USA > Maine > Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine, Volume I > Part 105
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"The building is completed. It is finished so far as putting together the materials of its structure is concerned, but its work, so long as the human race exists, can never be com- pleted, for 'The poor ye shall always have with you.' It will be a silent witness of mingled joy and sorrow. Joy for the aged whose declining years, shrouded in darkness, are restored to light; joy for the many whose sufferings are relieved, and whose minds are at rest in the assurance that all will be done for them that is possible for their relief. And sorrow for those whose misfortunes are be- yond relief, who perhaps came too late, or expected more benefit than it would be pos- sible to give. In its interior arrangement, in its outward form, in its high ideal, it speaks to-day of a purpose loftier than words can express. It speaks to-day of a capacity to do good, of its necessities with which to accom- plish its work, and in its destiny it speaks to-day like the orphan, who must be clothed in the robes of charity and fed with the hand of love. May its pleadings be heard, and may it receive that support which will enable its work to be carried on to the fullest extent.
"In closing, I wish to thank you for your kind attention. I wish to express to each and all my sincere thanks for the generous support which has sustained me in this great undertaking. Could the smile of gratitude be seen, the pressure of the hand be felt, and the 'God bless you' be heard from those who have received the benefits of this charity, they would serve as the greatest commendation of this occasion and as an expression of gratitude to those who, by their gifts, have made it pos- sible. They would also serve to prompt the giving of that aid, so much needed at this time, to continue this charitable work in this its enlarged sphere. Let us continue to exem- plify more fully that spirit so early taught us that,
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'Little deeds of kindness, Little words of love, Make our earth an Eden, Like the heaven above.'
and thus learn the lesson that true happiness consists in helping others, 'that it is more blessed to give than to receive.' Let our ef- forts to sustain this new charity in its new home correspond to its enlarged capacity to do good. Let us trust that ere the hands on the clock's dial shall point to the last hour of the nineteenth century, the work of this charity will have demonstrated the wisdom of its promoters in erecting this building, and that it will be recorded of them that they did
their duty, their whole duty, and nothing but their duty to mankind."
The law for the prevention of blindness, the passage of which by the Maine legislature was secured by Dr. Holt, provides that if one or both eyes of an infant becomes reddened or inflamed within four weeks of its birth it shall be the duty of the midwife, nurse or per- son having charge of said infant to report the condition of the eyes at once to some legally qualified practitioner of medicine of the city, town or district in which the parents reside. Failure to comply with this law is punishable by a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars or imprisonment not to exceed six months. This is not excessive when it is considered that about one-fourth of the totally blind are ren- dered so by inflammation of the eyes in in- fancy which is preventable when treated prop- erly.
It will be noted that Dr. Holt advocated a new method for the treatment of these cases, namely the douche, which consists in thor- oughly syringing out the folds of the upper lids of the eyes, thereby removing the germs which cause the inflammation. Dr. Holt's papers on the removal of steel and iron from the eye attracted wide attention, as he was the first to report a series of cases to the American Ophthalmological Society success- fully treated by this method. The Transac- tions of the society show that at first he was almost alone in this work, because he had been successful in saving eyes that were often in similar cases removed by the attending physi- cian or surgeon on account of danger to the other eye. When, however, the family physi- cian or surgeon learned that the iron or steel could be removed with the electro-magnet and the sight saved, they referred such cases to the specialist, so that in after years other specialists had abundant cases to report to the society.
