The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-08-16
eTo be Continued,
A BLIND SURGEON.

Performs DiAc1lt Operations
Theusk He Has Seen NOTHING
Sinee lsirth.
When james II. Cooke, of Hunting
ton avenue, was two months old, both
Of his eyes were ruined by q blundcr-
ing doctor, who administered wrong
medicine. Since then he Inns been
totally blind. He Is now thirty-two
years Of age, aud lie Il consulted in
difficult cases by the most eminent Of
the regular physicians of Boston. He
has performed the present week two
very delicate and difficult surgical
operations, and In both cases the pa
tients are doing well. He locates u
disease by his sensitive touch, and he
tells the cOlOrs of goods in the snme
way, singular as 1t may appear. A
lady who had eight or ten samples Of
dress goods, each about three inches
square and Of different cOlors and
shades Of cOlOrs, handed them to DIR.
Cooke the other day, and he ut oace
told accurately the color and even the
shade Of quality Of each, and selected
the samples of best quality. When
handed several national bank and gov
eminent currency bills, lie Mt once told
the denomination of each, aud the col
or, whether green or black. He tells
the complexion of person by tOucll-
Ing the skin. 1t Is difficult to believe
that a blind man could do this, but he
lie is seen to do 1t, and accurately,
too.
DIR. Cooke went among Buffalo Bills
Indians the other day, and dcsignat-
ed their character by their voices,
spoken In the Indian dialect. He Inc
three diplomas :rGm colleges Of this
and foreign countries and four ccrti.
ficates of commentator from institu.
tions where lie has taken special
courses of study. He went through
course of study under the famous
Weir Mitchell.
Before DR.. Cooke was p years Of age
he was employed by II large tobacco
house to select the raw tobacco for
them. lie never failed In getting the
best quality and the most desirable
color-all by the touch. From this
source he earned over $1,000. which
paid his expenses ut a university In
Tennessee. where lie stood Mt the head
OF his class. From the Tennessee uni
versity he entered a medical school.
where he was to the fore all through
the class. He has taken special stud
les In five ether institutions, n part
of them in Europe. TO attain I'LL that
this remarkable man has accomplished
in the higher classics and professional
studies Of the college required large
and firmly knit brain. perseverance
and self-reliancc to an unusual degree.
The two women patients that he
operated upon last week are both do
lug well. In one case a large tumor
was removed; the other was still
more difficult and delicate case. When
lifting out the tumor, DIR. Cooke found
that he had twcnty-four fOrceps hold
Ing veins and arteries. He tied blood
vessels quickly and removed the for
ceps. He takes up and ties severed ar
tries in difficult cases more rapidly
than any Of the clear-sccing surgeons.
He has no idea Of the appearance of.
the moon and planets and stars, nor
of the sun; and night and day aro all
the same to him, except the stiffness
Of the night does not escape his attcn-
tfon. He is hard working and un-
tagging student. He has a typewrit-
er. to whom lie dictates. His wife
writes medical prescriptions in Latin.
Boston Correspondence Of the Hart.
ford Times