Wilfrid Brotherus

According to information received here last night, Licentiate of Medicine Wilfrid Eugen Brotherus has fallen on the northern front in the Olonets Karelia.

Dr. Brotherus was born in Helsinki in 1888. After becoming a student in 1906, he entered into medical studies, completing as Candidate of Medicine in 1909 and as Licentiate in 1916. In the autumn of 1908, he made a study trip to Göttingen, Germany, to study surgery, which became his specialty. After working for some time as a doctor in Inari, he was elected to municipal doctor position in Rantasalmi, which he held until his death.

Having literary inclinations, as passionate naturalist he published essays in ”Luonnon Ystävä” and ”Duodecim” and also for some time was served as subeditor of second magazine.

But most of his life's work has been done by Dr. Brotherus as a military doctor. Therefore, immediately after the outbreak of World War, he ended up in Russia as part of a Finnish field hospital, before long gaining a reputation as a healer of battle wounds, which skill he more developed after organizing for some time his own field hospital. After the uprising broke out, he was immediately began to work on the White side, and he was entrusted with the position of Chief Physician of the Savo Front, where he achieved a general unconditional acceptance. And now, when our brothers in the tribe in Olonets Karelia are being liberated, he was again ready to rush to help, despite the difficulties, naturally associated with a trip to such wilderness.

For anyone who knew Wilfrid Brotherus, this news will be bitter and depressing. Once again death has taken away one of those who are most needed – a man of knowledge, a man of skill, a man of action. His perfectly started life's work has been violently cut off, but the traces which he has left, especially recovered soldiers, have to tell about a man who without sparing himself, called his colleagues to self-sacrifice, and who on his path of life from the vastness of Inari to the wilderness of Olonets Karelia took himself the fulfillment of the work, which was difficult for others.

Eternal rest grant to him!

The deceased is mourned by his mother, née Malm, as well as two sisters and four brothers.



Uusi Suomi -newspaper no. 134
June 14, 1919