In 1894 Dr. Holt took a large amount of additional work upon himself in founding the Maine Academy of Medicine and Science and its official organ, the Journal of Medicine and Science, for the purpose of obtaining a medi- cal registration law for the state of Maine. Dr. F. E. Sleeper, being a member of the Legislature some six years prior to this time, had secured the passage of a medical regis- tration law, but Governor Bodwell was in- duced to veto the law after it had been signed by him. This lead to legal proceedings by the Maine Medical Association to reinstate the law. These efforts to restore the law failed
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and the proceedings created a good deal of feeling among the politicians against the med- ical profession, so that no attempt had been made to secure another law on account of this feeling. The academy was formed on the basis that laymen interested in medical sub- jects could become members. They did so in large numbers and the passage of the present medical registration law was secured in 1895. Thus the main object for the founding of the academy was secured within a year, but the meetings of the academy were so interesting, especially to the laymen, that they were con- tinued very successfully until a majority of the council thought it proper for the homeopaths to be admitted if laymen were, and upon this point a large number of the minority withdrew from the academy.
At the February meeting of the Academy, to which members of the legislature were in- vited and a majority of them attended, making a meeting of two or three hundred, Dr. Holt read his paper on "Relations of Modern Civili- zation to Affections of the Eyes and the Ner- vous System, and the Relation of Ametropia to Diseases of the Eyes," in which he alvo- cated the school physician in the following words :
"Constitutional diseases affect the eyes in two ways-directly when the structures of the eyes are a part of the system that is involved, and indirectly when the functions of the eyes are reduced by a lowered tone of the system. Every person has a capacity for physical exer- cise or mental exertion beyond which it is harmful to go, and the earlier this is learned the better it will be for the individual. Nosce te ipsum is one of the greatest and best at- tainments. I do not mean that to know thy- self it is necessary to study medicine for years, but to acquire that more important and prac- tical knowledge of one's capacity and limita- tion for the duties of life. If these are recog- nized and acted upon they will guide the in- dividual to early select that occupation which he is best adapted to fulfill and will enable him to acquire that mental and physical training without injury to himself, which will best fit him to fulfill the duties of his chosen occupa- tion. In order to possess this attainment, ac- curate observations must be begun in childhood and be carried on through school life by a new officer to be created-the school physician- who must have special qualifications for the duties to be performed. No one will question the absurdity of forcing or even allowing a child to attain a certain rank, or of accom- plishing a certain amount of school work, at
the expense of breaking down his general health or of injuring his eyes so he will be unable to use that knowledge for practical purposes. And yet this is just what comes to the notice of every physician altogether too frequently. All these disastrous results could be avoided by following the advice of the school physician qualified to make observa- tions and examinations of such pupils. It is evident that so much of vital importance to one's future welfare should not be left so largely to chance. But as lamentable as are these results of school life they are not nearly so bad nor so numerous as those of adult life, where the individual has made every prepara- tion, and has strained his eye and nervous sys- tem beyond their capacity to prepare himself for his chosen occupation, only to find in a few years that his eyes give out and his ner- vous system breaks down. What a pitiable condition such a person is in, contending on the one hand against an affection of the eyes which has compelled him to abandon his oc- cupation and which threatens to keep him away from it permanently, and on the other hand against an impending want incident to this disability. It is these cases that appeal loudly for the school physician, for if school life were under proper medical supervision there would be very few such disasters in adult life."
In its truthfulness, breadth and delicate treatment of the life and character of Payson Tucker and his great assistance in founding and carrying on the work of the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary, Dr. Holt's eulogy at the unveiling of the marble bust of Mr. Tucker presented to the Infirmary by Mrs. Tucker is considered a masterpiece by those who listened to it and are critical in their judgment. We quote from it :
"One of the marked traits of his character was to assist those who had fallen from in- herent misfortunes, and many a person has cause to remember him with a grateful heart for the assistance and sympathy rendered to them in their hour of trouble, when the world seemed cold and friendless. However erring persons might be, whenever he found them in sickness or distress, he extended to them his sympathy and support.
"He was fond of calling Maine the play- ground of the nation. He believed in her re- sources, her fields, forests, lakes and rivers. He believed that these, with her thousands of miles of indented coast, rock-ribbed by the sea and ancient as the sun, afforded a paradise for tourists unsurpassed in all the world. He
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believed they would come in increasing num- bers when the wealth of these in climate, scenery and health-giving properties was more fully realized. Hence he was intensely inter- ested in the development of all parts of the state, and ready to assist any effort to make her natural resources more attractive and bet- ter known to those who might seek them for health and recreation. Surely by the fruitage of his labors he made to grow two blades of grass where but one grew before.
