Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-29
FORMER BURLINGTON
BOY NOTED SURGEON
Dr. John Nj. Wheeler Performs
Skilful Operation on Sergeant
Edward e. Sheehan of This
City-WOunded In the Ar
gonne Drive

eerEeant Edward 10. Sheehan. known
}etter In Burlington, probably. as Earl
oheehan, son Of Mr.. and Mrs. p. E.
6heehan Of Park street. whose right eve
WAS shot away by the rifle fire of Ger
|h,an sniper In tho Arsonne Forest while
aheehan was leading II platoon OK his
Aaeh toward q German machine gun nest,
Mas returned to this city after spending
home time at tho government hospital
BIT Fort MeIIenry In Baltimore. Nd.
When Sergeant Sheehan returned to the
.f}nited States early this year after SPEND
Ing several months tn Frtnoh hos
|pital, his right eye was entirely gone
|hnd the right aide Of his face heavily
pcarred, To-day, under skilful treatment
md after several delicate operations In
'iiin and bone grating by Captain John
In, Wheeler, u q, medical corps, doctor
In charge of epthalmeiegy at the Fort
ldoMenry hespital, graduate OF tne
university of Vermont medical college
lind son of the late Ii, q, Wheeler, for
|po many years superintendent OF seheols
| Ia this city, Sergeant Hheehan's face Is
we'll on the way to be restored To It's
thermal appearance Dir, Wheeler, vine ID
|panaidered one of the most skiit,l eye
doctors ana plastic surgeons in the phitea
Htates, with a large force ct DOCTORS
under his supervision at the bait'mefe
hospital, has built un the hanes areuHd
the eyebail with hene and carthage taken
from ene Of the ribs in young sheehaH's
body, An eyelid has been mauided rem
HhiR taken fran the young mans thigh,
In another week or SO, when serHeaHt
sheehen returns to Fort McHeHry, Cap:
tain Wheeler viii sew in an artificial
syebal, When the surgery is finished the
daeteFs at the hospital state that there
will be no peFseptibie difference between
eeFseast sheehan's right and left eyes,
RefeFe the war, Sergeant sheehaR was
ef,piayed in this city, where he has lived
hil his life, "ayer there' he was attached
to the oath infantry of the Fourth nivi-
Hien, He went Through the famous st
Mihlei dsiya, and that af the Vesia river
without a scratch, although his regiment
was In the thiek Of the fighting. In the
AFseHHe in Heptemher he was 6TdsEeo
to advance with his PiataaR Ia take
German machine gun nest which nae
been causing a great deal of trouble. Al
was his custom, Sergeant 6heehaa wa
at tho head Of his men, headed straight
for q clump Of bushes where the Ger
mans were located. AS they neared the
Hun retreat Sheehan's corporal notice.
the head and shoulders Of German
yniper and shouted warning, just toe
late, however, to save the young leader
Sergeant Sheehan, after his operations
at Fort McHenry, will enter a technica
school this fail. 1t is probable that h,
viii be a student at he Massachusetts
Institute Of Technology.
Captain John NJ. Wheeler. who has per
formed the various operations OF
Sheehan. is to-day one of the creates
eye surgeons in the country. Before tn
war he had offices at 50 West 10th street
New York city. After being graduates
from the University of Vermont he lee
tWed at that institution for a time an
then, was associated with the Eye an
Ear Inhrmary in New York city. Late
he established the eye department a
Bellevue, one Of the largest of the metro
politan hospitals. Before going to For
McHenry, DR.. Wheeler was at the ner
training camp at Mineola. L. l., wher
he had charge Of the eye test for avia
tors. When the wounded veterans boga
to arrive in this country the army au
fhorities were Of the opinion that tn
captains services would be needed NOR
at Fort McHenry. There he was 500
placed in command Of the eye depart
bnent with a force under his supervisio
consisting Of some Of the most famou
Dungeons in the United States. Thousand
Of patients have been treated by ID
Wheeler, in one Of his average days tn
number Of disabled veterans under HI
care amounting to 1872.
Captain Wheeler married Miss JUL
Smith. only daughter Of Mr.. and Mr.
c. p. Smith Of this city. Mrs. Wheelt
Ind their three children are at preser
/ 1t the Wheeler home in New York city.