The Sun.
London, England, 1833-05-02 00:00:00

MR. KEAN'S HEALTH.

On Sunday, about twno'clock, Surgeons CARPUE, Dou-
CIIEZ, and SMITH, met at Mr. KEAN'S house at Richmond,
pursuant to appointment, for the purpose of holding a con-
sultation upon his serious state of health. Mr. DOECHEZ
had, on Saturday night, prescribed the superacitate of lead,
combined with opium, to be taken every two hours, with
an external applicatio❑ of mustard poultice over the region
of the stomach. This treatment was effective, inasmuch
as the unfortunate patient rallied under it. The course
adopted by Mr. Douctuz was highly approved of by
Messrs. CARPUE and SMITH, and KEAN passed a tran-
quil night; but in the morning of Monday he became
uneasy, and anxious for the arrival of his favourite surgeon,
Mr. DOUCHEZ. Mr. D. arrived agreeably to his pro-
mise, at half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, and found
Mr. KEAN in a very depressed state, courting death, and
turning his attention to religious and spiritual matters.
His son, Mr. CHARLES KEAN, who has shown the most
dutiful and affectionate attention to his afflicted parent,
was with him on Sunday and Monday, and the scene of
Monday was of a trying description to both parties—it
was a mutual and most affectionate interchange of blessings
on each other's destiny. Messrs. HUGHES, COOPER, and
several other of his professional brethren, visited Mr. K. on
Monday, with the purest feelings of respect and attention ;
but the unfortunate object of their solicitude was too ill to
see them; and when Mr. DOUCHEZ left him last on Mon-
day night, the " Mighty Meteor" appeared to be passing
rapidly from his terrestrial sphere. . .

Mr. LEE, his secretary, had sat up with him three succes-
sive nights, and at an early hour on Tuesday morning, Mr.
SMITH, of Richmond, his medical adviser, attended him, and
administered with his own hand the specifics calculated to
give comparative ease and temporary relief, without, how-
ever, the most distant anticipation of their producing per-
manent good. Mr. K. is indeed sinkingdown gradually, and
the only object of his medical attendants appears to be to
mitigate his sufferings, and to soften, as much as possible,
the pangs of his final exit. Mr. DOUCHEZ, who has been
unremitting in his attention to him during much severe
illness, arrived at Richmond soon after three o'clock ; and
Mr. CHARLES KEAN, actuated by the purest affection,
and noblest feeling of dutiful respect, and with the view
of a general reconciliation, had already arrived with his
mother, whom, from motives of delicacy, he had left at
the Greyhound, until arrangements should be made for an
interview between his infirm mother anti his dying father,
after an absence of eight years ! Mr. KEAN was anxious
to see Mrs. Kzat,r, and the same desire of meeting seemed
to pervade both. They accordingly met, and a mutual
and fervent exchange of forgiveness took place. CHARLES
and his parents were the only actors in the trying scene;
and poor KEAN, observing Mrs. K. much overcome and
drooping, said, with peculiar emphasis, and with a pathos
that came from and went to the heart, " Come, come,
bear up ; happiness shall be ours yet." The struggle at
parting was great, and KEAN afterwards appeared much
more composed ; his debility is, however, increasing every
hour. His once brilliant eye was, at six o'clock en Tuesday
night, losing its " speculation" fast ; and at parting with Mr.
DouctrEz and a friend, he said, shaking them cordially by
the hand, " This, now, is very—very kind of you, but I
feel that the band of death is upon me ;" and burst into tears.
Mr. KEAN passed a tolerably tranquil night o❑ Tues-
day, and yesterday morning (though forbidden by his
medical advisers) he partook liberally of a pint of porter,
which he designated as better than " Ilighhury Milk;"
and he afterwards rallied considerably, but was unable to
take any nutrimental sustenance. Mrs. KEAN, Mr.
DOUCHEZ, and Mr. CHARLES KEAN visited him about
two o'clock, and each had interviews with him. He
conversed with all cheerfully, and occasionally with an
extraordinary buoyancy of spirit; but would soon after-
wards relax into a profound lethargy. Again, upon the
slightest excitement, he would rally—and then relapse into
a state of apathetic langour. It was evident that be had
improved from Tuesday, under the treatment of Mri
DOUCHEZ, of whose general and professional conduct he
spoke in eulogistic terms to Mrs. and Mr. CHARLES
KEAN. Mr. LEE sat up with Mr. KEAN for the fourth
night, on Tuesday, and Mrs. KEAN expressed herself
deeply indebted to Mr. LEE for Lis unremitting attention
to Mr. KEAN, and observed, that she considered hint in
the light of one of his stanchest and best friends. A report
having yesterday morning been propagated in Richmond,
that poor KEAN had been " gathered to his forefathers,"
an industrious and humane undertaker applied, before seven
o'clock in the morning, for the job of burying him.