The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-05-22
For the Gate City



Ned Douglass had been blessed with ex-
cellent health and tolerable good character
until year ago when, in an evil hour, he
became editor Of a Douglas newspaper away
down in Egypt Here, by ardent devotion
TO the general principles Of Democracy
free love, free whisky and riotous living
gained their confidence, was chairman of oil
their party orgies, and, as he could imoibe
either rum or patriotism deeper than any one
else, always excepting his great namesake,
the Little Giant, was elected delegate to the
Charleston Convention.
But disappointment is the common lot OF
man. Ned's sight, which for long time
had suffered from the horrid climate and bad
liquor Of the country, the morning after bic
| election was entirely gone. Light broke up
on the world, but Ned saw it not. The deep
rotations 10 which ne had baptised his cleo.
ton had ouenched his orbs. In the language
| Of the poet be could Say
"Bat thou
| Rsvisit'st not these eyes, that roll in vain
| To feel thy piercing ray, and find no dawn;
so thick drop serene hath qnenched their orbs,
OR dim sufusion yelled
! The truth of the matter was, that Ned, in
! bis party devotions. had taken "dropn too
much; his eyes reflected halo of gaudy COL.
! ors more variegated than those of the diving
1 dolphin, or "a rainbow after morning show.
or. These, with divers optical illusions,
unique in character, but very perplexing 10
Ned's philosophy, compelled him to throw
up bis Charleston mission, rest from bis la
hors and take medical advice.
The diagnosis presented difficulties Of a
grave character. "Doctors could not agree"
in regard to the nature of the disease, it's
cause or cure. Whilst some intimased that
Ned's liquor had been dragged by the keeper
OF grocery belonging to the Buchanan wing
of the Egyptian Democracy, thereby causing
mgopic state of vision now common to the
whole party, others held that tho patients
eyes, in common with bis character, had suf
fered from the combined effects of hard drink
and the other leading principles of the squat
ter platform; and, finally, as the ordinary
mode of treatment would not be likely TO
benefit the patient, he was advised 20 travel.
Ned, then, acting upon this advice, like the
prophet of old, mede bis exodus fro N Egypt,
determined TO seek ga city that hath fouuda-
tions,o and famed alike for the number OF its
medical schools, the skill OF its doctors, the
beauty Of its women, and the enterprise and
business integrity of its citizens generally -
lie came to keokuk.
An ophthalmio surgeon examined the case
and, bearing in mind that there is constant
relation between the moral faculties and hab
It's Of certain animals and their anatomica
organization, gave it as bis opinion, "Tha
the Immediate cause of ocular blindness II
this case is cataract, dependent on diseased
condition Of the brain, called mania trem
i uleatia, that the moral phenomena can bt
explained only by the existence Of ramolltsse
nenf-otherwise called softening-of tn
same organ, d dire visitation, now endemi
, among the Douglas tribes Of Lower Egypt
DIR. Sherman extracted the lens from th
patients right eye. Ii was preternainrall
large, and opaque from centre to circumfer
ence thus proving in most satisfactory man
ner the correctness Of his friends diagnosi,
% As light begins to dawn once more upon th
e patients physical orbs, ii is hoped that b
10 mental and moral vision will also be i'm
q proved. X.