The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-16
HAD HARD WORK.
Doctors in Early Days If
Southern Minnesota.


Interesting Papers Read at the Re-
cent Meeting Of the Medi-
cal Society.
The following were among the
biographies presented by DR.: J: w: B:
Welcome, ST., = of Sleepy Bye, al the
meeting Of the Minnesota Valley Med
ical society last week:
DIR. George Winch, Blue Earth City.
The Doctor came from Wisconsin
to Blue Earth City, Mimi, about 1867
He was q graduate of Rush Medical
college, the year I do not remember.
He was a surgeon in q Wisconsin
regiment in the war of the rebellion.
After he located at Blue Earth City
he enjoyed a very large practice all
over southern Minnesota, and north
western Iowa, for twelve years, when
he died. He was about thirty years
of age at the time of his death, which
was great calamity. He was very
good surgeon, and an excellent physi-
clan, very energetic and Jealous. He
was the leading surgeon in an area OF
| fifty miles at the time of his death.
Very little is known in the Minnesota
valley of his education or family his
tory. He was very popular with all
the physicians in the state of Mime
sofa with whom he became acquaint-
ed. His opinion seemed to be author
| ity with them. His personality had a
| peculiar charm to all who came in
touch with him. His counsel was
sought by all the physicians in Mime
\ sofa Valley in difficult cases when it
could be obtained. He had an iron
constitution, and lived large part of
his life travelling to and from his
patients and at their bedside. He
kept from six to eight horses and a
driver and has ridden thousands of
miles while asleep in a carriage built
for his use. At the time of the great
| blizzard in the winter of 1868 he was
called to Chain Lakes, Martin county,
to attend sleigh load of young people
| who had been caught in the storm on
their way home from singing school,
| thirteen or fourteen in number, of
which four or FIVE were frozen to
death, and amputated some six or
seven limbs for the survivors of that
sleighload. He gave the sufferers fifty
dollars in money and returned to
Blue Earth the same day, and raised
two or three hundred dollars among
| the people and sent it at once to the
sufferers. Those who had their limbs
amputated all recovereds The doctor
| was a generous. whole-souled fellow.
He stood six feet two inches in his
stockings, we'll developed every way,
man of great strength and endur-
ance. He was man ready for any
emergency in his practice as the fol-
lowing circumstance will show:
One stormy winter night when far
in the country away from any assis-
tahoe, or opportunity to obtain assis-
lance, he was obliged to perform a
craniotomy to save mothers life.
Having no instruments with him he
discovered hanging in one corner Of
| the little house where he was pair
of sheepshears With these he success
fully performed craniotomy.
| The writer was well acquainted
with DR.. Winch in his early practice
! in the valley and frequently called
him as counsel and always found him
a gentleman, honorable and interest
ling. | visited him two weeks before
| his death and found him very much
oyerworked. He told me that he was
going to take vacation for couple
of weeks and come up to see me and
some friends he had at Fort Ridgely.
His exposure and hardships was the
cause of his premature death. He
lives in the hearts of the old settlers
among whom he spent the best years
of his life. He left good fortune to
his heirs, that he had accumulated by
his professional work. HE had never
married. ---i...
DR.. Carl Weschcke of New Ulm.
Weschcke's biography as given to
me- He was born in the province
Saxony. Germany, 1881. His educa-
tional career began at home at the age
| of five, finishing the elementary course
Lat the age of Is. He now entered the
gymnasium at Nordhausen, eight
years graduated him from this insti-
tuition. He then launched upon his
medical course at the University OF
Berlin, where he spent Is months and
next pursued his studies at the uni
versity of Griefswold for two and one
half years, graduating there in the
spring of 1856 Upon leaving the uni
versity he served as assistant surgeon
to the 32nG infantry regulars for one
year. Then followed two years OF
private practice. America appearing
to the youn doctor as fair field OF
promise, he babe farewell to his native
land in 1860 and came to New Ulm,
MINI. and commenced the practice
of medicine. The town then contain
ed about 500 inhabitants. He was the
only physician there up to 1867. In
August, 1862 came the horrors of the
Sioux Indian massacre. Those never
to- be forgotten six days Of battle
acquainted the doctor with the hard
ships and heroism of frontier life.
During these six days of war DR.
Weschcke made himself useful by car
ing for the sick and wounded. The
horrors of this scene has been publish
ed to the civilized world. From 1885,
to 1868 he served as assistant surgeon
in the U. S. army, caring for the sicE
among the soldiers stationed at New
Ulm and outposts to protect the set
tiers against the Indians. In 1868 tn,
doctor left for San Francisco, returning
in October the same year. During hi
absence in California he contracted
intermittiant fever, which compelled
him to relinquish the glorious pros
poets in California. He again resum
ed his practice in New Ulm. He ais
> bought a drug store, first opened il
1855 and continued in the less arduou
labor of druggist until 1899. continu
ing the practice of medicine anon!
his friends for short time only.
In 1881 cyclone struck New UIm
D demolishing his drug building and en-
failing great financial loss. In 100
the Pharmaceutical association electet
: hi, M hnnnroru liEo rmnmhor tho Doc