Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-10-25

r
One. And
SEw rHAsE % soEcERr.
In the realm Of medical science this same phase
OF human folly has been constantly Witnessed -
HsF'cS's announcement tia; the blood cirrulA
ted through the VEINS was received with howl
of drrsi0n scarcely less vigorous than that which
~ailcd upon dAIileO's assertion that tie world
circulated through space. HATVcy's pailenth
abandoned hun nj the medical profession OF tid
day gave him an almost unanimous cold shoulders
subsequently his house VA attacked ~ mobe
anc a number Of h. cherished books destroyed.
And again, when l.nnrr discovered he prevent
i've ytrtucs OF vaccination. - meiir =nrstes ~
~hich lie was a menOcT forbade hifa TO Ironul.
gate The great truth on pain of expulsion from
ihcf pale OF membcrship. The faculty of Lon
don denounced him a UcAsuaI Quack. and the
pulpH Joined them. and declared poor Jcnutr
and his vaccine both 10 be di~buiical and mons
Irous
- ithas been. though In 4 les degree with tie
Of the Il auH.Jh-lics and OF electricity And
suh, a. Calico sald. The world does move ior
a. ma A""a' ""7'l 'A.4oHs al' mare o. ~
OF bc-peAkihg Tor Annthe- and remarkable mcii-
cal discovery. our own city of Boston aud 10y
Boston ply -ican, the careful AMI uupItJuticeI
attention which 1t deserves
ras ECLECTIC SCHOOL
OF medicine Is fast growing m popular favor. II
l. founded the principle that there l. ia an
schools Of thought something OF value and that
Truth should be recos uiIed and il teaching, aIop
ted and used u hercVer ihey NAV bc .uuU4. VI lTsH
Whatever quarter they may come. To ply ,iriAn
OF THIS broad and liberal school oI medical theory
and practice belong. the honor OF having Ni-CoV-
cred an entirely new and successful method ol
combAtif < par alysis. Paralysis mAy be termed.
BY reason Of rs con staniiy Increasing prevalence,
the disease OF The age. IL has hitherto been elsss
eli anon. incurable malAdies.
CAUSES or PARALYSIS.
Paralysis may proceed from the brain which Is
the seat OF sensation and yOlittsu, or from the
spinal marrow and nerves. ~ which sen sation
and yOliilOn are conveyed 10 and from The brain
all over the body, or - may take ecccntric forms
OF Development, and effect special localities IN the
human organization, deyrviug the sufferer It may
be OF sight. or hearing. or smelling. The more
frequent forms Of the disease are those OI para
lyzed motion. and may b. thus classified. Apo
pcNy OF the brain. congestion, or soilening OF the
spinal marrow and Partial paralysis, when from
the pressure arisiug from morbid growth or tn
NOR, or from mechanical injury, or often from
some unknown cause. the part- supplied by "A
particular part are parayZed.
DISEASES OF TIE BRAIN
and spinal marrow, undoubtedly produce the ma
jority OF all paralylic attacks. Taking this fact
in connection with another tact equally certain,
namely, thai this fast going age imposes an ex-
cessiye strain on our braiDal and spinal strength
and NC have an explanation OF the yearly increase
in the number OF victims of the disease. Any
scientific discovery therefore. which shall giyeus
efficient remedy for this 100 common nAlady Of
modern days. worthy to take rank among the
great be elections which the researches of great
minds have from time TO time conferred upon the
race. The method to which We have alluded as
supplying Just such
Az EFFECTUAL ASrIDoTE
for paralysis as Is admitted to be a great medical
necessity OF the period Is that in daily use at the
Medical Home and Retreat, established by Dr.
George W Rhodes Boston PHI ysieian oil high
standing and reputation. on the corner OF Wal
than street and Shawmut ayenue-So 29s on the
last named theroughfare. His discovery as the
result of a severe accident which happened 10
himself and the effects OF which made him a
paralytic sufferer OF what seem ed, for a time, 10
be hopelessly incurable type.
DIR. Rhodes was thrown from his carriage and
sustain ed complicated injuries which debed all
IN sdica skill and lett him, as he then believes,
permanently MANNED and paralyZed man
Thrown back upon his own resources. he began
SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS.
He had already received & thorough medical ed
ucaiion and training, and had a complete kDowl-
edge of chemistry. 1t occurred to him that posi-
bly, there were powers in the electric fluid used
as an applicant OF chemical properties. not yet
dreamed Of In the philosophy OF medicine. Adopt
ing the electric principle, therefore, OF searching
for truth wherever il might be found, he proceed
ed with series ofexperIments upon his own per-
son. When he resolved upon these experiments
the OF his legs was so badly twisted that in sit
ting down he was compelled to use 1t as asusbion,
drawing up the whole OF the leg. hip and thighs
into an unnatural and constrained position, sew.
eral inches above the ground. The paralysis Wa
complete that these limbs had all wIthered and
shrunken. There seemed, indeed, little hope that
any spark of vitality remained in them. Never
theless DR.. Rhodes persistenty followed his idea.
lie first compounded powerful chemical prepar-
atom having for It's object the stimulation Of the
torpid and apparently dead nerves OF the affected
parts and then invoked the aid of the electric bat
terry to apply it. AT first success seemed doubt
iul. but amer number Of only partially satisiac
tory attempts TO Ind the seat Of the malady, the
difficulty was suYmounied, the snrunken limbs
began TO regain their normal Else, the sleeping
nerves were aroused to action again, the wasted
muscles grew. desh covered The neshless bone,
aud DIR Rhodes found himself perfect man in
eye.y respect sound In every limb, healthy, 70,
busi and vigorous. He has for sc seral years past
given 70 sufferers from paralysis the benefit OF