Carl Rüedi

Carl Rüedi (born 21 (or 23 ) March 1848 in Davos, Graubunden Canton, † June 17, 1901 in Arosa, Graubunden Canton ) was a Swiss pulmonologist and at his lifetime one of the best known physicians in Graubünden.

Known worldwide Rüedi was because he treated the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson in the winters of 1880/81 and 1881/82. Stevenson praised Rüedi in the dedication to his poetry collection Underwoods (1887 ) as " the good spirit of the English in his frosty mountains ".

Life

Origin, childhood and adolescence

Carl Rüedi was the youngest of eight children of the Grisons landscape physician and pioneer of climate therapy Rüedi Lucius and his wife Rachel (nee Conrad).

Even in his early childhood, he is said to have distinguished themselves through physical robustness, liveliness and intelligence. At the age of four years Carl Rüedi emigrated with his father in the summer of Alvaneu ( the residence of the family) to 23 km distant Davos ( Carl's birthplace). When Carl was nine years old, he walked and two of his brothers, who attended the district school in Chur, on a day 55 km from Chur to Davos.

Years of study and first stay in America

In 1866, Carl Rüedi enrolled at the University of Tübingen to study Protestant theology. In the summer of 1867 Rüedi continued his theology studies at the University of Zurich.

Carl's eldest brother William lived for 12 years as a doctor in the United States. 1867 Wilhelm came on a visit to his hometown Zizers (Canton Graubünden) and beat his brothers Carl and Paul before, to follow him to America. They both followed her brother's suggestion and went on December 17, 1867 on his way to Philadelphia. Paul, a trained physician, there opened a medical practice and only came back in 1882 on a visit to his homeland. (Paul ( born November 19, 1844) had in Würzburg ( Winter 1863/64 ), Zurich (Summer 1864), Munich (Summer 1865 -. Winter 1865/66 ) and Tübingen (Summer 1866) studied medicine) Under the influence of his two brothers also became interested in Carl for medicine.

After his father's death (1870), Carl returned to Zizers and took in April 1870 to study medicine at the University of Bern. In the summer of 1871 he moved to the University of Würzburg.

In winter 1871/72 and summer 1872 Carl Rüedi continued his medical studies in Munich. In the winter of 1872/73 he returned to Bern and prepared himself there on his final exams. In the spring of 1874 he received his doctorate in medicine and opened a practice in the village of Buchen im Prättigau (Canton Graubünden).

Early career years: Davos

On December 24, 1874 Carl Rüedi received a reputation as a country doctor to Davos, then next to St. Moritz is the leading mountain resort in Europe. Rüedi held so that the same post as his father once was. In addition Rüedi was appointed district medical officer. His practice had Rüedi in hotel Rhätia.

In Davos Rüedi had built a private residence called Villa Richmond. She was named after that district in the state of New York, where he had spent 1867-1870 some time.

On February 26, 1875 Carl Rüedi was chosen with two other representatives of the hotel Rhätia the committee of the newly formed Kurverein, on July 30th or 31st 1875 in addition to the treasurer. 1876 ​​Rüedi was included in the Grisons doctors association based in Chur.

At that time Davos had some importance as a health resort. Due to the growing influx of tuberculosis patients who came to Davos, Carl Rüedi made ​​a good living. Within a few years Rüedi earned an excellent reputation among his patients. End of 1878 Rüedi laid down his post as a country doctor and focused on his work as a private spa physician.

Rüedi healing results were a combination of doctor's skills and the Alpine climate of Davos ( 1560 m above sea level) due to its cool, clean, dry air. Rüedi bribed by accurate diagnoses, an exceptionally fine ear while listening to the respiratory tract and a vast knowledge of all types and stages of lung ailments.

The largest part of Rüedi clients came from the Anglo- American world. Thanks to its good English skills gained Rüedi within a few years a de facto monopoly on this clientele. ( Even in 1875, there had been virtually no Kurgast English tongue in Davos. )

At Carl Rüedi popularity among English-speaking patients also contributed to his native of Scotland Wife ( with birth name Mackenzie ). On June 25, 1879, the couple had a son, who was baptized in the name of John.

Mean years of employment: Denver

Rüedi had such a feed, that he pushed the limits of its performance. To make his skills work under less stressful conditions, he wandered the end of April 1891 in the USA, where he opened a practice in Denver, Colorado. Rüedi had chosen the city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, because they with 1,609 m above sea level at almost the same altitude is like Davos. From similar climatic conditions in Denver was no question, however, be as Rüedi later admitted.

Pulmonary physicians in the United States sent wealthy patients to the level therapy in sanatoriums in the Swiss Alps ( Davos, St. Moritz ), in the Giant Mountains ( Görbersdorf ) or in the Adirondack Mountains ( Saranac Lake, New York State ). In the Rocky Mountains there were for tuberculosis patients, however, virtually no medical infrastructure. Apart from a sanatorium in the hamlet Hygiene ( 1,553 m above sea level, Boulder County, Colorado), the Rüedi visited in October, 1891, there were only primitive wagon or tent camps and isolated guesthouses and hotels.

In the year of his arrival in America Carl Rüedi in the American Clinical and Climatological Association ( ACCA ) (American Clinical and Climatological Association ) was added. The 1884 by doctors and scientists launched professional organization had the goal of improving medical education, research and practice in the United States. In its early days, the main focus of the ACCA was on the treatment of tuberculosis by staying in a suitable climate. As a pioneer of applied climate therapy Rüedi was one of the most competent experts for the concerns of the ACCA. 1895 Carl Rüedi held two lectures before the ACCA.

