Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-09-08
THE MAYO BROTHERS
OF ROCHESTER, MINI.
Have Achieved A Great Reputation
AS Discreet, Successful And
SkiIIfuI Operating Surgeons


Mayo Brothers and Rochester Mime.
sofa, are becoming very familiar, If not
Synonymous terms. This is true not
| only in Minnesota and the adjoining
states, but north, south, east and west
throughout this entire country. And
we are told that even beyond the sea
| they are regarded with high considera-
| ton by surgeons of eminent position.
Because of these things word about
them may not be lacking interest TO
our readers. At an early day their
father who is an English gentleman
and physician came to Rochester, lived
on his farm near town and opened an
office III town for the practice of medi-
cine. 1t was there that the boys, who
are now the famous surgeons, were
born and reared and graduated from the
High School After taking courses in
medicine they commenced practice as
country doctors in their home town.
Having liking for surgery they com.
menced operating in a small way and
10y discretion i'll selecting their patients
and skill in the operating room they
have achieved remarkable success and
gained q wide reputation They are
modest, unassuming gentlemen whom
it is pleasure to meet when their
surgical instruments are not in sight.
DR., Will Mayo is SO years of age and
his brother, Charlie, is four years
younger Their father is still living ut
the age of 90 years He visits the big
building in which the offices are located,
quite often, and looks with pride and
admiration upon what my boys, Will
and Charlie" are doing for the benefit
of the race He still looks after his
farm and not long since was so unfor-
tunate as to have one of his hands am
putated because he got too close to a
corn shredder.
ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL.
The Mayo Brothers offices are i'm the
center of the city. When we arrived at
10 o'clock Monday morning there were
not fewer than one hundred people in
Guiding patients and their friends who
were waiting their turns for examination
or admission to the hospital. Having,
a friend at court our patient was exam
ined the first day, admitted to the
hospital the second day and operated
upon the morning of the third; and the
operation was performed by DR.. Will
Mayo, the elder of the two brothers.
The hospital was erected by the Catholic
church and is under the control of the
Sisters. 1t is an immense building
four stories in height and full block in
length. 1t has pretty and healthful
location at the west end of the city.
There are over two hundred beds, and
about one hundred nurses are employed
to care for the patients. 1t is said to
be crowded most of the time, so that
some patients are compelled to wait two
or three weeks before gaining admission.
To show that the patients come from
far and wide We need only mention
that in the dining room one day where
about twenty people were eating, the
states of New York, Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, Oklahoma Louisiana, Miss
issippi, Minnesota, South Dakota,
Michigan, California, Kentucky and
Iowa were represented. The operating
rooms are on the fourth floor under the
skylight. Operations begin as early as
o'clock in the morning and continue
until 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The
day we were there the brothers occupied
adjoining rooms, and besides them
there were other surgeons performing
their stunts in other rooms. When we
remember that the surgeons are busy
every forenoon for six days in the week
throughout the year and can get some
idea of the number of patients who are
seeking relief at the hands of these
surgeons. Among the examining ply
sicians is a DR.. Plummer who is neph-
ew of Mrs. r. A. Steere of Lincoln
township. Many doctors from the
different states were present to observe
and improve the opportunity tolearn.
The CITY OF ROCHESTER,.
Rochester is beautiful little city. 1t
is located about 40 miles north of the
Iowa line, 80 miles west of Winona and
80 miles southeast of st. Paul. 1t lies
in picturesque valley which is watered
by the Zumbrota river. The streets
are wide and lined on either side by
many thousands of hard maple trees.
The street to the hospital nearly mile
in length is paved with brick. The
population by the last census is not yet
known but will probably not be less
than 5000. The place is reached from
here by running from Manning over the
Great Western to Dodge Center, Mimi
esota and thence east twenty-five miles
over the Northwestern. While we
were there we attended one entertain
ment not down on the books and was
gotten up on the spur of the moment.
At 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon the
fire alarm was given and hundreds of
people gathered to see the Central
school building threatened with entire
destruction. How it caught no one
seemed to know but when first seen it
was coming through the roof where it
started. A lack of pressure during the
first hour prevented the firemen from
working to advantage, but by persistence
| thew saved the first two stories without
damage except by the water. so they
will have eight rooms instead of twelve,
and plenty of insurance to cover all the
loss. The city has just commenced the
erection of a fine new hundred thousand
dollar building for the High School.