Gustavus M. Blech

Who was Gustavus M. Blech?

Gustavus M. Blech was an American physician, surgeon, and medical educator. He was the son of Johann and Johanna Blech.

After immigrating to the United States in 1890, he earned his MD degree from Barnes Medical College of St. Louis, Missouri, in 1894.

He served as surgeon-in-chief, Lincoln Hospital, Chicago; professor of clinical surgery, Illinois Medical College, 1907-1912, and medical department, Loyola University Chicago, 1912-1914; consulting surgeon at Cook County Hospital and Wesley Memorial Hospital, Chicago; director-in-chief of the Illinois Legion, American Red Cross; and major, Illinois Infantry Medical Corps.

Blech was a veteran of the United States Army, achieving the rank of colonel, and the Illinois National Guard, achieving the rank of brigadier general, and served in the Spanish-American War, the Mexican border skirmishes, and World War I; in that latter war, he served as a colonel, Medical Reserve Corps, United States Army, and as an officier de l'instruction publique for France. He was assistant division surgeon of the 33rd Division and commanded Camp Hospital #47 at Autun, France, which was later designated as Base Hospital #208 and moved to Bordeaux.