San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-05-22
PERKINS TRACTORS.
An OId-Time Form of Faith Cure.


Toward the close of the last century
a physician named Perkins, who re-
sided in Connecticut, made most
wonderful, startling and momentOus
discovery, writes DR.. A. b. Shaw III
the Weekly Medical Review. He dis
covered that certain metallic substan-
ces, when applied to the animal body
and passed along it like the poles of
battery, had the glorious power of
draining out diseases, very much as a
magnet would draw needle from
your pocket. In accordance with this
knowledge he constructed two metal
lie stems about three inches long,
blunt at one extremity and pointed at
the other, one being composed appar-
emily of brass and the other Of steel,
though this is not certain, as in a
moment of moral obliquity, doubtless,
Il, the discQverer obtained patent and
kept them secret.
No sooner was the great discovery
of DR.. Perkins made known than the
trumpet of fame spread its reputation
with lightning speed to the uttermost
parts of the earth. Certificates as
| serting most excellent cures from the
highest dignitaries of the land, from
judges and generals, from leading
| ing merchants, from ladies eminent
for charity, and great numbers OF IN
dorsements from eminent divines,
| poured in like a paper flood. DIR. Ben
| jamin Douglas Perkins went to Lon
don so as to give England an opportu-
| nifty OF benefiting by the great inven-
oD, and soon it was discovered that
what would draw out disease
for an American would likewise
act upon an Englishman, for great
cures soon occurred and the land of
our toretathers applauded to the
echo this great boon. Other countries
of Europe experienced the influence
of the reform, and especially did it
meet with success in Denmark. Large
numbers of cures were published
daily, swelling visibly went down,
pains were removed as if by magic
as the tractors were passed, tumors
disappeared, the lame walked, the
blind saw and miracles seemed about
to be revived. DIR. WOrthington
Hooker, tOwnsman of DR.. Perkins,
declares that he has now in his
library volume of 200 printed pages
containing the records of great num-
D6T vi
Meanwhile DR.. Perkins sold thous-
ands of tractors at over five guineas
pair, and even medical men used and
Endorsed them. The nobility of Eng
land, anxious to benefit the poor by
disseminating the great blessing,
seizei upon it with avidity and at
once established a large infirmary.
This was was founded with all the
pomp and circumstance which char
acteriZe inaugurations by our trans
atlantic brethren, and was under the
patronage of the first men of the land.
Lord Rivers was president of the
board of governors, and long list of
titled names followed his as Vice-presi-
dents.
In March, 1902, the number of cases
computed as affected by the tractors
amounted to 100000. Well was DR..
Perkins sustained IN the language
with which he closes his report: 1T
is believed that no medical remedy
yet discovered has been supported by
so many well authen ticated and inn
pOrtsnt cures performed in SO short
time.n
In spite of all the evidence adduced,
there were skeptics in the land (but,
alas! gentlemen, where do we not
find skeptics?,) who declared that
all this was the effect of the magma
ton, and one DR.. Haggarth, making
pair of tractors OF wood, which he
painted to resemble those of Perkins,
| really did produce the same results,
curious as it may appear. But these
| skeptiCs were soon put to confusion,
and "Perkinism," as the discovery
was called, marched in triumph
through the world, and the "Perkin-
son Institute" under the skilltul
management of the philanthropic
Lord Rivers and the noble Vice Pres
idents, became q blessing to suffer-
ing humanity.
And this occurred and was fully re.
| ported in 1892. We now live eighty
| eight years later. Where now are
| the PerkinsOnism and Parkinson In
stitute and PerkisOs tractors? History
| is silent, and when you ask society it
| hangs its head and bushes slightly
| at its own credullty. Do you doubt
| that recOveries occurred under this
system? do not for a moment: for
how could Lord Rivers and the titled
Vice President and the Judges and
the clergymen, and the host of others
who gave certificates, and the noble
ladies doing in the cause of humanity,
all have been deluded: they merely
called recOveries cures; that was all.
The success of such such systems
of charlatanry simply illustrates the
fact that the sick, although organic
changes have occurred in some in
stances, do frequently recover in the
hands of pretenders, because of the