The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-14

PREsENTIMENTs
An Investigation Of the causss Of Those
Dark Forebodings which Make
Powerful Men Weak.
Colder Rale

/ Golden Rase.
Much apprehension has been occasioned
| throughout America from the announce
iment made by Professor Proctor that the
return in nineteen years of the great
comet of last summer win cause
the destruction of the earth. But
while people are becoming so strangely
exercized over this announcement, an event
of far more serious importance, which is
I taking place to-day, seems to be almost
wholly overlooked. The nature of this
most vital subject can be be best explained
by relating the following experiences:
/ Bishop e. Haven, known to the entire
land, was unaccountably awakened one
night out of sound sleep, and lay awake
until morning. His mind seemed unusually
active, and he not only reviewed his past
/ life, which had been an eventful one, but
laid extensive plans for the future. He
did not feel especially i'll, but could not
account for the unusual activity of his
brain, nor for the restlessness which seem
ed to possess him. In the morning he had
but little appetite, but was apparently well
| in other respects. In few days. howev-
er, he began to feel restless and morbid
although he tried earnestly to overcome the
feeling which had taken possession of him.
But try as he would the shadow of some
1 evil seemed to follow him, and he conscious
j of gradual sinking and wasting away of
all his physical faculties. He had been an
l earnest and dlligent worker, and in his
zeal frequently over taxed his strength, and
| being absorbed in his duties failed to OBJ
serve the common symptoms with which
he was afflicted, thus permitting the work
of destruction to go on unheeded. But the
/ end finally came in most peremptory
4 manner. Shortly before his death he wrote
/ a letter-the last one he ever indited-in
which he speaks as follows: "a belief
[ that death is near affects different minds
differently, but probably all who who are
in fair condition of physical and mental
strength instinctively shrink from it with an
indefnable dread and horror. A dying man
is no more able of himself to foresee his
own destiny or the destiny of those he.leaves
than he was before he began to die.
The recent sad and sudden death of Hon.
Clarkson n, Potter, is one of the most
serious warnings ever given in the long list
of innumerable cases of fatal neglect
1t is not sufficient to say that many other
brilliant men, including Everett, Summer,
Chase, Wood, Wilson and Carpenter, were
swept away by the same fatal trouble
The question is, were these men careful of
their health, and could they have been
saved? The Albany Argus, in speaking of
Mr.. Potter's sudden illness and death
says:
Zone of the physicians who attended Mr.,
Potter here was interviewed last evening
He stated that Mr.. Potters inability to
converse had for some time served to baf-
file the physicians i'm their efforts to deter
mine the root of his illness. It seems,
however, that Mr.. Potter, some two years
ago, suffered slight attack of kidney dis
/ oIYJo4
constitution and naturally perfect
health, and neglect of proper clothing.
doubtless sowed the seeds of disease that
needed only some such personal neglect as
that of Tuesday morning to develop. From
the symptoms at first shown twas thought
that his only trouble was nervous postra-
| ton; but his long continuance in semi
Unconscious state led to the belief that his
illness was seated in chronic difficulty
more mysterious and dangerous
| Up to the latter part of last year Mr..
Edward f. Rock, a member of the New
York stock exchange. was doing business
in Wall street New York. He had every
thing to encourage him, and make life
happy, but was thelvictim of unaccountable
uneasiness. His experience as described
by one who knew was as follows: 'tAt
unexpected times, and on occasions when
he had the greatest reason to feel Joyous
he was irritable and haunted with strange
feelings of discomfort. He endeavored to
check these feelings and appear pleasant,
but it required great effort to do so; after
which he would again relapse into his for
meT morbid mood. This feeling continued
for a number of months, when he became
conscious of an added sensation of lassi-
tude. He was tired even when resting. and
although experiencing no acute pain, had
Il. l.
rious parts of his body. Shortly afterward
his head began to ache most frequently
and his stomach failed to digest properly.
Being told that he was suffering from ma
laria he consulted an eminent physician
who informed him that his kidners were
slightly effected and gave him medicine to
restore them. But he grew worse instead
of better. He then consulted other eminent
doctors of another school and was informed
that he had a brain difficulty somewhat
in the nature of a tumor, but in spite of
all efforts to the contrary he continued to
grow worse. At this time his condition
was terrible. What were at first simple
symptoms had developed to terrible trou
bles. He was flushed and feverish, CON
stantly uneasy, and yet always weary. He
had an intense appetite one day and very
Little the next. His pulse was Irregular,
his breathing labored, and every moment
of existence was burden. These disas
trous symptoms continued his face and
body became discolored. his heart was ire
Igular in its action, and his breath came in
short, convulsive gasps. He grew con-
stantly worse, notwithstanding the utmost
precautions of his friends, and finally died
in the greatest agony. After his death
an examination as to its actual cause was
made, when his brain was found to be in q
perfect condition, ana the reason of his
tdecease was of an entirely different nature
The experiences which have been cited
above all had a common cause and were
each the result of one disease. That dis
ease, which so deceitfully, yet surely re
moved the people above mentioned wa:
Bright's disease of the kidneys. In The
case of Mr.. Rock, the examination aftel
death, while showing the brain 10 be il
perfect condition, revealed the terrible fac
that he was the victim of a slight kidney
trouble, which had gone on unchecked,
until it resulted IN acute Brights disease
The leading physicians and scientists of thu
the world are fast learning that more thai
one-h half the deaths which occur are caused
by this monstrous scourge. 1t is one o
the most deceitful maladies ever known t,
the human race. It manifests itself b,
symptoms so slight and common as to seen
unworthy ofsattention; and yet these yer.
q