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BEXAR
HISTORY
out of Texas?’, and it has very much at heart to answer this sneer of caring for military combat injuries.
the great London Journal by proving from a survey of our work that During his time in Germany, there was considerable unrest politi-
the surgeons of Texas, country doctors though they be, though no
long string of academic honors illustrate their names, are second to cally and many professionals turned their interest to immigration to
those of no country in the variety, the boldness, the success of their Texas. In 1847, Dr. Herff led a group of German immigrants who
operations, in practice, skill, in fertility of resources, and in that self- came to Texas to establish a colony on the Llano River. This was even-
reliance founded on knowledge without which no man can be a suc- tually unsuccessful for various reasons, and Dr. Herff returned to Ger-
cessful surgeon.” many to marry. In 1849, he and his wife returned to Texas and
established a practice in New Braunfels. However, in 1850 they moved
Dr. Cupples was a master of his profession and was extremely careful to San Antonio, which was a much more prosperous town, and he es-
in his practices, keeping meticulous records of his cases. He received tablished a surgical practice. At this time, San Antonio appeared as an
many accolades from both the state and the Bexar County Medical old Mexican pueblo. However, it was the principal trading point to
Society. Dr. Cupples died in 1895 at the age of 79. His funeral, by Mexico, Santa Fe, El Paso, New Orleans, and areas north.
many accounts, was the largest ever held in San Antonio, with numer-
ous eulogies by physicians and leading citizens of the town. In 1855, in addition to his practice, Dr. Herff served as city physi-
cian for a salary of $10 per month. He served in the Confederate
Ferdinand Herff, MD, was born in 1820 in Germany. His father Army as a brigade surgeon, but in the latter portion of the Civil War
was an influential politician and statesman. He attended university and the instability in the country he returned to Germany briefly to
and was active in the student military corps and fought many duels serve again in the Prussian Army. He then returned to Texas in De-
throughout his training. He was interested in botany but saw no fu- cember 1867. In 1854, he had performed an operation on a Texas
ture in this and so studied medicine, graduating in March 1843. Ranger in which he performed a lithotomy and removed a very large
After graduation, he entered the Prussian Army as a military surgeon bladder stone. The procedure was a success, and after this his popu-
and over the next two years had considerable experience as a surgeon larity as a surgeon increased tremendously and he became extremely
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