Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13
Continued From Third Page)


formed themselves into the VILLAIN
Holland Wilmer Foundation, with Henry
Breckenridge as secretary, and the idea
thus received the dignity Of a name and
legal standing. One well known
philanthropist. who had never even met
Dr. Wilmer, was SO impressed with the
excellence Of the project that he gave
$4,000 and became q trustee of the
foundation.
Agrees to Give $I,500,OOO.
The General Education Board of the
Rockefeller Foundation was approached
and agreed to give 81 500, 900, provided
an equal sum could be raised from
other sources, and provided the pro-
posed institute could be built in con-
nection with some grea: university, so
that it would be intimately associated
with both a medical faculty and a gen.
eral hospital John Hopkins, with its
fine tradition Of scientific progress, was
suggested as a possibility, and accepted
the idea with eagerness, Offering to
contribute, as its part, a certain amount
of land on its grounds and a wing Of
one of its buildings until new building
could be put up. DR.. Wilmer had by
this time capitulated and agreed to go
to Johns Hopkins If the project could
be put through. DR.. William H. WEIGH
director of the School of Hygiene and
Public Health at John Hopkins, came
up to New York and threw himself
Fundamentally into the effort.
There was, however, no big campaign,
no loud general appeal to the public. no
drive" with all its complicated para
phernalia and daily publication of the
names Of donors. There was even no
publicity, no Office and no overhead.
Mrs. Breckenridge was determined that
the institute should be a memorial from
DR.. winners grateful patients, and that
she would accept no money which was
not freely and even enthusiastically
given.
Check Was Refused.
One of her appeals, for instance, went
to a millionaire high in national poll
tics. A few days after mailing it she
went to the officials Office aid was re-
ceived by his secretary: who had handed
her o check. saying, Mr.. x cannot
see you now, but he has read your
data and asked me to give you this
check
Without looking at the slip of paper
(she could not at that time have read
the sum it indicated If she had wished
to do so), Mrs. Breckenridge handed it
back and said:
I'm sorry, but If Mr.. x is not
sufficiently interested in this idea and
does not believe in it strongly enough
to see me personally, would rather not
take his money, because l want only
contributions which are expressions Of
genuine enthusiasm"
And she walked out, leaving the as
tonished secretary with the check in his
hand.
Two weeks later she received a per-
Sonal letter from Mr.. x. He ex-
planned that he had read her original
letter again, that he approved of her
attitude, and that gladly and willingly
he sent a check for $40.000i Later she
discovered that his original gift, which
she had handed back, had amounted to
$1,000.
The campaign was full of incredible
stories such as this. Rich and poor,
young and old, the people whom the
doctor had helped, brought their free
will offerings. Six days before the ANAL
date on which the fund had to be COM
pleted it was still $350,000 short of the
goal-until the only two patients who
had not responded made their pledges,
one for 100000 and the other for
$250,O00. The creation of the institute
was assured. 1t was perhaps the great
est of all spontaneously offered life
time memorials to a single man.
He opened its doors In q remodeled
wing of the Johns Hopkins Hospital in
October, 1925. In July of the following
year excavation was begun for a new
building to be added to the original
wing, and into this the institute moved
a year later. Now the completed struc-
ture is to be dedicated.
Unique Place in Medicine.
The Wilmer Ophthalmological Insti-
tut7 occupies a unique place in the his
tory OF American medicine and surgery.
1t is the first in the United States
equipped especially for the care of pa
tlents suffering from eye diseases, pro-
vided with laboratories especially con-
structed and prepared for reasearch into
diseases OF the eye and manned by
large and outstanding staff of physicians
cevoting their time exclusively to oph-
Technology. Its addition to Johns Hop
kins University and Hospital has made
that institution leader in this field.
The activities of the institute are,
generally speaking, three in number:
Those having to do with the treatment
ana care OF patients in clinic, dispen-
sary and hospital; those centering
around the teaching of the various
phases OF ophthalmology to the stu
.SHIo VI OOAltlo t1OpklIlS university anu
those who come from other inStitu-
lions and those in the fields of research.
The equipment reveals a completeness
and efficiency that leaves the visitor in
a state of dazzled admiration at Amer
lean thoroughneSs and ability for or
ganization There are II beds in the
hospital section, Of which At are free
side each bed Is pair Of radio ear
phones, which give the patient his
choice of two continuous programs. The
idea back of this is directly therapeutic
since doctors have discovered that IL a
persons mind can be distracted from
his pain after an operation his recov-
cry is likely to be much quicker.
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