Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-15
SCIENTISTS ATTEND
WILMER OPENING
Institute Dedicated at Johns
Hopkins With World Famous
Specialists Present.
Special Dispatch to the star.

NSSStSs
Special Dispatch to the Star.
BALTIMORE, Nd, October ia
group of scientific men from this cou1l-
try and abroad and of women who have
aided in its establishment, began today
the ceremonies of dedicating the Will
mer CHRONOLOGICAL Institute at Johns
Hopkins Medical School.
The ceremonies began on the lawn
of the Hopkins Hospital, at the corner
of Broadway and Jefferson streets. The
exercises will continue today and to-
morrow.
On Thursday and Friday the cere-
monies of dedicating the William H
WEIGH medical library and the new
chair of the history of medicine, which
DR.. william H. WEIGH will occupy, will
take place.
Many In Attendance.
Those attending the ceremonies to-
day, in addition to members of the
faculty of the Johns Hopkins University
included Profs. Ernest Fuchs Of the
eve clinic OF the University of Vienna,
who will speak late this afternoon;
Sarah Herbert Parsons, EYE specialist
of London, who will speak tomorrow;
George E. Vincent, president OF the
Rockefeller Foundation; Herbert L.
Satterlee, president of the William Hol-
land Wilmer Foundation; Mrs. Aida de
Acosta Root Breckenridge, Mrs. Evan
geline Lindbergh, the last named the
mother of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh,
and many scientists from this country
and abroad.
DR.. Joseph S. Anes, the president OF
the Johns Hopkins University in open
ing the exercises paid tribute to Mrs.
Breckenridge. He said:
This institute owes its origin to the
sympathetic understanding and imagi-
nation Of o woman. She interested q
large group Of her friends in her plans,
and the william Holland Wilmer Foun-
dalton was the result.
University CO-Operates.
"The cooperation Of the university
was offered and in O short time, the
plan was realized, mainly by the gener-
Gus support Of the general education
board. The existence today of this in
stitute is striking evidence of the fact
that success is assured to any project
which combines a great idea, man
who can carry it into action and q
place where the idea will be cherished
"On this day, which sees the fulfill
persons, must congratulate, first, Mrs
Breckenridge; then her associates of the
Wilmer Foundation, the university and
hospital, the students, faculty and staff
who will work here; the patients who
will come for help and comfort, but
above all, DR.. Wilmer himself, who sees
his dreams realized.
IF such words are necessary, hereby
declare the William Holland Wilmer
archaeological Institute open and
dedicated to the service of man"
Following the exercises the institute
buildings on the hospital grounds were
thrown open. Tea was served on the
lawn this afternoon. The exercises will
be closed with an address by DR.. Fuchs
on opthalmology as it is practiced in
Europe.
The inception of this $4,000, 900 in
stitute is due largely to the gratitude
and untiring efforts of Mrs. Breckin-
ridge, wife Of the Assistant Secretary
Of War in the Wilson administration.
When Idea Occurred.
The idea first came to her, she says,
when she was q patient of DR.. Wilmer
in a hospital awaiting an operation
with her eyes shrouded in bandages.
She suggested such an institution to
the Washington physician, to be
financed largely by grateful former
patients, but he was shocked by the
idea of such capitalization, although
he admitted that the proposed estab-
lishment would be of untold worth.
But he refused to provide her with any
list Of his patients and assured her that
he would block any effort she might
make to obtain such q list.
Then she went to work secretly. Her
most valuable help, she says, came
from an old colored man named Will
liam, who was the only attendant in
DR., Winners Washington ONCE and
who remembered great many Of the
persons who had entered his consulting
room for years past She obtained these
names from William a few at a time
and went to see them. A few names
came from other sources.
Finally contributions were obtained
from 338 former patients, in donations
ranging from small amounts UP to mil
lions. To these donations was added
an outright contribution of 1900, 900
from the Rockefeller Foundation If the
institute could be connected with some
great university. Johns Hopkins Uni
versity accepted the idea and DR.. Will
mer agreed to 60 there II the project
could be put through.
Meets Present Husband.
1t was while interviewing former
patients, Mrs. Breckenridge revealed,
that she became acquainted with her
present husband. His name was one
Of those supplied by the old colored
servant. When a child, Col. Breckin-
ridge had ruptured several veins in
one Of his eyes during coughing spell
when i'll with whooping cough and was
taken to DR.. Winners Office for
treatment.
The next time he called on Dr. Will
mer, at the age Of IL, he took with
him an old horse which his father had
brought back from the Spanish Ameri-
can War The horse, a great favorite
with the little boy, was going blind and
veterinarians said nothing could be
done for it.
William, the old servant, refused the
boy admission, protesting that the ia
nous eye specialist was no horse doc
tor. But finally the childs pleas won
the old man over and he consented to
tell the doctor that the boy was there.
| DR.. Wilmer ordered the horse brought
into the back yard. where he diagnosed
the trouble and prescribed treatment
which restored the horses SIGHT.