"To err is human, to forgive divine. Pay- son Tucker possessed these attributes of char- acter in common with mankind. He was in- tensely human, and his good will to man was one of the conspicuous traits of his character, We must recognize, as he did, that man does not determine his own existence nor the na- ture with which he is endowed; therefore, in estimating his achievements, we must con- sider the obstacles, not only in the world, but in himself, with which he has to contend and overcome. As Winthrop sad in the celebrated eulogy of George Peabody, so we might say here of Payson Tucker with all tenderness of heart : 'You rob him of his richest laurel, you refuse him his brightest crown, when you at- tempt to cover up or disguise any of those in- nate tendencies, any of those acquired habits, any of those besetting temptations against which he struggled so bravely and so tri- umphantly.' His kindness of heart, his gen- erous nature, and his achievements were so conspicuous that we are lost in the unity of their accomplishments, and the robe of char- ity was so constantly a part of his daily dress that it overshadows all.
"While there was no formal declaration that he followed the precepts of Him whose life marked the beginning of our era, still if we are to judge Payson Tucker by the standard set by the Master, we must place him among Christians of the ideal type, for he went about doing good, and thereby derived his greatest enjoyment.
"The gorgeous display of flowers at his funeral was a manifestation of the esteem in which he was held, but as great as this dis- play was-never equalled in the history of this state-we believe that if everyone to whom he had done some loving kindness had been able to place a flower around his grave, he would have slept that night within a wilderness of roses mingled with the tears from the sorrow of an equal number of grateful hearts.
"If we look for the source of these traits of character, we must assume first, that he was largely endowed by nature, and second, that
his early environments had much to do in de- veloping them. We find him at the early age of thirteen, embarked upon a career in which he began to acquire his acquaintance with the public. This is an age in which the active mind participates in all the affairs that tran- spire within its range. He thus early in life became acquainted and impressed with the public needs. There developed a bond of sym- pathy between him and the public, akin to that which exists between members of an ideal family. This bond of sympathy developed, as he grew in years, into a bond of love in serv- ing the public, and endeared him to many in- dividuals and the community as a whole, in which he lived, moved and had his being.
"John Fiske, the profound historian and writer, was the first to point out the absolute necessity of the long period of childhood to develop and mould character, and to create that bond of sympathy and affection which ripens into love in the family circle, as the type of the units of an enlightened community and nation. Payson Tucker's career made him a member of the public circle, composed of dif- ferent families and communities, and his con- spicuous traits of character were developed along these lines.
"Maine is proud of her sons and daughters, proud of those who have linked their for- tunes with hers. She is proud of those who have achieved distinction in law, medicine and in the ministry; in the arts and sciences, in literature and in the affairs of life. Within her Temple of Fame, in the galaxy of her distinguished men whose worth to her people has been good and great, will appear the artist's ideal of Payson Tucker. Around his form and features will cluster the deeds of his useful life, making them conspicuous among the great men whose lives and character shine forever like the stars. This marble bust which gives the outlines so vividly of the classic form and features of him whom we knew and revered in the flesh-that we almost feel him within our presence-will stand here as time goes on to remind those who knew or will learn the story of Payson Tucker's life that one of his chief characteristics was to do good to others, exemplifying the maxim while he lived that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Few men gave more in propor- tion to their means than he, and in this re- spect his life stands out like a beacon light to those who possess wealth, that they may be guided to follow his example and bestow their gifts while they live, and thereby derive one of the greatest enjoyments of life.
