Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-02-07
A BOSTON INSTITUTIONS.
The Peabody Medical Institute and Its
Quarter Century's Work.

The Peabody Medical Institute and Its
Quarter Century's Work.
One of the self-evident propositions re-
garding most, if not all, human insti-
tutions, is that their survival indicates
their fitness to exist. In other words,
when an institution best serves some good
purpose it is apt to live while such pur-
pose is to be, or should be served. To
combat the ordinary ills to which the
flesh is heir, we have good physicians
by the thousand and hospitals by the hun
dred; but there are ailments of so subtle
nature, many of which infest society like
dry rot that require special skill and
care in their treatment, that the specialist
alone-and he must be man of rare
qualifications-can best treat them. OF
such ailments those which have their
origin in disorders of the nervous system
are usually the most difficult to deal with,
or to treat successfully, Their origin
may be remote to the eye of the ordinary
practitioner, while to the eye of the
specialist it may be plainly indicated by
the nature of the manifestations. At any
rate, they are always more or less difficult
of treatm ent, requiring peculiar methods
and patient and persevering attention on
the part of the medical man. To treat
such nervous maladies was the object of
the founder of the Peabody Medical
Institute, when, some 25 years ago, he es-
tablished it at No. Bulfnch street, Bos-
ton, where it is located to this day, and
where it will, no doubt, continue for
many years to come, it being an estab-
lished fact in the history of medical
institutions that where they are eminently
useful to humanity they become perma-
ment. Its mission being largely phllan-
thropic, it was named after that eminent
American philanthropist, the late George
Peabody, whose beneficence gladdens
and will continue to gladden. thousands of
his fellow-beings on both sides of the At
lantic for ages to come. 1t has had a
wonderful history of success, has this
Peabody Medical Institute, and it has ex-
tended its usefulness not Only throughout
the length and breadth of this lsnd, but
in the countries of Europe and Asia. So
systematic are the methods pursued in the
conduct of the business pertaining to this
Institution that it can treat by letter at
any distance the most obstinate cases of
diseases which come within the scope of
its treatment.
The Peabody Medical Institute, also, has
done vast amount of philathropic work
in its publications, which. while being
standard medical works, are yet written
for the purpose of bringing about that
most necessary condition of self-know-
ledge that is embodied in the motto,
" Know rhyself." Indeed, there is no
estimating the value of such publications,
written as these are for popular compre-
hension, for they disseminate the infor-
nation that is most essential to the man
or woman who would lead moral, sober
and virtuous life.
Filling such a useful sphere in the ed
ucation and enlightenment of the world,
and in ministering to the mind dlseas.
ed, as well as the body, as is the case
in most nervous diseases, it is not to be
wondered at that the Peabody Medical
Institute lives and thrives, but the wonder
would be that it should not live and ex-
tend its influence in behalf of suffering
humanity. Boston, Mass, Herald, Dec.
10, 1899