[Anna Farquhar Brooke], 1880

January Memoranda. 12th. Went to see Hannah 13th. Charlie went to Farmer's conven tion. Eliza came home. E.F. came 14th I took Calista F. home & brough Edith B - back 15th. Stramis spent the day. Charlie went to Club. 16th Went to meeting & dined at Fair Hill. 17th. C went to Nash. J.P.S. here 18th.Mother, Eliza, Roger & Carrie [illegible] Sarah & Ellen here. 19th. Took Cassie to Rockland & dined Charlie hauling ice 20th Went to [illegible] with Capt S Charlie H to Mr Riggs. Rain 21st. Came home, found children sick, sent for dr. 22nd Sister & Margaret called. All better Uncle N.H.F. and M called. 23rd. No one went to meeting, Grace & Eddie Taylor came after ten 29

ADVANTAGES OF SPECIALTIES.

But we do not adopt the humbug plan of representing that they will cure all diseases. There are many chronic diseases for which we do not recommend any of our proprietary medicines, and, which we know from vast experience, can only be successfully treated by specially preparing and adapting medicines to each individual case. Our practice embraces the treatment of many thousands of such cases annually, and it is more especially the complicated, obstinate, and difficult cases, and those requiring skillful surgical operations, in which we have won our greatest success and wide-spread celebrity.

Not necessary to see Patients. By our original system of diagnosis, we can treat many chronic disease just as successfully without as with a personal consultation. While we are always glad to see our patients, and become acquainted with them, show them our mammoth institution, and acquaint them with out system of treatment, yet we have never seen one person in five hundered whom we have cured. The perfect accuracy with which scientists are enabled to deduce the most minute particulars in their several departments, appears almost miraculous, if we view it in the light of the early ages. Take, for example, the electro-magnetic telegraph - the greatest invention of the age. Is it not a marvelous degree of accuracy which enables an operator to exactly locate a fracture in a submarine cable nearly three thousand miles long? Our venerable "clerk of the weather" has become so thoroughly familiar with the most wayward elements of nature that he can accurately predict their movements. He can sit in Washington and foretell what the weather will be in Florida or New York, as well as if several hundered miles did not intervene between him and the places named. And so in all departments of modern science, what is required is the knowledge of certin signs. From these, scientists deduce accurate conclusions regardless of distance. So also, in medical science, diseases have certain unmistakable signs, or symptoms, and by reason of this fact, we have been enabled to originate and perfect a system of determining, with the greatest accuracy, the nature of chronic diseases without seeing and personally examining our patients. In recognizing diseases without a personal examination of the patient, we claim to possess no miraculous powers. We obtain our knowledge of the patient's disease by the practical application of well-established principles of modern science to the practice of medicine. And it is to the accuracy with which this system has endowed us that we owe our almost world-wide reputation for the skillful treatment of all lingering, or chronic, affections. This system of practice, and the marvelous success which has been attained through it, demonstrates the fact that diseases display certain phenomena, which, being subjected to scientific analysis, furnish abundant and unmistakable data to guide the judgement of the skillful practitioner aright in determining the nature of diseased conditions. The amplest resources for treating lingering, or chronic, diseases, and the greatest skill, are thus placed within the easy reach of every invalid, however distant he or she may reside from the physicians making the treatment of such affections a specialty. Full particulars of our original scientific system of examining and treating patients at a distance are contained in the "People's Common Sense Medical Adivser" (sent post-paid for $1.50), also in the "Invalids' Guide Book" (sent, post-paid, on receipt of one stamp).

