external, and when the heal
ing process is completed the olsen
gagged button passes down and out the
highway of which it was a life-saving
link; wonderful!
Began in a Wisconsin Town.
Nicholas Sem is the best known OF
ChicagO's great surgeons. His rise was
as much due to inherent force as Lin
coins Sem was born abroad, Of I'M
pretentious stock. His preliminary
training was not equal to the high
school stage, and he haG. two courses
in Rush Medical school. 1t does not
appear that be attracted attention
there. He started practice in a little
village near Fond du Lac, @ wee place,
SO small that nothing but great merit
could extract q man from it.
DR.. Whiting, the veteran of James
vile, makes q good story Of the first
time he saw the young man. Of course,
it was many years ago. The Medical
association was holding q meeting at
Sheboygan. Whiting noticed on the
programme a paper by IN. Semi on
Necrosis" When his time came the
young doctor with much deliberatiOn
arranged a series Of charts in front Of
his audience and spread number of
trays bearing specimens Of bone, dis
eased in different stages. He was
short man, spoke with q good deal Of
possession, and touch Of foreign ac-
cent. 1t was a most thorough. sci
entific discussion Of the subject, and
Dr.. Whiting was amazed. He asked
who the young man was. No one
seemed to know IN. Semi"
Finally DR.. Billy Fox, the lament
ed and lovable, told Whiting, why,
yes, / know Sem; I'll introduce you.
A bright fellow"
DR.. Whiting expressed his delight
and amazement. He told Sem it was
the most scientific discussion he ever
heard at association meetings. The
young country physician blushed like
a girl when a great future was pre-
dicted for him. But the prediction
proved true.
Hard Work-The Old Story.
DR.. Sem later went to Milwaukee,
then to Chicago. His distinguishing
mark is hard work and his intellectual
capacity is tremendous. His writings
are standard, his work on General
Surgery" being used in the medical
schools. Recently he took rest trip
to Hawaii, but one Of the fruits was a
work on some surgical aspect Of the
late war DR.. Sem is a vain man,
like many successful men; and is cred
tied with being arbitrary, but this,
too, is a trait Of men who know better
how to do things than those about
them. He is charged by some with be-
fling of envy.
There is touch of human nature in
the fact that he is not often sum-
moned to Milwaukee, his old home.
Probably the notable surgeons think
they might have gone to Chicago and
made the fame. But when a son OF
daughter of fashion and wealth calls
for the best skill at any cost, even
toll nh c.
short, stout man takes his little bag
of cleaning steel and hurries, some
times by special train, to the city
where he won his spurs.
Niceness of Touch Only Part of 1t.
DR.. Fenger is a thorough German
brusque, speaking little English; slow
and painstaking; kindly at heart, and
his knowledge is probably beyond DR..
Senn's. The popular idea that deli
cacy of touch is criterion of surgery
is in error. The doctors have a say
ing that anyone can cut" It is the
knowing when to cut, where, what to
do if complications appear with the
tissues laid back and the patient in
peril with every inhalation of the
chlOrofOrm.
Cutting for Sweet LIES Sake.
1t is SalQ TO De 'Deautlful Slgnt,
scientifically speaking, to see one of
these masters operate. The nurses
and local doctors make ready. The
master is cool and collected His
coat is laid aside. His hands are
plunged into the antiseptic wash. And
then deftly, skillfully, quickly, the dis
eased part ferreted out with precision.
DR.. Ochsner of Augustine hospital
performed thirty-four operations for
appendicitis last month-four in one
day. Of the thirty-four he lost one.
For these important operations at a
distance the fee ranges from 5000 and
$500 to $1,000 and more. With the
case on the clinic table before them
even the appendicitis operation is done
for $50. But the rule is, as railroad
men say, Charge what the traffic will
bear" Only the well-to-do may have
a Chicago specialist though an occa-
sional pretty story, such as is record
ed on "Bonny Brier Bush of the
worlds best skill free to poverty is