The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-18

OF IL all and invited me into his study
you must take leave of my wife now,
he said. for you will not see her again to-
day. After getting through with the bills,
she intends to look out the linen and super
intend the silver polishing. She is lost to
all society from now until the festival
begins
ESMARCH'S PERSONALITY.
The professor Is fine loking old gentle
man with sturdy frame, and his CONVEX
sation is intensely interesting.
Next to my family and my clinic, hunt
ing is nearest my heart" he said, exhibit
ing a number of trophies-antlers and
boar's tusks. ct am the regular guest of
| my princely colleague, Duke Charles Theo-
| dore of Bavaria, the great oculist, during
| the shooting season, and to this healthful
exercise L owe. in part, the sound state of
my mind and body. You see. partake of
my own medicine, which is quite a novelty
with physicians, 1 dare say"
/ did not catch the full meaning of his
speech and the professor, noting my per-
plexity, continued II ought to explain the
maxim that has always been uppermost
in my mind since 1 entered upon practicing
medicine. 1t is, Don't impair the vitality,
either of yourself or that OF your patient
II was this idea which led me TO seek
remedy for stopping the frightful waste of
| blood at surgical operations. When / first
| explained my method of bloodless opera
| tions before the medical congress my col
| leagues paid little attention 10 the matter.
| 81 had been foolish enough to deliver my
| lecture Immediately before dinner; l sup
| pose that detracted from its significance
| My hearers were too hungry to be good lis
teners. However a year later my invention
was practiced in all the clinics of Europe
and America Americans, 1 found, are al
ways quickest to invent or adopt new and
practicable methods.
LEARNED FROM AMERICA.
81 have myself profited in a great mea-
sure by studying the American sanitary
system as it developed during the war be-
tween the North and South. Our own trans
| port system of the wounded by railway
and our army barrack hospitals which l
helped to introduce are strictly on the
American plan.'
In the further course of the conversation
the professor gratefully acknowledged the
part his royal wife has taken in his labors
and achievements. Princess Henrietta it
was who caused him to offer his services
| TO aggressive PRUSSIA at the outbreak VI
the war of 1866. when. according to Bis
marck, he saved tons of life blood by his
new method of operation. That she per-
suaded the man she loved to join the Prus-
sian forces is glowing testimony to Hen
rietta's unselfish character, for Prussia was
the implacable enemy of her brother, the
pretender; Prussia placed her royal house
and family on the list of retired sovereigns.
So remarkable was DIR. Esmarchs sue
cess surgeon general during the Prus-
| sian-Austrian war that old King William,
though prejudiced against him on account
of the love Princess Henrietta bore the
| great physician, made him chief of lazaret-
tos in 1S70-1S71. Esmarch did not go alone
| to the field. With staff of trained nurses,
Princess Henrietta accompanied him, and
on the battlefield of Gravelotte their en-
gagement to marry was made.
HIS SAMARITAN SCHOOLS.
| Esmarch was the first German savant
| to popularize surgical knowledge by lee
| turing and writings. Eighteen years ago he
opened in Kiel the first samaritan school
where laymen receive free tuition in the
art of applying preliminary medical and
| surgical aid in cases of accidents and sud-
den illness. Every city and town of the
fatherland now has an institute of that
kind superintendent by local physicians, and
even small villages are provided with a
volunteer ambulance corps, working under
Esmarch's Instructions"
The regulations for the samaritan school
were worked out by Princess Hausfrau
guided by her personal experiences on the
battlefield, and Frau Esmarch remained
head teacher of the Kiel institute during
the first. five years of it's existence. Even
she drives to the ambulance stations
daily and inspects the various depart
ments. and very frequently she comes home
from these visits with. her dress or mantle
spoiled. Such is not a small item in the
professors modest menage, but it cannot
be helped" says his wife; when 1 see a
person, particularly a child, suffering
must run to the rescue. 1t is habit &C.
quired in the lazarettos, where my good
husband taught me all know"
That the Princess Hausfraus noble char
acter was not appreciated by her royal rel
atives Is evident from the fact that 1t took
the King of Prussia fifteen years to formu-
late the decree of nobility finally conferred
upon the simple scientist. who had dared
raise his eyes to one born in the purple
And the decree itself was the meanest
within the Kings gift-a simple won" II
Esmarch had been in the service of the
court as long that of humanity he would
have been made count at least. But, be-
ing a "mere" pathfinder in the realms OF
medicine and a writer, the lowly won
was good enough for him. STILL he would
have got along without it just as well, am
sure.
Among Professor Won Esmarchs various
helpful books ''War of Humanity
Against the Terrors of War" First Aid
on the Battlefield "and Handbook OF
Surgical Technique in War"
my wife acted as my secretary when
indited these volumes" said the professor
land many elevating and useful thoughts
in them emanated from her fertile brain
and. above all. her good heart"
Such royal woman as Henrietta Of
Schleswig- Holstein compels one to think
better Of royalty, after ALL
WERE CAREWE.