Ellsworth American., 1877-05-17
A TRIUMPH OF MEDICAL SCIENCE

II, Dfscorery II q Boston HySicilH-Idr-
aly,is CIH De Citred->Hrgsry Surpassed
IN ne Treatment u Def.rmatiss-E Empta-
tic Praaf that Ne,r Remedy f.r Nerron,
Di>grisr, Hls BccH Found.
Hardly any great revelation OF science or tri-
umph oi at ha- been received It. first
nouucemeu, with grateful faith pv the ncreda-
lous maj rliy OF men Gal4icp announced the
fact that The world moved and The ,oiii hei un-
belief OF the world made HIM rerAnt the assertion
on tended knees IN sAckcloth and a-hcs. Rising
from the ground agcr tins denial Of asceriSiuei
truth. he l. reported tn have exclaimed J. IJR -
NroNT-'li toe- move tor all that III. iuir"iur-
tiun Pf ths telescope. which has since Ei'cn to rs
a kno~ ledge OF the stars, wa greeted With stm-
liar obstinate prejudice and unb~liel In En.lani
It was announced A. an Invention of the k,ll
one. and
NLw pHA.E OF soEcEKr.
In the realm Of medical science this same phase
OF human folly has been constantly witnessed -
Har,cy's announcement tha. the blood circulA
ted through the veins received with a hOsl
Of drrison scarcely les viEorou, than that which
waited upon GAliieo- assertion thai the world
circa iated through space. HarN"y's Prlrnt-
abandoned hun AMI the medical prpie OF the
day gave him an almost unanimous cold shoulder.
subsequently hf- house wa atiAc kcd ~ mob.
ane number of his cher -hei book destroyed.
And again, when Ierncr di-c iyerel :hc prevent
I'VE vrtne- OF yaccIuAtloi. - tn"ieNi ~ri"t'"- -
hIch he Was member forbade hun TO prOmul-
gaie the great truth pain Of expulsion from
their pale OF membership. The faculty OF Lon
don denounced him a. . bcasti4l quack. and the
pulpit joined them, and declared poor Jcuncr
and his vaccine both 10 be dI4boAcal and mons
trou-
- thA. been. though in less degree. with the
more recent discoveries by "a eiIcAl nnoyatOrs,
oi the u an.esthetIcs and OF vleclrtclty And
suil, : Calico said, The world does move Tor
all that These observations are made by Nay
Of bespeaklng tor anothe. and remarkable mrdI-
cal discovery. our own city OF Boston and 10y
Boston physician, the careful and unpr'Judicei
attention which II deserves.
THE ECLECTIC SCHOOL
OF medicine 4. last growing IN popular favor. II
d. founded on the princIplc that there l. ali
schools OF thought something OF value, ana that
truth should be reco. ulzed and it, teaching, adop-
ted and used wherever ihey may be .ound, Of IRON
whatever quarter they may come. To physician
OF this broad aud liberal -cho0l OF medical theory
and practice belongs the honor Of having discov-
cred an entirely new and successful method OF
oOmbaiIr < paralysis. Paralysl, may be termed,
by reason oi its con stanily increasing prevalence
the disease OF the age. 1t has hitherto been clsss
eI among incurabe maladles.
CAUSES OF PARALYSIS.
Paralysis may proceed from the brain winch is
the seat OF sensation and yolition, from the
spinal marrow and nerves, by which sen satIOn
and volltIon are conveyed to and from the brain
all over the body, or II may take eccentric forms
OF deve lOpment, and effect special localities IN the
human organization, depriying the sufferer II may
be of ght or hearing, or smelling. The more
frequent forms Of the disease are those OF para
lyzed motion, and may be thus classified. Apo
pie&y OF the brain, congestion, or soitening OF the
spinal marrow and partial paralysis, when from
the pressure arlsIug from morbid growth or tu
NOR, or from mechanical ii jury, or often from
some unknown cause. the paris supplied by
particular part are paralyLed.
DISEASES OF THE BRAIS
and spin al marrow, undoubtedly produce the ma
j0rIty OF all paralyuc attacks. Taxing TINS fact
in connectI ion with another tact equally certain,
namely, that this fast going age imposes an eN-
cessIye strain on oar bralDAl and spinal strength
and We have an explanation OF the yearly increase
nF,.r ~ atir of he An
scientific discovery, therefore. which shall giyeus
an efficient re.Dedy Tor this too common malady OF
modern days, worthy to take rank among the
great be eiaetions which the researches OF great
minds have from time TO time confer ed upon The
race. The method TO which we have alluded as
supplying lust such
An EFFEcTUAL ASuDoTE
for paralysis as is admitted to be a great medical
necessity OF the period Is that in daily at the
Medical Home and Retreat, established b. DR.
George W Rhodes. a Boston physician OF high
standing and reputation. on the corner OF " al
than street and Shawmut avenue-So. 2.e on the
last named thoroughiare. His discovery :" as the
result OF a severe accident which happened to
himself and the effects OF which made him
paralytie sufferer OF what med for a time, TO
be hopelessly incurable type.
DIR. Rhodes was thrown from his carriage and
sustained complicated injuries which dehed ALL
m edica skill and let him. as he then believed,
permanently manned and para wed man
Thrown back upon his own resources, he began
SERIES oFEXrERlMESTs.
He had already received L thorough medical ed
uca;ion and training and had complete know-
edge of chemistry. 1t occurred to him that possi-
bly there were powers in the electric huid used
a. 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 1t might be found he proceed
ed with a series ofexperments upon his own per-
son. When he resolved upon these experiments
{ ne OF his legs so badly twisted that in sit
ting down he was compelled to use II as cushion,
drawing up the whole of the leg, hip and thighs
into an unnatural and con strained position sew.
erai inches above the groand. The paralysis wa
SO complete that these limbs had all wIthered and
shrunken. There seemed, indeed little nope that
auy spark of vitality renamed 10 tnem. Never
theiess Dr. Rhodes persistently followed his idea.
He first compounded powerful chemical prepar-
alton having for its object the stimulation 0i the
torpid and apparently dead nerves Of the affected
parts and then invoked the aid of the electric bat
tary to apply il. At first success seemed DOUBT
fu but amer a number OF only partially satsiac-
tory attempts to find the seat OF the malady, the
difficulty was surmounted the snrunken limbs
began TO regain their normal size, the sleeping
nerves were aroused to action again. the wasted
muscles grew, flesh covered the neshess bone.
and DIR. Rhodes found himself a perfect man IN
every respect sound in every limb, healiny, ro-
bust and vigorous. He has for several years past
given to sufferers from paralysis the benefit OF
this happy experience, and has extended this
method of treatment, with equally gratifying sue
cess TO other forms of brainal and spinal diseas-
es-such as epilepsy, apoplexy commissions, n.y.
sierra melancbolia, and the like. His cures are
now numbered BY scores and there genuineness
ing of quackcry about his methods, as call al
THE HOME AND RETREAT
will demon strate to any who NAV desire to secure
for themselves or their friends the advantages oi
such resort. They will iod handsome man
sion in a pleasant, secluded ana iashionsbe part
of the city, organized in the most efficient msnner
and conduc ted SO a. to all the dement's oi
hospita and at the time retain all the char-
a<xc hon