The Republican journal., 1920-04-29
LEONARD WOOD
AS PHYSICIAN
Looked Upon as an Especially
SkillfuI Diagnostician and
Surgeon.

General Leonard Wood was trained
for the profession of medicine and
surgery, and practced steadily for
about fourteen years-that is, from
1854, when he graduated from Har-
ward, till 1898, when he received his
commission as colonel Of the Rough
Riders For thirteen years he served
as assistant surgeon and post surgeon
in the army, part of this time being
stationed at Washington, D. C.
Woods skill as a physician and sur
geon is best known among the army
officers at the posts where he served
1t testifies to his proficiency that he
was family physician to both Presi-
dents Cleveland and Mckinley. The
Iatters wife was an invalid and re-
quired and received the best care
which the country could afford. Gen
eral Wood was asked once if he had
specialized in any branch of his pro-
feSSion.
"Specialized J" he exclaimed. "a
post surgeon can't specialize. You've
got to be able to treat all sorts of
cases from fracture to collie You have
to look after the injuries and sick
neSSeS of the officers and enlisted men
and diphtheria and whooping cough
of the officers babies"
General Wood admitted, however,
that he had been more interested in
surgery than any other branch of med
ical science and would probably have
entered that field if he had continued
with his profession.
An army officer who served for
long time with General Wood while
the latter was post surgeon declares
that Wood was looked upon as a won
derfully exact diagnoStician and eX-
ceptionally able doctor
wood had become attached to a
young lieutenant who had recently ar
rived at our post and had showed a
great deal of ability as football play
err" said this officer after football
game one day Wood, who then held the
rank of captain, turned to the lieu
tenant and said rather brusquely: 4
understand that you are married
man and that your wife is sick. Where
is she?
"The lieutenant told Captain Wood
she had been in a Southern sanitarium
for seven months suffering from NAL
ady which baffied the doctors who had
examined her. Captain Wood asked
the young officer to describe the symp-
toms, which he did
sounds like necrosis Of the bone
said Captain Wood. You bring your
wife home. No use paying sanitarium
fees for case of that sort. I'll guar
antee that I'll have her walking within
six weeks after l perform an opera
ton
"The officer took the advice, and
Wood was better than his word, for
the lieutenant's wife was dancing with
in six weeks after an operation per-
formed by Wood She had consulted
seven doctors, two of them specialists
In bone diseases. 1t is needless to
add that the husband and wife were
mighty grateful and never forgot
Woods skill and kindness"
General Wood has never given up
his interest in his old profession and
he follows its progress With the keen
est attention. Before0 entering the
army he practiced for several months
in Boston. He had no lack of patients,
but most of them were so poor they
could not afford to pay. Some time ago
General Wood told friend that during
his Boston practice lie was so "hard
up" that for a while he lived on
twenty-five cents a day, five cents for
a breakfast of coffee and rolls, ten
cents for stew at noon, and ten cents
for a glass of milk and sandwich at
night