SCHMIDT, Carl died 1880

SCHMIDT

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 5/10/2026 at 13:05:51

One of the most difficult operations in surgery known to medical science was performed upon Carl Smith [sic], a fifteen year old son of John Smith, a German living in Bortville, this city, last Monday. For many years the unfortunate lad has been a sufferer from gravel, and of late his disease had become so painful as to be almost unbearable. His malady has long unfitted him for attending school, or pursuing any work whatever, and life was only a burden to him. He was gradually wasting away, and it was evident that he must soon succumb to the grim destroyer, unless relief was speedily obtained in some manner.

With a knowledge of this, Dr. B. Erp. Brockhausen decided that a manual operation was the only recourse, everything else that medical skill could devise, having been done. He had been preparing the boy for this for some time by a course of tonics, and on the day above mentioned called to his aid a number of the physicians of this city, and Dr. Craig, of Manchester, who happened to be here at the time, and successfully performed the operation, removing a stone 1 1/2 by 1 1/8 inches from the bladder.

The extraordinary size of the stone, coupled with the fact that it was imbedded between the membranes of the organ, made this one of the most difficult operations on record, and had the boy survived it would have been miraculous. But owing to his enfeebled condition and his utter hopelessness of recover, he was unable to stand the shock and died last evening about ten o'clock.

~Lansing Journal, Wednesday, March 3, 1880; pg 8

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Another accounting of the operation was printed in the Lansing Mirror, Friday, March 5, 1880; pg 3. Information not given in the JOURNAL of 3/3/80 is as follows:

Carl's surname = SCHMIDT
Composition of stone = Oxylate of lime
Doctors involved = Brockhausen, Craig, Porter, Spaulding & Taylor

Note: Carl Schmidt is buried in Oak Hill cemetery