Sunday, May 27, 2018

On This Date in Minnesota History: May 27

May 27, 1916 – Wallace Hamilton, former football star at the University of Minnesota, today gave a pint and a half of his blood for the sake of a man he had never met. The effort to save the life of Henry Wirtz, an iron worker, ill at the Fairview Hospital, was believed to have been successful late today. Hamilton walked from the hospital after the operation, laughing and joking about his experience.


Wallace Hamilton
1


Up until a few weeks ago, Wirtz had been a healthy man. Then he was taken ill and his physicians found that he was suffering from pernicious anemia
(an inability to absorb the vitamin B-12 needed for your body to make enough healthy red blood cells) and declared that only an immediate transfusion of blood could save the patient’s life.



Henry Wirtz2

Hamilton read of the need to save the life of Wirtz and volunteered. The family of John Ludvig, a fellow worker with Wirtz at Stremel Bros. Roofing & Cornice Company, prevented his helping his friend, and Joe M. Kelley, another workman, could not be found, so Hamilton was summoned by telephone.



Headline Asking for Help3


After the notice was published in the newspaper, scores of people responded, both genders and a variety of ages. The patient expressed the desire that one of his fellow workman be selected. Three men were chosen and an agglutination test4 made to test their blood to ensure that the recipient’s and donor’s blood were compatible.

“This is Mr. Wirtz,” said the doctor by way of introduction.

A short incision in the left forearm of Hamilton, a small tube leading to a paraffin-lined glass receptacle, graduated to show the amount, and a pint and a half was soon obtained. Then the tube was attached to Wirtz in the same manner. Before all the blood had been injected, Wirtz’s pale flesh showed the glow of a healthy man. The wounds were dressed, the two men shook hands and Hamilton laughingly departed, apparently anxious to escape the expressions of gratitude that followed him.


1The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “ Former ‘U’ Football Star Gives of Blood to Save a Stranger. Wallace Hamilton Submits to Transfusion, Then Walks Smiling From Hospital. Takes Place of Man Whose Folks Objected. Athlete No Worse for Operation and Sick Man Is Much Improved.”; May 28, 1916; p. 11.

2The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “More Than Score Offer Their Blood in an Effort to Save Workman’s Life. Men and Women of All Stations Anxious to Assist Henry Wirtz. Fellow Craftsmen Will Be Chosen for Transfusion Operation.”; May 26, 1916; pp. 1 & 4.

3The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; May 25, 1916; p. 1.

4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agglutination_(biology)
______________________________________________

Wirtz underwent a fourth blood transfusion on Dec. 11, 1916, after suffering a relapse earlier in the week. There seems to be nothing further about him in the local newspapers.

The Minneapolis Morning Tribune; “Fourth Transfusion Operation on Worker. I. I. Simon Gives of Blood in Attempt to Save Life of Henry Wirtz.”; Dec. 12, 1916; p. 14.

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