Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-13

the societe des Gems de Lettres. Special
corresporden, Of the EvENiNo LEbdER
IN France
PARIS, March rs.
AT RARE intervals one comes In contact
n with an Intensely noble and radlating
personality, receiving as through mental
savanic battery an impression sinking
deep into the soul. Such was my privilege
in spending five hours In company with
Professor Pozzl, the most eminent surgeon
in France. amid his active professional
work.
Doctor Pozzi's list of personal and pro-
fessional honors embraces dlgnities con-
ferred by every Power in Europe. Yet he
wears only three, the star of grand officer
OF the Legion Of Honor, the ribbon of tina
Volunteers in the Franco -Prussian War Of
1870 and the cross of the Belgian Order
of Leopold. lie is. among other things
a world master in genealogical surgery, an
Acadamican, president of the Academy of
| Medicine, principal physician attached TO
the French army as volunteer for the
duration of the war with the grade of
lieutenant colonel, the highest attalnable by
a civilian, and surgeon-in-chief at the
Hopital Miltalre du Pantheon, the Hopital
Broca and several other hospitals in Paris
But greater than all these things is the
man himself, distinguished in personal
charm and kindness of heart among the
many distinguished men It has been my
opportunity TO interview since l have been
in France
OF remote Italian origin, as his name In
dcates, Doctor Pozzi is French in blood
and birth through line extending back
over two centuries In age he is perhaps
sixty-ive, but with the steady hand, physi-
cal vigor and erect stature common to men
twenty years younger lie had granted me
an appointment for an early hour in the
morning at his residence in the Avenue
d1ena veritable museum of art. As the
great surgeon, in the uniform of his army
grade, came forward he said:
Painted by Sargent
Il give you greeting, monsieur. / am al,
ways pleased to meet n man from the
United States, where | have many friends
and whence have retained agreeable
memories of my several visits. Will you
make yourself at home for few minutes
while | go over my mail with my secre-
tary? You will find a few objects of in
terest. among them my lfe-siZe portrait of
your great Sargent He has told me ii Is
his chef dseuvre."
For the twenty minutes I was thus per-
mtted to wander alone within a veritable
palace of art | gave but n glance at ancient
tapestry and carving, a superb collection
Of Pisano's MEDALS and signets of the
Renaissance. a ffteenth-century marble OF
st. Sebastian and paintings by Renoire
Carriarp nd Rnrf nf n
too little time before Sargent's masterpiece
a standing black haired black bearded man
OF thirty-five in scarlet dressing robe, with
the most delicately painted hands ! ever
saw upon canvas. | was still before il when
Doctor Pozz re-entered to escort me to his
automobile, in which we started for the
Hopital Militaire du Pantheon, a vast and
ancient Jesuit college in the old Paris of
quaint and narrow streets. now transformed
into modern hospital containing several
hundred wounded soldiers of France.
There, my lay quality concealed under the
traditional white robe of the surgeon. ! ac-
companied my eminent escort and the house
staff upon round of the wards.
II visit ces braves daily, monsieur: all
of them. 1t is so little to do, and they
have given so much for France"
was permitted to shake the hand of
Captain -, of the --th Chasseurs
who had lain twenty hours grievously hurt
---, to reach finally his present haven
with deeply infected wounds.
"He was almost corpse, this brave
captain, monsieur, a man of valor whose
life II has been my great joy to save"
said Doctor PozZi in presenting me-
And in the next ward l saw the poilu
-, whose life has been snatched from
the Reaper for a little, it's feeble fire
destined to die out as a candle dies, slowly
and surely. There was a smile upon his
face and a look of great gratitude in his
eyes
THE most cheerful man in our care
one regret, that he cannot drive his cows
home in the evening. We hope he will be
able to after a while"
As we went out into the corridor the
surgeon said: "Ce brave garcon! He will
never leave his bed with breath in his poor
mutilated body" AS he spoke there was
glisten in the eye and a great tenderness
In the voice. and as | sensed and saw it "A
lump rose in my throat as / felt the holy
beauty of devotion and sacrifice ! have
witnessed so often in France.
Record Breaking Operations
As l passed from ward to ward and
saw convalescent men of twenty-five and
forty-two there was for each and all the
word of cheer, the gentle tap upon the
shoulder, the kindly affectionate greeting
from the great surgeon. talked with a
youth of twenty. whose skull has been tre-
panned In greater size than ever before
Known in surgical record.
1t was very successful" said Doctor
Pozzi, "a brave young life saved There il
JOY in that, a supreme satisfaction in
wrestling with death and throwing him