Funeral services for Dr. Urban Maes, 75, famed surgeon and educator who helped develop battleline surgery in World War 1, were held today from Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp, Inc., 4127 S. Claiborne.
Dr. Maes, LSU's emeritus professor of surgery, died at 5:30 p. m. yesterday at Touro Infirmary, which had been one of the focal points of his long career.
Religious services were conducted by the Canon William S.Turner of Trinity Episcopal Church. Burial followed in Metairie Cemetery.
Dr. Maes is survived by one son, Robert Adamson Maes, of Philadelphia, Pa., and by three grandchildren. He lived at the Pontchartrain Hotel.
Touro Infirmary put up a bronze plaque in 1948 in honor of his half-century of work at the hospital. It said:
"In these rooms a great surgeon has performed many operations, saved countless lives and by his skill and judgment, trained hosts of young men." LONG CAREER
Dr. Maes was one of the dwindling number of doctors whose careers stemmed back to the 19th century and who "grew up" with modern medicine, contributing their own developments to its growth.
He worked as a bill collector here for a wholesale grocery before deciding to study medicine. He had driven on horse-and-buggy calls with his stepfather, a country doctor, and decided to study medicine.
Yellow fever was raging in 1898 when he entered Tulane medical school. Another outbreak in 1905 brought him back from his established practice in the country town of Edgard. He wanted to help with other doctor volunteers. One task was driving a horse-drawn furniture
wagon through the streets loaded with sulphur fumigation pots.
In 1906 he was made professor of operative surgery at Tulane; in 1913, assistant professor of clinical and operative surgery, and in 1922, professor of clinical surgery.
Attorney Monte M. Lemann of the Touro board of directors said at the dedihation of the Maes plaque:
"Gov. Huey Long (in 1932) had found it difficult to obtain proper professional recognition for the LSU medical school. He sought out Dr. Maes and asked him to accept appointment as professor of surgery and director of the department of surgery at the state university.