Advantages of Specialties. By thorough organization and subdividing the practice of medicine and surgery in this institution, every invalid is treated by a specialist - one who devotes his undivided attention to the particular class of diseases to which the case belongs. The advantage of this arrangement must be obvious. Medical science offers a vast field for investigation, and no physician can, within the brief limits of a single life-time, achieve the highest degree of success. 30

January Memoranda. 24th. Hannah Bond died. Mr. Lee, & E.E. Tyson called. 25th Len N. &children & Dorseys here Entertainment at Mechanics hall 26th. Mother, Eliza & K.Lamy here little Charlie sick, also Mary 27th Robert went to B Grove, No one here. Children better 28th Eliza Anne home 29th. Nothing new 30th. Eliza & I went to meeting. Allan Lothe & Nellie F came to tea. 31st. Hauling ice for Jim. Tea at Grove upset & smashed sleigh. Feb 1st Great [illegible][illegible] Charlie got slipp from Jones 14.00 2nd Thermo zero. Went to A.S.Brooke's Lovely night & [illegible] light in the sky 3rd. N.J. & R Thomas spent the day. Took Isabella to Baskeville. 31

OUR FIELD OF SUCCESS.

in the treatment of every malady incident to humanity. A distinguished professor in the medical department of one of our universities, in an address to the graduating class, recently said: "Some professional men seem to be ashemed unless they have the reputation of universal knowledge. He who falls into the error of studying every thing will be certain to know nothing well. The field of medicine and surgery is too large to be cultivated in its entirety by one individual. Hence the advantage of cultivating special studies. It is not possible to know every thing; something must be wisely left unknown. Indeed, a physician, if he would know any thing well, must be content to be profoundly ignorant of many things. He must select something for special study and pursue it with devotion and diligence. This course will lead to success, while the attempt to do every thing eventuates unavoidably in failure." Our institution is the only one in this country in which these common-sense ideas are thoroughly carried out. The natural result is, that we have all the practice that our whole Medical and Surgical Staff can possibly attend to, and we constantly send to other physicians and institutions cases not in the line of our specialities.

OUR FIELD OF SUCCESS. Abandoning the treatment of all diseases except those in which we have attained the greatest success, and then still further narrowing and concentrating our study and professional efforts, by again subdividing these affections, giving to each member of our Faculty but a single disease or class of diseases to treat, we thereby attain the highest possible skill. DISEASES OF MEN. - Over 9,000 cases of nervous debility, involuntary vital losses, weakness of organs and manly powers, and kindred affections arising from indiscreet practices, self-abuse and sexual excesses, were cured during the past year; while almost as many more were successfully treated for lingering and secondary affections of a delicate mature - the results of bad or inefficient treatment at their homes and without personal examination. No other institution in the world has any thing like so extensive a patronage in this class of affectations, or has gained so widespread a celebrity for remarkable cures. During his recent trip to Europe, our consulting physician, Dr. R. V. PIERCE, visited the most noted institutions in which this class of diseases are treated, and fully satisfied himself that, in this branch of practice, our institution is a long way ahead, both in skill and number of cases treated. No experimenting is resorted to. We prescribe just such specific remedies as are adapted to each individual case. It is, from the nature of these diseases, impossible to prepare any general remedy for their cure. What is well adapted for one case, in entirely unsuited to another, and, besides, the medicine must be changed to suit different stages and conditions presented by the same case. Hence it is, that those who spend their money for various advertised "specifics," galvanic belts, and kindred appliances, lose it without deriving any benefit. For reports of numerous difficult cases cured, see Medical Adviser (sent for $1.50), or a pamphlet entitled "Abuse of the Male Reproductive Organs and the Diseases to which it Gives Rise," sent on receipt of one stamp. Varicocele, or enlarged veins of the scrotum, feeling like a bundle of earth-worms about the cord, a condition caused by strains, self-abuse, or excesses, and generally resulting, if not early relieved, in loss of power, or impotency, from its tendency to cause wasting of the organs, has been very largely treated and with the most gratifying results. Our improved appliances and treatment enable us to cure the milder cases without operation. The worst cases are operated upon by an ingenious method of our own invention, which we employed over two hundred times during the past year, and with perfect success in every case. This operation proves to be entirely free from the greatest danger attending the 32

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