To kick-off October, thought you might like to hear from the surgeon who took care of Houdini.

In Mondays, October 2, 1950 Detroit News Town Talk Column, George W. Stark shares correspondence he received from his friend, Dr. Charles S. Kennedy, who had recently read the Sept 15 1950 Town Talk piece on Houdini:

The Nature of the Fatal Illness

“Perhaps you do not know it, but I was the surgeon who took care of Houdini.

He had been struck in the left lower abdomen by a medical student from McGill University in the wings of one of the theatres in Montreal, 24 to 36 hours before he arrived in Detroit.

I saw him first in the Hotel Statler about 3 o’clock in the morning, got the history of the blow to his abdomen and thought that he had either a ruptured intestine from the blow or had clotting of the large blood vessels (because of the blow) supplying a portion of his intestine.

Appendicitis was considered, but was not very seriously kept in mind because of the location of the injury.

Houdini, bear in mind, had gone through his whole strenuous performance, I believe at the Garrick Theatre, the night before I first saw him and collapsed at the end of the show.

The Ideal Patient

I sent him to Grace Hospital and there he was put in a double room, because there was no other place at the time. Considerate chap that he was and that I always found him to be during his terminal illness, he said, “Well, if there is nothing but a double room, that will do for me.”

At operation early the same day, we found that his appendix was a great long affair which started in the right lower pelvis where it normally should, extended across the midline and lay in his pelvis, exactly where the blow had been struck.

Reconsidering the history afterwards, we concluded that his appendix had ruptured some place near St. Thomas, Ont, and the Garrick Theater with a ruptured appendix and spreading peritonitis. The peritonitis was caused by a bug known as streptococcus, which, up to recent years in my experience is peritonitis has been fatal,

The Game Fight

Houdini put up a tremendous fight, living somewhat more than a week after the operation, and for the first few days, it seemed almost as though his tremendous recuperative powers would result in recovery. During the entire time of his terminal illness, he was an ideal patient.

Nobody did anything for him, including such small services as to mop his brow or give him a sip of water, that he not look up into the face of the attendant or the nurse, smiling and saying, “Thank You.”

I repeat, he was the ideal patient!

Next week, I will present Tuesdays October 3, 1950 Town Talk Column, where Dr. Kennedy writing to Mr. Stark considers the case of Houdini, the Man.

• The Doctor Evaluates Nature of His Patient