Evening journal., 1901-05-16
HOW A BLIND man
BECAME A DOCTOR
Remarkable Attainment Of a
Student Of Medicine
in Chicago

George s. Dobbins. 81 Park avenue, who
has been wholly blind for over eighteen
years, has completed with honor the
course al the Chicago Homeopathic Aledi-
cal College. and will take his place among
the eight or ten blind physicians now
successfully practicing medicine in the
United States. Dr. Dobbins began to lose
5 sight about nineteen years ago. An in
mmatory optical malady destroyed all
sense Of sight, and one OF his eyes was
removed to give place to glass substi-
tute. The other eye became quite sight
less and viii soon be replaced by one OF
glass.
Four years ago. when Mr. Dobbins ap-
piled for admission to the Chicago Homeo-
pathic College members Of the faculty
and students refused to believe that he
could keep pace with the studies or hold
his own at the clinical demonstrations
and diagnoses Of disease.
But the blind student fooled them all
Remarkable power OF concentration, de-
veloped by fourteen years dependence on
hearing, touch and smell. enabled him to
memorlze lectures which escaped the dis
sipated observations OF more fortunate
students. His refined sense OF hearing be-
came the wonder of his class in the use
of stethoscope, percussion and other tests
Of lung and chest affections which must
be diagnosed by sound. In the apprecla-
tion OF tumors. cancers. Inflammation and
other ailments that are adjudged by the
operators touch Mr.. Dobbins quickly
demonstrated his superiority, and he was
not IN the college a year before he was
recognized and respected as one OF its
leading students.
Influenced by his peculiar limitations
Mr. Dobbins determined to devote all his
professional efforts to diseases of the
lungs. chest and respiratory organs. In
this department of medical science sounds
AMI not sight are the doctors guides, and
his classmates and professors are agreed
that the blind student is in every way
qualified to become successful specialist
along such lines.
Dr. ]. Wilson Evans. classmate and
comrade of DR.. Dobbins. has made a
practice of reading aloud to his friend all
the lectures and printed literature bearing
upon their mutual studies
Il think Dr. Dobbins' lack Of sight has
been more than Offset by his wonderful
powers of concentration, said DR. Evans.
Tie need hear a lecture hut once to re-
member it, The facility with which he
absorbs and applies knowledge has been
n source Of wonder to us all. His sense
of touch and his sense Of hearing are
equally exquisite-far superior TO those OF
men who have their sight. Furthermore,
he has not lost his appreciation Of form
and color. He was a grown man yhen
he lost mis- sight, but he remembers coiors,
tones. shades and forms so Well that a
written or recited description Immediately
enables him to form an idea Of the shape
or color Of anything"
Dr. DObbins has already collected a IL
brary of scientific books, all printed with
raised letter He reads as rapidly as
though he could see. lie is an expert with
the typewriter and is proud OF the fact
that he was one OF the first telegraph
operators to transcribe telegraphic mes
sage upon the writing machine. He is able
TO take dictation as speedily as the aver
age shorthand writer and prefers the ma
chine to either pen or pencil.
Dr. c. S. Dobbins was born in Peoria,
H., 46 years ago. His father. T. S Dob
bins, was president OF the Chicago and
Pacific Railroad Company. and It was IN
the service Of that road that young Dob
bins became an expert telegraph operator
and typewriter.-Chicago Record Herald.