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"Mr. Chairman, since beginning this culogy, the theme has grown upon mie and with me. Its foundation began in the infancy and ma- tured in the manhood of my acquaintance of twenty-five years with Payson Tucker, but the thoughts which I have expressed have crystal- lized into their present form within a few days amid many duties, including the cares and re- sponsibilities of an exacting professional life. His charity was as varied as the views of the kaleidoscope, for in whatever direction we turn to view his life, there appears a picture of his beneficence, of increasing beauty to the one that appeared before.
"We are at times bewildered in the mystic maze of his munificence, and while we find it pleasing to follow, nevertheless, it is difficult to portray. In the labyrinth of his beneficent deeds we discern that his motto was :
'Have love! Not love alone for one, But man, as man, thy brother call, And scatter like the circling sun, Thy charities on all.'
"As it was my privilege to solicit his assist- ance in founding this institution, it is a pleas- ure to recount some of the qualities of his life, which furnished the foundation that de- veloped the desire to do all he could for it while he lived, to benefit his fellow men. Of his friendship I can hardly trust myself to speak. For fifteen years he was a staff of oak in maintaining this charity, and a sense of the loss we have sustained in this work so im- poverishe's all I might say that silence may seem better than the failure of language to ex- press it. His words were hope to the dis- couraged, and a balm to the afflicted, while his sympathy gave inspiration and his kindness a silver lining to every cloud. To me his coun- sel and advice were an inspiration that urged to do what seemed to others impossible, and I shall feel that I have attempted to do my duty to his memory if what I have said on this occasion shall conduce to a fuller appreciation of our beloved president and associate, Pay- son Tucker."
Judge Joseph W. Symonds, who spoke at the unveiling of the marble bust of Mr. Tucker, said :
"We have all listened, I am sure, with in- terest and pleasure to the delightful tribute by Dr. Holt to the memory of our late dis- tinguished fellow townsman and friend, Mr. Payson Tucker, and to the just and eloquent words of eulogy which have followed. I ap- preciate and feel the charm of the evening thus far; I would not lessen nor mar it; and there is little, so very little, that I can even hope to add. Dr. Holt's long friendship and
intimacy with Mr. Tucker, many associations which linked them closely together, especially in the founding and building of this institution, have enabled him to sketch with a masterly hand, in a way I do not pretend or attempt to emulate, the familiar but striking and im- pressive features of Mr. Tucker's mind and character.
"No portraiture could be more perfect than that of the marble which we unveil to-night ; but we can see our friend quite as clearly, quite as truly, in the eulogies as in the bust. In this work of art, by the munificence of Mrs. Tucker-and much as the Infirmary values the gift it will always have an added value as her gift-in this work of art, by her munificence, we look again upon the face we all remember so well. Under the hand of genius the manly spirit which used to inform and inspire it breaks through the marble lines and haunts and illumines as of old, but in the words of Dr. Holt and Dr. Wright and Dr. Gordon, wc seem to read the record of Payson Tucker's mind and heart. The two should go together, the eulogies and the bust, should remain to- gether for all time, companion pictures, com- panion portraits of Payson Tucker. So shall the generations which come after us, fre- quenting these halls, reverting now and then to the history of this institution, continue to recognize him as among the foremost of its founders, and learn to know him and remem- ber him as he was."
In the same annual report, Colonel F. N. Dow, as president of the board of trustees of the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary, speaking for the full board, says :
"The present seems opportune for refer- ence to the great indebtedness of the Infirm- ary, and, through it, of the state, to its execu- tive surgeon, Dr. E. E. Holt. Fifteen years have passed since the services of Dr. Holt to this institution have been more or less ap- parent to the public at large. All who know anything of the Infirmary are aware that it owes its inception to him. But only those who are thoroughly conversant with its his- tory can ever know to what extent, whatever it is able to do for the unfortunate of the state, is due to him. It is no disparagement to oth- ers who have been tireless in zeal and gener- ous in gifts for the Infirmary, to say that during the fifteen years of its existence, as well as for its inception, the Infirmary and the charitable objects it serves are more than to any other individual indebted to Dr. Holt. His recognition of a need of a charity of the kind, and his faith in the ability and disposi-
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tion of the people of the state of Maine to sustain it, supplemented by the zeal, self-sac- rifice, devotion and executive force he has brought to the direction and administration of its affairs, made the Infirmary in the first in- stance possible and then brought it to its pres- ent high rank, where it compares favorably in equipment and useful effectiveness with any similar institution of its kind in the country. Reference is made to this fact here because Dr. Holt during the past year has several times informally notified members of this board that reasonable care of his own health makes it inevitable that at no distant day he must be relieved of much of the burden which he has so cheerfully and ably borne for so many years. The trustees hope that this contem- plated action may be long deferred, but in any event they deem it but simple justice to say that the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary must remain while it endures a monument to the ability and philanthropy of Erastus Eugene Holt."
