Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-05-27
Mayo Brothers, Philanthropists.

Former President VIM. II. Taft in a
recent article in the Philadelphia Pub
/ lie Ledger gives an interesting account
OF the work and spirit of the Mayo
brothers, world famous physicians and
pnllanthropists. He says:
A friend OF Christian civilization
and a supporter OF the present social
order reJoICeS 10 visit such shrine OF
| philanthropy as can be found at
| Rochester, Minnesota To that obscure
and remote town came from England
/ a good many years ago a physician and
surgeon named DR.. W. w. Mayo. He
/ had been brought up in an atmosphere
| OF scientific progress ali had studied
with the English physician, Dalton.
! he settled down 10 general practice
| in Rochester and attained eminence in
! his profession. He had two sons,
| william and Charles, who followed his
| profession and developed the highest
known Skill in surgery, acquiring a
reputation that brought people from
| the country around to seek relief at
! their hands. They soon discovered that
/ their income was quite beyond their
own need, and they conceived in their
breadth OF vision the opportunity OF
phIlanthrOpic progressive work for re-
! isl VI NlNIl SNllNhNll INllO" lllGll- ms
/ turned half OF their income over to a
/ business friend, with the request that
| he invest 1t and increase 1t; and thus
in the days of rapid increase in values
/ this fund became S2,00O,00O Mean
time their reputation grew, the demand
| for their service and for the enlarge
mcnt and development Of their plant
greatly widened They adopted the
/ principle that no one needing surgical
aid and coming to Rochester should be
turned away without receiving it; that
the rich and the moderately circum-
Stanced should be made to pay in pro-
portion to their means, and that the man
without anything should receive aid for
nothing. The amount received from
the wealthy they apportioned with a
view OF creating a foundation for their
! clinic, which should continually en-
large its usefulness. Rochester is now
a town of $4,000. 1t now has con-
Stantly 1000 to 5000 transient resi-
dents who are there for treatment.
/ There are 900 beds all told in the va
! riOuS hospitals, and something more
than 300 are being added Sixty thou
sand cases of all kinds are received
and treated a year. The iron rule is
that the poorest shall receive as care
full and as good trea mcnt as the veal
thieSt. The result has been that the
name of the MayoS an Rochester has
spread to the uttermost quarters of the
world, and today a most cosmopolitan
group grcetS the visitor in all the build
lngS in which this great philanthropy
is carried on. AS one notes the crowds
of people that gather from 7 in the
morning until late in the evening every
day to await their turn for examination
diagnosis and treatment, he thinks that
he has come to the shrine of saint
One or the other of the Mayo
brothers is always on duty in Rochester
! With them 100 trained physicians con-
Sttute the staff. Added to these are
graduates of medical schools with
academic degrees, who have served as
internes in hospitals, and each ply
stefan of the staff has one TO assist him
and to learn. And as these assistants
settle elsewhere the progress of the
science of healing is radiated. Ply
SiclanS in active practice from all parts
OF the country and the world come tO
observe the operations, to add to their
knowledge and usefulness and TO keep
in touch with the constant advances
here being made. The institution has
now become part of the University OF
Minnesota, and the foundation was
created out of the fund TO which the
Mayos for many years devoted halt
their income. In the natural growth
now behind the enterprise are &C
cumulatlonS amounting to S6,00O,OO0
| all devoted solely to the work and of
winch the founders are but trustees.
II Is hard TO OvercStimate the enor-
/ Va Inc tf hnr,,,, IND -, 81.
reSS OF the science Of medicine and
surgery which is being secured
through this great institution. Three
hundred thousand specimens from the
Nwork of the institution are now in the
museum and are made available FOR
scientific study and advance. 1t soon
Will be the greatest of its kind in the
world. The genius of the staff is
stimulated to invention of new me-
| chanical and other means for facilitating
operations and dclvng with accurate
vision and nice execution into the hith-
erto forbidden recess of the human
BODY. Patents are never taken out for
! them They are given to the world as
BENJAMIN Franklin gave his. for the
benefit OF his fcilOwmen Rochester
! is thus great and growing university
iof medicinal advance.
he chief interest Of the founders,
however, in all of this is the promotion
/ OF the social principle that puts man
and man rich and poor. on a level in
! seeking relief from suffering. No pa
! tlent gives a note for the fees not paid
| His honor is relied on. This conf
dence has been justified by the result
! This history of Rochester is an inspir-
/ ing story of the successful blending of
business foresight and system. of pro
feSSional genius and devotion and the
PureSt love of human kind The dis