Osler's Pupil, Henry W. Ochsner, MD (1877-1902): His life, lineage, and death

In multiple editions of his Principles and Practice of Medicine, a 1904 speech, and his essay "A Student Life," Sir William Osler mentions and laments the death due to typhoid of his pupil, Henry W. Ochsner (1877-1902). Harvey Cushing, MD, in his biography of Osler, describes how deeply Osler was moved by "poor" Ochsner's death. Yet little is known about Ochsner. This article describes the life story, lineage, and death of Henry W. Ochsner, MD, a son of Swiss pioneers who settled in Waumandee, Wisconsin. He was a member of a family that includes medical luminaries (e.g., Albert J. Ochsner, MD, the famous Chicago surgeon, and Alton Ochsner, MD, the founder of the Ochsner Clinic); a brilliant student and physician; a humble and beloved fellow citizen; and a favorite pupil of Osler.