In his address upon Abraham Lincoln, de- livered at the eleventh annual banquet of the Lincoln Club, in observance of the ninety-sec- ond anniversary of his birth, Dr. Holt brought out an incident, an "illusion," which occurred just after his first election, due to a separation of the eyes due to fatigue, causing double vision. Mr. Lincoln told his wife about it, and she thought it was a sign that he would be elected to a second term of office, and the pale- ness of one of the faces of himself as lie looked into a mirror was an omen that he would not see life through the last term. Dr. Holt was the first to take up this incident in the life of Lincoln and explain it upon ra- tional grounds. It seems cruel now that it could not have been done at the time of its occurrence.
The estimate given by Dr. Holt of Lincoln's character was pronounced classical by the pa- pers of the city, and the address as a whole is considered to be one of the best ever given at the Lincoln Club which has had some of the greatest orators of the day. We quote the last two paragraphs :
"We doubt if there ever was created a be- ing in this world, or in the worlds, if there be such, of the countless millions of fixed stars, whose sympathies for his fellow creatures were greater, or who performed his duties with a higher sense of honor and justice as a ruler, than Abraham Lincoln.
"His name and fame will last as long as the earth revolves upon its axis in sweeping through space around the eternal sun, and
thither to the tomb of our martyred Presi- dent, will the people of the whole civilized world ever make their pilgrimage, to pay homage and reverence to Abraham Lincoln- the foremost man of the nineteenth century."
At the twenty-sixth anniversary exercises of the Portland Medical Club, which Dr. Holt founded, it was very appropriate for him to give the history and statistics. He devised a plan for collecting statistics of the club for the twenty-six years of its existence, which shows at a glance the name of. each member, when membership began, when it ceased, if it has, length of membership, the offices held, the number of meetings attended, the per cent. of meetings attended, the number and title of papers read by each member of the club, the number that each member should have read as per average of the whole number of pages read during the existence of the club by its one hundred and ten members, and finally when another paper was or is due from each one who belongs to the club. This paper was pub- lished in the Journal of Medicine and Science and the author has had assurances that it has served as a model for giving the history of other clubs in different parts of the United States.
In 1903, in consequence of an accident which disabled Dr. Holt for several months from following his vocation he had the op- portunity to think upon the subject of physi- cal economics. His attention was directed to this subject early in life as a teacher, but its development came with the study and practice of medicine during which he had to do di- rectly with over fifty thousand case records of patients, over thirty thousand of which were made and kept of his private patients. It was in the analysis of the records of these cases in all the relations to the well being of those from whom they were made that enlisted Dr. Holt's interest in the subject of physical economics.
Of the various addresses given upon physi- cal economics, and papers that have been pub- lished, the one read before the National As- sociation of United States Examining Sur- geons, to which were invited the referee and members of the bureau of pensions, at Atlan- tic City, New Jersey, in June, 1904, has been of far-reaching importance. It was pointed out that the empirical methods must neces- sarily lead to inequality and it pointed out those inequalities of pensions and showed the need of a revision of the pensions and how it could be done upon a scientific basis. Ten of the principal pensions of the bureau of pen-
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