In the first presentation ( A comparison of winter resorts in the Alps with some places in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado) took Rüedi the view that it could Colorado " rivals any spa resort in the world (...)" because of its climate and the best climatic conditions would offer to become a " sanatorium of the United States." Rüedi developed the vision of a differentiated according to sea level system of health resorts in the Rocky Mountains, in the doctors would send their patients according to disease stage and constitution: from Denver and the surrounding area either to Colorado Springs at 6,000 feet ( 1,829 meters), according to Estes Park 7,000 feet ( 2,134 m) or in a (of Rüedi still find to be made ) to place 8,000 feet ( 2,439 m). " This would be a spa town (sic), as it has not seen the world. ".

In his second lecture ( A brief look into the future with regard to pathological- anatomical researches) Rüedi criticized the one-sided orientation of the doctors guild on cellular pathology, according to which diseases are based on disturbances in the body's cells and their functions. Rüedi pleaded for to explore not only the cells and tissues, but also the external to the cell liquid constituents of the human body, specifically the blood serum, lymph and tissue fluid. Rüedi said that blood serum analysis would provide valuable information as to which pathological changes ( " degeneration " ) were to be expected in the cells of the person concerned in the near future and why. "We have come so far that we can determine the state of the blood serum with a few drops of blood (...). If you had invested in the micro- chemistry of the blood as much time as in the microscope, we would be with our science a good bit further. "

Rüedi hopes of the New World, however, remained unfulfilled. ( Maybe too slow for him was preceded by the development of health infrastructure. ) Therefore Rüedi returned after only five years in 1896 back to Switzerland.

Late career years: Arosa

During his absence, the working conditions for doctors in Davos, however, had changed dramatically. Due to the limited grant of concessions the practice of medicine was so highly regulated that there was no more chance of opening a practice even for a capacity as Rüedi.

Rüedi settled instead in the small spa town of Arosa ( 1775 m above sea level), 13 kilometers west of Davos, down. In winter 1896/97 Rüedi began as a spa physician at the Grand Hotel Arosa, today Robinson Club to practice.

However, the development of the village of Arosa was back by decades towards Davos. The level of treatment of tuberculosis had been introduced in 1880 with the opening of the first hotel ( Seehof ). And only in 1888 had opened its doors to the first sanatorium. ( At that time Arosa no longer had 88 inhabitants. )

The number of Rüedi patients remained at a disappointingly low level. Because Rüedi seriously worried about his financial livelihood, he began to advocate to increase the attractiveness of Arosa as a spa. On October 4, 1896 Rüedi was unanimously elected at the local Kurverein. He regularly attended the meetings and submitted a number of proposals, such as the construction of an artificial summer toboggan track. On June 22, 1897 Rüedi suggested the introduction of street lighting. In November 1900 suggested Rüedi and four of his fellow physicians before starting a science club. Every two weeks should discuss before a public audience a topic of general interest ( except religion and politics ) three academics.

In his spare time Rüedi also engaged as co-organizer and timekeeper at the winter sledge. These were held primarily as a spectacle for the tourists.

However Arosa biggest obstacle to development was the lack of convenient transportation options to and from the village. His time required for visitors, the 30 km long route from Chur several hours by stagecoach. Therefore, Carl Rüedi biggest concern was to improve transport links to the Grisons canton's capital.

On September 14, 1897 founded Rüedi and some other people of Arosa a committee with the aim to widen the narrow road from Chur to Arosa. 1900 ( or shortly before ) presented Carl Rüedi and Schanfigger Landammann Hans Brunold from Peist (1861 - 1941) petitions to the Grand Council of the Grisons and the Swiss Federal Assembly concerning the construction of an electric railway between Chur and Arosa. ( Rüedi home community Davos benefited from such a connection for ten years. )

It was Carl Rüedi but no longer privileged to experience the arrival of the first locomotive in Arosa ( December 1914 ). On June 17, 1901 Rüedi died unexpectedly in Arosa at the age of only 53 years.

Documents

• Davos leaves. Curzeitung and tourism list 20 Jg, No. 8, February 21, 1891, p 1; and 20 Jg, No. 18, 9 Mai.1891, p.1
• Davos leaves, Vol III, No. 30, April 25, 1891, pp. 394 f
• Tourist list of Arosa, No. 6, November 18, 1900, p.1
• The Davos Courier, Vol XIV, No. 14 /15, June 14, 1901, no page
• Minutes of the meeting Kurverein [ Arosa ] 23 June, 1901 ( manuscript ); o S.
• Davos leaves. Transport organ for Ragaz, Prättigau, Davos and the Engadine; XXX. Jg, No. 25, Davos, June 22, 1901, see above, p.
• O V.: All kinds of the Chur- Arosa line and its history; in: Evening News ( Arosa ), December 4, 1964; o S.
• Georges J. Capol: Arosa - the shepherd village to the world class resort (2); in: Arosa newspaper, No. 15, April 14, 1989, p 15
• Jules Ferdmann: The Rise of Davos; Verlagsgenossenschaft Davos Revue, 2nd edition, 1990 ( first edition, 1935).
• O V.: Dr. C. Ruedi - Doctor in Arosa ( Handwritten notes from the period of October 4, 1896 to September 14, 1897 ); owned by the Schanfigger Heritage Museum, Arosa.
• Hans Danuser: Arosa - as it was (1850-1907), Volume 1, self-published Danuser, Arosa 1997, pp. 54, 115 time, 167