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

week will see. in Baltimore, ar
| event whose contemplation
l. should brighten the sky for the
| deepest peSsimiSt and the mosi
hopeless critic of the so-called American
materialism. 1t is the dedication, be-
| fore a notable group of people from
| many countries, of an unpretentious
| red brick building on the grounds of
| Johns Hopkins Hospital.
For the Wilmer institute has back of
1t story as fun of daring, high-hearted
! adventure and almost incredible Incl
/ dents as any fiction ever typed. 1t is
| tale to restore ones faith in
/ human nature, for 1t is compounded of
| the finest elements in human character
gratitude, enthusiasm for service to
| mankind, pity, generosity, and that
selfless passion for discovering scientific
| truth which is one of mans greatest
guarantees of upward development.
Its beginnings go back into the his
tory OF medicine and surgery. In the
| old days physician was always man
OF standing and honor. learned person,
| a cleric. But the surgeon-barbe was
a low-clasS person who divided his time
between trimming hair and boards and
doing any cutting" on patients that
the doctor thought necessary, since the
priest-physician could not stain his
own hands with blood.
Absurd Situation Changes.
With the development of medicine
and surgery this absurd situation, Of
course, changed 1t was realized how
great was the knowledge, skill and eXpe-
rience necessary for this art, and the
surgeon took an honored place beside
the doctor.
Ophthalmology, the scientific study
of the eye in all its aspects, was regard
ed as a branch of surgery, and because
of the historical background Of sur
gerry it was much slower in its develop
ment than many branches of medicine
AS recently as rs years ago the ophthal-
mologist was often charlatan. Even
after treatment of eye disorders had adj
vanced to the stage of science 1t was
not usually regarded, in this country,
as speciality in itself, but was grouped
with diseases of the ear, nose and
throat. In this respect the United
States had not kept pace with Europe.
We did have in this country. how
ever, small group of eye specialists
who ranked at the very top of their
profession. One of these was William
Holland Wilmer of Washington. To his
Office came not only the general run of
humanity, but also statesmen, finan-
ciers, people important in every walk of
life, those who knew where to look for
expert treatment and did not hesitate
to travel half way around the world to
get It, Many Of them went away with
their sight saved or restored and. full
of gratitude to the man who had cured
them and to the medical profession in
general, gave literally to their home
town hospitals. DR.. Wilmer himself
carried on his work and his researches
as best he could with limited hours of
freedom and inadequate facilities.
Had Office on Street.
His Office in Washington was on Eye"
street, named for that letter of the al
phabet which follows II" and precedes
81" His patients declare that the name
of the street was spelled that way be-
cause he lived on it, This is certainly
not the case. but it is interesting as
illustrating the almost worshipful at
titude toward him of those who have
known his skill and the warmth of his
personality.
For DR.. Wilmer was and is man
with remarkable gift of inspiring con-
fidence and loyalty. Born in Powhatan
County, Va. in 1863. and educated first
at the University of Virginia, he is that
type generally described as "the high