Bloody Business of Civil War Medicine On Tap Wednesday Night at Stein Haus
Dr. J.J. Bandit's Program Sponsored by Bay County Medical Society
January 8, 2006
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By: Dave Rogers
Union Army started the Civil War with about 90 doctors but about 11,000 served before the four year conflict was over. Above, is a typical "outdoor hospital."
Ironically, this Wednesday night a building built about the time the Civil War ended will host a meeting of the 7th Michigan Cavalry Civil War Round Table.
Topic will be medicine and surgery, if it can be called that, during one of the bloodiest conflicts in human experience.
Speaker at the 7 p.m. event will be Dr. William George, MD, of Cadillac, a Civil War re-enactor, who has taken the nom de guerre Dr. J.J. Bandit.
The program is sponsored by the Bay County Medical Society, whose members are invited to attend without charge. There is a $5 per meeting charge for members of the public or an annual membership may be obtained for $20.
A special attraction will be a display of 24 rare Civil War medical artifacts collected by "Sailor" Bob Boquette, of Saginaw.
Boquette's collection includes a surgeon's saw, glass eye, operating kit, tin hospital pan, wooden crutch, porcelain invalid cup, brass enema pump, tooth extracting tool, bar of lye soap and a bottle of Dr. Hostetter's Stomach Bitters.
Dr. George, alias Dr. Bandit, practices medicine on the staff of Cadillac Mercy Hospital and with Great Lakes Family Care in Cadillac.
He also serves as the principal investigator with Professional Clinical Research, conducting clinical drug trials.
He attended Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, was graduated from the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University, East Lansing, and interned at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center/St. Marys Hospital, Grand Rapids.
He has been a re-enactor for about 15 years as a first lieutenant and regimental surgeon with Battery D, First Michigan Light Artillery.
The 7th Michigan Cavalry is in its third year and has about 25 members. Founders and officers include Dee Dee Wacksman, Keith Markstrom and Gerald Pergande. Information about the meeting or the organization may be obtained by calling Dave Rogers, 686-5544.
Monthly meetings of the Civil War Round Table are held at the Stein Haus, 1108 N. Water St., built in 1865, near the epicenter of Hell's Half Mile, Bay City's notorious lumberjack rousting region.
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Dave Rogers
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Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read, respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City. (Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)
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