Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-11
A BLIND PHYSICIAN.
Remarkable Achievements of Young
Student in Chicago.
d-Ha

Remarkable Achievements of a YOun e
Student in Chicago.
From the Chicago Record Herald.
George S. Dobbins, 81 Park avenue, who
has been wholly blind for more than eight
cen years, has completed with honor the
course at the Chicago Homeopathic Med
ical College, and will take his place among
the eight, or ten blind physicians now sue
cessful practicing medicine in the United
States. DR.. Dobbns began to lose his sight
nearly nineteen years ago. An infiamma-
tory optical malady destroyed all sense of
sight, and one of his eyes was removed
to give place to glass substitute. The
other eye became quite Sightless, and will
soon be replaced by one of glass.
Four years ago, when Mr.. Dobbins ap-
piled for admission to the Chicago Home
opathic 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, devel-
Oped by fourteen years dependence upon
hearing, touch and smell. enabled him to
memoriZe lectures which escaped the diSSi-
pated observations of more fortunate stu
dents. His refined sense of hearing became
the wonder of his class in the use of steth-
oscope percussion and other tests of lung
and chest affections which must be dag
nosed by sound In the appreciation of tu-
mors. cancers, Inflammation and other all
ments that are adjudged by the operator
touch Mr.. Dobbins quickly demonstrated
his superiority, and he was not in the COL
lege 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 pro-
fessional efforts to diseases of the lungs,
chest and respiratory organs. In this de-
partment of medical science sounds and
,nf cerht hn tow er,t;6 dos l,s1
classmates and professors are agreed that
the blind student is in every way qualified
to become successful specialist along such
lines.
rade Of DR.. Dobbins. has made a practice
of reading aloud to his friend all the lee
lures and printed literature bearing upon
their mutual studies.
IT think Dr. Dobbins' lack Of sight has
been more than offset by his wonderful
powers of concentration said DR.. Evans.
HE need hear lecture but once to re-
member it. The faculty with which he alb
serbs and applies knowledge has been a
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 when he lost his
sight, but he remembers cofors, tones. shades
and forms SO well that written or recited
description Immediately enables him to
form an idea Of the shape or color Of any
thing"
DR.. Dobbins has already collected libra
~ of scientific books, all printed with
raised letters. He reads as rapidly as
though he could see. He Is an expert with
/. the typewriter, and is proud Of the fact
that he was one Of the FIRST telegraph OPP
orators to transcribe a Geographic message
upon the writing machine. He is able to
take dictation as speedily as the average
shorthand writer and prefers the machine
to either pen or pencil.
DR.. q. 8. Dobbins was born In Peoria,
Dobbins. 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,
Having completed his course at the Chi
cago HorheopAthetic College. DR.. Dobbins
will take postgraduate course.