HURELYVILLE — The Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville will be hosting an exhibition by the Frederick A. Cook Society of Dr. Cook’s contributions to polar exploration, his u­nique interactions with the Inuit people, as well as his astounding medical revelations.

The Frederick Cook Society is a nonprofit organization aimed at maintaining the collection of Dr. Cook’s work. They assist writers, scholars, and researchers find information on the life and work of Dr. Cook. They also work in conjunction with The Library of Congress and the Archives of the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University.

The Dr. Frederick Albert Cook Exhibit will be open starting on his birthday, June 10th, and will reside at the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville until December.

Julian Sancton, author of the book “Madhouse at the End of The Earth”, will be at the opening reception from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. to talk about his book on Dr. Cook’s exploration.

Born on June 10, 1865, in Hortonville, Dr. Frederick Albert Cook gained notoriety as a surgeon on Robert Peary’s first Arctic journey in 1891, and for his expedition to the top of Mount McKinley.

In 1908, Dr. Cook claimed that he had found the North Pole. However, this claim was met with controversy when fellow explorer Peary denounced Cook’s claim. It is still argued whether Dr. Cook had been to the North Pole, but regardless of his possible inaccuracy, many regard Dr. Cook was a brave, brilliant and kind man, and an adventurous explorer. 

Irrespective of whether he discovered the North Pole, Dr. Cook was a hero aboard the Belgica. On an expedition to the Antarctic, the Belgian ship became stuck in the ice. The crew of the Belgica, along with Dr. Cook, were trapped there for over a year.

Within a few months of being trapped in the ice, the captain of the ship had become deathly ill. He had lost the use of his legs. Cook had little hope for the captain’s survival as none of the medicine on board would help ease his ailments.

Dr. Cook told the captain that he must only drink water and consume fresh penguin and seal meat. He also had the captain stand in front of a fire, naked, three times a day, which Cook called the “baking treatment”. None of this was based on his education at Columbia University.

Cook’s “baking treatment” would go on to be known as the first use of light therapy to treat psychological distress. Today, light therapy is used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder and other forms of depression. Additionally, penguin and seal meat are high in vitamin C, which cured the crew’s scurvy. Vitamin C would not be discovered as a key nutrient for another 40 years. Dr. Cook’s treatment was far ahead of its time and “prefigured established medical science by several decades.”

Visit the exhibit

Located at 265 Main Street in Hurleyville, The Sullivan County Museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

The museum is a three story former school building that is now run by Sullivan County through the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Beautification.

Come see a part of local history!