Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-12-01
A MINISTER'S ESCAPE,
From tie Asylum to the Bosom of
His Hometown 1t Was Done.

lnOEit-ItO" H w us zone.
A prominent minister residing at the
east has Just made the following state
ment, which is herewith reprinted entire:
To the Editor of the Herald:
have always shrunk from appearing
prominently before the public, but a sense
of the duty [ owe humanity and the world
prompts me to ask this opportunity for
making a brief statement in your paper.
5 Whether il be true with Others 1 cannot
say, but during my entire life [ have fire.
quently been conscious that something
was slowly and silently working to under
mine my health and life What it was
could not tell but that some enemy of my
being was devouring me within | was GER
tain. At times / would seem compare
lively well, and then would be attacked
with the most distressing symptoms. /
would feel peculiar pains in various parts
of my body; my head would feel heavy;
my respiration labored; my appetite
would be ravenous one day and | weuId
loathe food the day following. Then
again would lose all interest in life;
would feel weary without exertion; and
become sleepy at midday and restless at
night. Occasionally my breathing would
be labored and my heart almost motion
less, while at the other times it would
palpitate violently. I thought these
troubles were the result of malaria, and
l treated them accordingly, but / got no
better. Shortly after my stomach be-
came deranged, my food failed TO digest,
and the fluids 1 passed were of peculiar
odor and color. And yet l did not realize
that these things meant anything serious.
Finally / consulted number of eminent
physicians, each one of whom look
different view az to the cause of nv
troubles. One said / was suffering from
brain disease; another spinal difficulty;
others heart affection, kidney disease, etc
My symptoms were terrible, and in the
hope of relief | was cIuterize1, cupped,
blistered and subjected to almost every
known form of treatment. During one
of these attacks while at Red bank, N J.,
physician was called. and left 3 prescrip-
ton. After he had gone, requested a
friend 10 go end ask him what he
thought of my trouble. The reply was:
@Oh, he will be all right in a few days;
its only an attack of delirium tremens."
He was at once informed that this was
of intoxicating drinks; whereupon he
ais prescription. But all the care of nv
friends and physicians availea nothing.
/ grew worse constantly. and what Is
mos: terrible to think of, did not know
what allied me. nor could find any one
who did.
During the summer and fail of last
year my pulse ranged from 40 10 100
per minute; had no relish for food. and
Was indeed a most p.tiable object. I be-
came unconscious and lost nv reason.
though i hsd two physicians in whom
myself and friends placed implicit conf
dence. In this condition / was taken 10
Brsttleboro, VT. for the purpose of being |
placed In the insane asylum. / remained |
there until last april, being attended all |
the while BY my faithful uife who never |
left me, ard behaved that some disease |
and not insanity wss the cause Of all my |
trouble. / reeained consciousness in |
March last and insisted upon being taken |
home The physicians advised that j re- |
main. bat insisted upon leaving, and we |
began the journey. travelling slowly. ] |
was met ut the dock by friend whom |
recognized and then / became again /
nc1Escious and remained % for over /
week. When I once more recognized my |
friend and knew my surroundings i de- l
lermined TO try. AZ Last resort, = treat /
ment Of which / had heard much but |
knew nothing. Neither myself nor |
friends had muca faith that It or any |
thing could help me, but We resolved TO |
try. We accordingly dismissed the physi-