Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-02-22

ton If the telescope, which has since given To us
a knoz ledge OF the stars. was greeted with sim
liar obstinate prejudice and uubelief. In England
Il was announced an invention Of the Ed
one. and
4 NEw PHASE oT soKCERl.
In the realm OF medical science this same phase
OF human folly has been constantly Witnessed
HAryey'- announcement tha: the blood ciEcula
tel through the veins WAS received with a howl
oil derision scarcely less vigorous than that which
waited upon Galileo's asser ton that the world
circulated through space. HaTNey's patients
abandoned him md the medical profe ssion OF the
dAy gave him an almost unanimous cold shoulder.
Subsequently his house was auaeked by mob,
and = number of his Cherished books de stToyed.
Aud again, when Jenner discovered The prevent
i've virtues OF vaccination III medical societies OF
which he wa. a member forbade him 10 promul-
gale the great truth on pain of expulsion from
their pale Of membership The faculty Of Lon
don denounced him . DeAsiial quAck. and the
pulpit joined them. and declared poor Jenner
and his vaccine both to be dizboiiesl and mons
trous.
30 itha. been. though in less degree, with the
more recent discoveries by "a edical innOyators,
OF the uses OF d aesthetics and OF electricity. And
stIil, Calico sald, The world does move for
all that" These Observations are made by way
of bespeakIng Tor another and rem ARK able ulcdi-
cal discovery, own city Of Boston and by a
Boston ply slcian, the careful and ungrjudiceI
attention which II deserves.
THE ECLECTIC SCHOOL
OF medicine is fast growing in popular favor. 1t
j. founded on the principle that there Is IN ali
schools of thought something oil value, and that
truth should be recognized andits teachings adop
ted and used wherever they NAV be found, or from
whatever quarter they may come. To a ply stefan
of this broad and liberal school OF medical theory
and practice belongs the honor oi having discOy-
cred an entirely new and successful method OF
eom1aliu paralysis. Paralysis may be termed.
by OF Its con stantly increasing prevalence
the disease oil the age. 1t has hitherto been czs-
Ell among incurabe maladiez.
CAUSES OF PARALYSIS.
p.xt,s;s mas. ,,r,c.a,, FROM, tho train ,xbioh -
the seat OF sensation and yolition or from the
spinal marrow and nerves, by which sen satOn
and volition are conveyed 70 and from the brain
all over the body, or it may take eccentric forms
of deve lupment and effect spectral localities IN the
human organization, depriyIDg the sufferer 1t may
be Of sight. or hearing or smelling. The more
frequent forms Of the disease are those of para
lyzed motion, and may be thus classified. Apo
Iexy of the brain; congestion, or soitenlng OF the
spinal marrow: and partial paralysis, when from
the pressure arising from morbid growth or tu
NOR, from mechanical II jury, or often from
some unknown cause. the parts supplied by Il
particular part are paralyzed.
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN
and spin al marrow, undoubt eddy produce the ma
Jointly OF all paralytic attacks. Taking this fact
ID connection with another TACT equally certain,
namely, that this fast going age imposes an ex
cessIve strain on oar bTaiDal and spinal strength
and We have an explanation OF the yearly increase
In the number OF victims of the disease. ANY
scientific discovery, therefore. which shall giveus
a efficient REMEDY tor this too common malady OF
modern days, Is worthy 10 take rdnk among the
great ber 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
An EFFECTUAL ANTiDOTE
for paralysis as Is admitted TO be great medical
necessity OF the period, is that in daily at the
Medical Home and Retreat, established by DIR.
George w. Rhodes, q Boston physician OF high
standing and reputation the corner OF Wal
than Street and Shawmut ayenue-No. 29s on the
la au,adfh ar la Tho
result Of a severe accident which happened TO
himself and the effects Of which made him a
paralyne sufferer OF what seem ed, for time, TO
DR.. Rhodes was thrown from his carriage ana
sustain ed complicated injuries which dened all
mt dical skill and left him, as he then belle we'd,
permanently MANNED and paraIyzed man.
Thrown back upon his own resources, he began
A SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS.
He had already received l. thorough medical ed
ucation and training. and had complete knuwl
edge OF chemistry. IL 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, oil searching
for truth wherever it might be found, he proceed
ed with a series of experIments upon his own per.
son. When he resolved upon these experiments
enc OF his legs was so badly wisted that in sit
ting down he was compelled to use IL ~ asushion,
drawing up the whole Of the leg, hip and thigh
into an unnatural and constrained position, sew
eral inches above the groand. The paralysis was
SO complete that these limbs had all withered and
shrunken. There seemed, indeed, little hope that
any spark Of vitality remained in them. Never
theless. DIR. Rhodes persistently followed his idea.
atIon having for its object the stimulation OF the
torpid and apparently dead nerves Of the affected
parts, and then invoked tue aid fthe electric bat
tery to appIy 1t. At arst success seemed douis-
iul but amer number Of only partially satisfac-
tory attempts 70 ind the seat Of the malady, the
difficulty was surmounted, the shrupken limbs
began 10 regain their normal size, the sleeping
nerves we're aroused 10 action again, she wasted
muscles grew. 1esh covered the deshless bone,
every respect, sound in every limb, healthy, ro-
bust and vigorous. He has for several years past
given 70 sufferer from paralysis the beneft of
this happy exUo91eoca aAd has extended this
method Of treatment, with equally gratifying suc.
cess, to ether l0rns q brainal and spinal disoae