The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-05-26

Vice President CoLFAx was taken
suddenly and dangerously i'll on the
22d inst, while presiding inShc Senate.
The correspondent of the Trijmc gives
the following account.
Quite an excitement was created by
the sudden, and, for II time, rather
alarming Illness of Vice President Col
fax. About 3 O'Clock this afternoon,
feeling considerably oppressed by the
vitiated atmosphere OF the Senate
Chamber, which induced growing sense
of dizziness, Mr.. Colfax desired Capt.
Basset, the Doorkeeper, to ask Mr..
Pomcroy to take the chair. AS the
Senator did so, Mr.. Cofax was stepping
down from the dais, when he suddenly
staggered, and would have fallen to che
ground but for Mr.. Bassett, who caught
him. He was Immediately conveyed to
his reception.room. DIR. Taft. tho Senate
Postmaster, was at once summoned, and
Dr. Bliss, Mr.. Colfax's physician, soon
the Vice. President had been striken
with paralysis, but Dr. Bliss pronounced
it a severe attack of vertigo and irregu-
lar action of tho heart, caused by de-
bilitated condition of the system, men
tai excitement, under which the Vice
President has beeIr(or u week past, and
sitting so long in the foul atmosphere
of an Executive session. Senators make
martyrs of themselves for dignity's
sake, and on these days of early Sum
mer, shut themselves up in the gilded
iron box which constitutes their cham.
ber, with all the doors clossd, and the
sun beating down on the glass and iron
roofabove, listening to such speeches as
were made at to days session, which
afforded no countcr-irritants to the
unmitigated fOulness of the atmosphere.
They want apparently to make n mar.
tyr of some one, in order to prove the
faith that is in them.
After Mr.. Colfax's removal to his room
a pallet was obtained. He suffered from
nausea, which produced vomiting, and
on the slightest motion was seized with
vertigo. For nearly four hours this ir-
regular action continued, the stomach
refusing to retain anything. The skin
was cold, the pulse low, and attacks of
vertigo were threatened continually.
About o'clock he began to rally, and
before DIR. Bliss temporarily left him,
| the symptoms were subsiding, Mr.. Col.
fax has been suffering for week past
| from q malariOuS attack, and n severe
catarrh. These had acted injuriously
to weaken his system, and left him eX-
| posed to the still more dangerous mala-
| ria of the Senate's Executive sessions.
After the Vice President had been re.
stored TO consciousness and strength had
returned sufficiently to enable him to
speak, he expressed the belief that he
had been stricken with paralysis; but
when the physician assured him that
such was not the case he seemed greatly
relieved. lie had only strength to give
the address Of his wife at South Bend,
Ind, and express the wish that she
might be informed of his illness, aud
| assured that his condition was not dan
gerous. At o'clock he was quietly
resting, although still SO weak as to be
unable to speak. AT 10 O'Clock no change
had taken place, except that his pulse
had increased to 20. AT II o'clock the
Nice.President, although not sleeping
was without pain, and his condition
was pronounced to be improving. The
physicians have no anxiety about hi:
recovery. Senator Wilson and Robertson
and DIR. j. p. Newman, Chaplain of the
Senate, together with DR.. Bliss ant
Sergent-at- Arms French, will remain
with him during the night 1t is thought
Mr.. Colfax will not be able to be remov
ed from the Vice-P Presidents room fol
several days.