The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-09-17
Life Wasted.

Valuable lives are often thrown away-lost-
through ignorance of some OF the simplest truths
in nature, OF errors of judgment in matters where
error becomes a crime. Some of the best and
wisest and greatest men Of our race have persisted
! from the world, IN consequence of what might be
/ considered a carelessness, q recklessness, or an
ignorance, which - amazing, as found in minds
like theirs. The Immediate cause Of Lord Bacon 8
death was sleeping in u damp bed. Any old
woman, who didn't know Il from bulls foot, >"
would have had more sense than that. Yet it
was the fatal error Of the greatest mind Of his
age and generation.
Washington Irving. whose name is so loved
and hOnored and revered, hastened his death by
taking the advice Of q fool, instead of his physi-
clan. Abbot Lawrence, the fnancier and the
philanthropist, brought on his last illness by dn
iniudicious change OF clothing.
Rachel, the greatest tragic actress of her time,
took Il cold which carried her 10 her grave, by
riding from New York to Boston in cars not suf-
fciently warmed, on a bitter cold winters night,
immediately after a performance, which had
heated up her whole system, far beyond its nutu-
raj standard. j. Addison Alexander, for whom
it is claimed that be was the best Bible scholar
living. and that he had powers of mind not
equalled in his day, died in the very prime of
lite, because - having u feeling almost bordering
on contempt for physicians, " he allowed his NOR
tai nialady 10 prey upon him secretly and the
day he died. he thought he WAS going to get
Well Because be knew nothing about disease.
ne concluded, with all his resplendent intellect,
that men who had made it u lifelong study,
knew nothing about IL. The magnificent deduc-
ton cost him his life. And now another name
comes up 10 our notice. in the same connection,
rs illustrating tie fact that [ G greatest minds
are capable OF iOllics most amazing. The philo-
sOpher, the scholar, the soldier, and the Christian,
were all blended in the name of Professor Mitchell,
;he great astronomer, the gallant soldier, and
resistless general. His was the greatest loss 10
the nation, up to this hour of the contest, and
yet his life WAS literally thrown away. by his
own incOnSiderate act; by doing deliberately
what we would suppose the commonest mind in
the nation would have regarded as exceedingly
dangerous and ii is named here to benefit the
living, without prejudice to the honored and
lamented dead. General Mitchell was attacked
with symptoms of yellow fever; his physician
acted promptly. and labored TO restore the func-
lions of the skin. to cause rerspiration, which
every professional man knows is the turning-point
for life in that disease. 1t WAS eventually brought
about, to the unspeakable joy of his medical
attendant. DR.. Thomas L. Smiley, at y M.
October %. 1862; but when he returned, two
hours later, his patient had been attacked with
u chill, the pulse went up from IS to 100, the
General having got up and ordered his bed
changed, 1chiie IN Mis perSpiring condition.. De-
liriur. set in, and he died, the attending sur
ceOn leaving this record $50. am of the opinion
that had General Mitchell remained in bed. and
kept the skin in good condition. he would without
doubt have recovered. "-HaHS Jour. Of Heath.