Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-05-06

example than any other The physi-
/ cal and mental endurance of Sem in
| his clinics excited the wonder of his
audience The laboratory was an es-
| sential part of his clinic and during
/ my dozen years of attendance, he
| actually made his own diagnosis-de-
pending on no external aid. As a
4 clinical teacher he was assertige,
| positive, forceful, clear, dramatic. He
was master of the clinic data of
each patient. Sem was marvelously
dextrous, especially in plastic sur
gerry It was feast of reason and
/ a flow of soul to observe Sem make
/ diagnosis for an hour and operate
/ in fifteen minutes. AS clinical
teacher Sem was the peer Of peers.
| Sem possessed supreme dignity
in. teaching, ever maintaining an ele-
waited plane of choice vocabulary and
clever classical expression.
! Few physicians could apply anatl
omy with such resourceful aid in
diagnosis. Sem made anatomy alive
with pathogenic factors In b s
clinic the dead skeleton became
resurrected, clothed with fresh life
and glittering views encircled it like
meteors about the sun.
Sem was the most phenomenal
| teacher of any age.
He taught the most magnificent
means known. He was a rival of
! Socrates in methods and surpassed
the great Greek teacher in diplomacy,
He was not only the worlds foremost
surgeon, but its unique teacher, SUI
perb in classic descriptions. He
taught with such force, precision and
enthusiasm that he commanded con-
tinuous attention and no teacher pro
duced more vivid and lasting i'm
pressions.
Senn's lectures in clinical cases
were clear and terse and the dictiOn
was so simple and exact that no re-
vision was required for publication.
He was a supreme educator, al
ways arousing, informing, intoxicating,
inspiring. He founded no personal
or Sem school, like Bilroth, Ian
| genbeck, Hunter. No single one of
his pupils became particularly famous
but Sem aroused a general scientific
spirit, diffuse professional senti-
ment in the medical world. He was
teacher by active deeds and still
his words were words of wisdom.
Sem possessed a striking Socratic
characteristic Of arriving at conclu-
sions, logically, analytically, gradual
ly until the student could maintain
no other conclusion. He was equal
to any Socrates of any age.
In the midst of puzzling, obscure
complications, Senn's remarkable,
profound, intuition grasped the es-
sentials until the diagnosis was
completed. In common parlance in
| diagnosis Sem was good on the
home stretch" His labors in his
clinic appeared so facile, so skillful,
SO frictionless that it was automatic.
! In fact Senn's great clinic was a
demonstration of the view that we
do we'll what we do automatically.
He had prodigious, everlasting
memory and his resources in litera-
ture were unrivaled, marvellous.
Sem was equally at home with
medical or with surgical patients.
Sem possessed a faculty of ex-
preston in describing disease I'M
equaled by any teacher | ever knew.
He used all known philosophy in his
magnificent methods of teaching
inductive, deductive.
Sem was eninently endowed and
phenomenally qualified for public
and arena teaching. He appeared at
his happiest moments when stand.
ing in the arena, surrounded by his
usual 500'' medical audience and ex-
pounding the great principles of med
icine and surgery.
Sem was teacher through all
his life's journey, and his works have
been translated in all civilized
tongues. No one can occupy his
place any more than that of the
greatest of Greek teachers, Socrates.
AS a teacher he was magnnimOus to
/ his students, and his views were in
delibly pressed upon our brains.
The great Socrates drew his pu-
pills the best that was within them
and taught them the basis of obser-
walton.
Sem, the American Socrates, not
only aroused, to the delight of the
student, the knowledge within, but
inspired his pupils and they became
aflame with the hope and ambition.
He instilled in his students the love
of work. He created armies of stu
| dent investigators and from him
spread a diffuse professional senti-
ment that pervaded the medical
world His enthusiasm emanated
from him like spreading wings of
water waves. He has a veritable mu
scum in disseminating knowledge,
and it seemed to be a passionate
delight to unfold it's treasures.
| In teaching Senn's unrivaled, i'm
measurable potential, resources to
meet emergencies and suit occasions
excited the wonder of all observers.
Instantaneously, without apparent
time for reflection, he could concen-
trate on the subject at hand the
F.. literature of the development of a
subject from inception to compile,
ton, citing authors, dates and events
with marvellous accuracy, keen1y mar
ing the validity Of each claim. Such
an arsenal of data and original in
vestigations made him uncomfortable
in debate and unequaled as a teacher
His wonderful scientific attain
ments did not detract from his prac-
! teal usefulness. He was an ex-
allied exponent of surgical science as
we'll as a surgeon Of high order of
practical skill and deXterity.
He knew the authors and liter