The Abendberg, an Alpine retreat : founded by Dr. Guggenbühl for the treatment of infant cretins / by L.G., Geneva ; with an introduction by John Coldstream, M.D.

  • Gaussen, Louis, 1790-1863.
Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Abendberg, an Alpine retreat : founded by Dr. Guggenbühl for the treatment of infant cretins / by L.G., Geneva ; with an introduction by John Coldstream, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    known more widely the object and results of that noble institution. It will be at once apparent to the reader that the eulogistic descriptions of the Abendberg hospital, contained in the following pages, have been written with the single view of commending it to the atten¬ tion and patronage of the British public—particu¬ larly of that rather numerous portion of it which annually migrates to the lovely valleys and moun¬ tains of Switzerland, to luxuriate in their enchant¬ ing scenes. It is allowable, on our part, to remind the reader that yet another purpose may be served by a perusal of this little book, namely, the exciting in his mind of a desire to see similar efforts put forth in his own country on behalf of the like misery which exists in it—misery as deep and afflict¬ ive, at least, as the Cretinism of Switzerland. Es¬ pecially is it allowable to deduce from the results of Dr. Gruggenbuhl’s successful experiments in the treatment of a malady formerly considered as hope¬ lessly intractable, the highly important conclusion, that what has been done for the poor goitrous Cretin of the Valais, may be done for the infant idiots of our city poor—a numerous class, hitherto neglected, and doomed to live and die like the beasts of the field. It may be, and probably is the case, that there is a specialty in the condition of