The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-12-24
LORENZ AND MARION
SIMS.

The visit of Prof. Lorenz to this
country and the apprec iative welcome
rendered him by the medical profess
sion and the laity of the United States
in every city he has visited recall to
those who moved upon the scene
generation ago the tour made by the
late DR.. j. Marion Sims throughout
Great Britain and the Continent. The
special object of DR.. Sims visit was
the demonstration of method of cur
ing by operation condition which
rendered the victim far more helpless
and hopeless than that which exists
in the unfortunate patients with con-
genital d.slocation at the hip. Be-
fore the advent of this great man,
whose genius carried the fame of
American surgery throughout the civ
ilized world, no curative measures
had succeeded and the host of women
suffering from the painful and loath-
some condition which he had learned
to cure could up to that moment look
forward to no relief from life of
suffering and isolation but that which
death alone could bring.
The scene witnessed on Tuesday in
the surgical amphitheatre of the New
York Polytechnic Medical School and
Hospital when the gifted Vienna sur
geon demonstrated to the physicians
in attendance at this institution, rep
resenting practically every State in
the United States, his original opera
ton for the correction of lameness
caused by fault in development, re-
calls the to- be-forgotten occa-
sion at La Charlie in Paris when, in
1862, in the presence of Velpeau and
Nelaton and large audience compos-
ed of representative physicians from
all parts of France, "the country
doctor from Alabama successfully
demonstrated his method in the case
of young woman upon whom more
than dozen operations had been es-
sayed in vain.
From this brilliant triumph Marion
Sims went forth to the professional
of Europe. The journals of
the day heralded his advent, and the
gates of the capitals of kingdoms were
thrown open to his coming. From
place to place he journeyed, healing
the afflicted and teaching others how
to heal. Kings of the realm of science
We'd with each other to do him honor,
and kings and rulers of nations were
proud to confer upon him the highest
decorations in their power. Upon the
base of the pedestal which his statue
in Bryant Park overlooks, the physi-
clans of our time and of all times may
read with encouragement the epitome
of his life.
Truthfully and Loyalty spoke our
citizen and surgeon, Dr.
T. Gaillard Thomas. when, in his adj
dress before the graduating class of
Cornell within year, he said to
those who stood upon the threshold of
a medical career: "If were asked to
name the men who in all time have
done most for the welfare of their
fellowmen 1 would say, William Jen-
ner George Washington and Marion
Sims -
The genius which invents and es-
tablishes a system, method or an
operation, and thus saves life, lessons
suffering or restores to usefulness the
members of the human fam
lily, deserves the boundless gratitude
of mankind. In the same spirit of APP
probation shown to the immortal
Sims the Americn people of all classes
and professions welcome this modest,
skilful and generous benefactor of the
afflicted, Adolf Lorenz. N. Y. Sun