July 6, 2016
www.trilakestribune.com
The Tribune 5
Nature knows some doctors know, some don’t Nature — with all its overwhelming power — knows what we need, and the doctors know nothing. Almost from its very beginning, Palmer Lake, a town initially tied to the very idea of being a health destination, has tested that theory. “Dr. W. Finley Thompson assumed such a prominent leadership role in Palmer Lake during the 1880s that everyone has regarded him as the founder of the town,” writes Daniel W. Edwards in his book “Dr. William Finley Thompson: Dental Surgeon and Founder of Palmer Lake” that was published in 2008. Thompson was the town’s first mayor and built area landmark Estamere House (Estemere). Dr. Thompson himself, in a promotional piece published in the summer of 1884, laid it out pretty clearly. “The healthfulness for the locality of Palmer Lake is fully recognized by all, and the prominent members of the medical faculty have frequently urged the establishment of a summer and health resort at this point...” Thompson saw the area being developed in the same manner as European sanitariums in the Alps created for ‘lungers,’ a term often used to describe those suffering from tuberculosis and asthma. “It is now conclusively proved
RESTLESS NATIVE Rob Carrigan
robcarrigan@yourpeaknews.com
that dry and rarified atmosphere is wonderfully curative, even in cases of tubercular disease. Colorado is full of people who came here in actually dying condition, who now are enjoying even robust health. Asthmatics are especially benefited in this altitude, and sufferers from this most distressing of all maladies have received permanent relief by residence here … The climate of Palmer Lake (Divide) presents without question, advantages of very superior character…” according Thompson in the promotional flyer. Marion Savage Sabin, in her 1957 book, “Palmer Lake: A Historic Narrative,” makes a similar observation about Thompson’s intentions. “Here was the very place for a health resort and vacation community of luxurious type and not to be out-done by famous spas he ad visited in Europe. Here in ideal combination were scenic beauty, pure bracing
Author Marion Savage, age 3, in front of the Rockland Hotel, at about the turn of the last century.
Estamere Mansion in 1895.
mountain air and warm sunshine, icy springs rich in mineral content, healing pine forests, the seclusion – and at the same time accessibility by rail – which should assure the success of such an undertaking.” Daniel Edwards notes that, “By May of 1888, he (Dr. Thompson) was actively engaged in making this happen – building a 70-room hotel with attached sanitarium – his last vigorous attempt to develop Palmer Lake.” Edwards writes that two prominent physicians, experts in the treatment of lung problems, played important roles in that development. Dr. Alfred Tucker-Wise, the medical director for the Swiss Hotel Kursaal in Maloja, and Dr. Charles Denison, professor of diseases of the chest and of climatology at the University of Denver, consulted with Thompson regarding the construction and early operation of hotel. Thompson also brought in his friend, Thomas Gaddes, a dentist associated with Thompson from his time in London, to become the medical superintendent of the sanitarium at the Rocklands. Interestingly enough, Gaddes became the first elected Town Physician for Palmer Lake in March 1889, the same year he also obtained his M.D. from the Denver College of Medicine. Later in life, he also received patents for a number of inventions produced in England -- among them a wave mill which generated electricity from ocean waves, an automatic egg boiler, a window sash fastener, and a strainer that worked with a tea or coffee pot. The dentist/physician combination was fairly common at that time, and in fact, Dr. Thompson, M.D., received his license to practice medicine on April 1,
Courtesy Photos
1890, from the Colorado State Board of Medical Examiners. “Finley’s hopes for a sanitarium at Palmer Lake were dashed by several factors,” writes Daniel Edwards. “First, not enough money was raised to implement his plan for a main sanitarium building with detached cottage and grounds. Then, Dr. Charles Denison apparently abandoned his support for Finley’s project.” Two new sanitariums in Colorado Springs (Bellevue and Albert Glockner) apparently didn’t help matters either. By late summer of 1890, the financial burden of the Rocklands and other ventures compelled Thompson to leave town, basically skipping out owing a lot of people a lot of money. The hotel was never wildly successful and was eventually destroyed by fire in 1920. Thompson’s personal residence, Estamere, lives on of course, and is considered the ‘crown jewel’ of Palmer Lake, as does the town plat recorded in November of 1883, by Dr. Thompson and Dr. William A. Bell. Bell was a Manitou Springs physician, director and financial recruiter for Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, and developer of Briarhurst Manor, his personal residence. Bell’s Monument Farms organization began buying property in the Palmer Lake area as early as 1870 and had amassed nearly 3,000 acres by the time Thompson showed on the scene. Bell, and his organization, actually realized a healthy profit from land sales in the area later. Just what the doctor ordered. Perhaps there is a distinction between what various doctors know, and don’t know?
Addiction can put a monkey on your back, or even your lips Just when I thought I’d heard it all, I find the website “What’s in my head” and read this entry: “Hi my name is Glenna and I have a ChapStick addiction.” “I don’t know how it started, exactly, but lately I just can’t stand to not have any on. I constantly put it on and now keep a stick by the bed, in the truck and in my purse. I’m starting to get worried.” Thinking this was a put-on, I googled “ChapStick addiction” and was rewarded with 351,000 hits. There’s actually a site called “Lip Balm Anonymous” complete with tales of people with a “Monkey on their Lips.” Addictive behavior is a fascinating and potentially tragic personality trait. Wikipedia defines “addiction” as “an obsession, compulsion or excessive physical dependence or psychological dependence such as: drug addiction, alcoholism, crime, compulsive overeating, problem gambling, computer addiction, etc.” In medical terminology, addiction is a state in which the body relies on a
FIT AND HEALTHY Cord Prettyman cordprettyman@msn.com
substance for normal functioning and develops a physical dependence – as in a drug addiction. When the drug or substance is removed, it causes withdrawal symptoms. The common usage of the term addiction, however, has spread to include psychological dependence and compulsive behavior – like constantly applying ChapStick to your lips. The website Addition List claims the top 10 addictions are coffee, gambling, anger, food and the internet, closely followed by sex, alcoholism, drugs, nicotine and work. The term addictive personality has been used to refer to a recurrent pattern observed in many alcoholics and
other substance abusers consisting of impulsivity, immaturity, poor frustration tolerance, anxiety and depression. A study done by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that there is no single set of psychological characteristics that embrace all addictions. Researchers, however, did find some common traits. The study listed the “significant personality factors” contributing to addiction as impulsive behavior, difficulty in delaying gratification, anti-social personality and a disposition toward sensation seeking. The addicts studied also exhibited a high level of non-conformity and a weak commitment to achieving goals valued by society. Other personality traits were a sense of social alienation, a general tolerance for deviance and a sense of heightened stress. The latter may explain why adolescence and other stressful transition periods are often associated with the most severe drug and alcohol problems. How can you tell if someone has an addictive disorder? Some common
characteristics and behaviors include making impulsive choices, constantly seeking excitement and new sensations, expressing feelings of alienation from mainstream society, valuing non-conformist behavior and lacking patience. Not every addict has a personality disorder and not every person with a personality disorder has an addiction. However, borderline personality disorder and anti-social personality disorder do seem to have a connection to addiction. If you suspect that you or a loved one has an addictive disorder, the place to start is with your family physician. And, if you’re concerned you may be addicted to ChapStick, google “ChapStick Addiction Quiz” and take the 15 question quiz. Cord Prettyman is a certified Master Personal Trainer and owner of Absolute Workout Fitness and Post-Rehab Studio in Woodland Park. He can be reached at 687-7437, at cordprettyman@msn.com or at cordprettyman.com.