The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-29
PRESENTIMENTS.
An Investigation of the Causes of Those
Dark Forebodings which Make
Powerful Men Weak.


Much apprehension has been occasioned
throughout America from the announcement
made by Professor Proctor that the return in
nineteen years of the great comet of last sum-
mer will cause the destruction of the earth.
But while people are becoming SO strangely
exercised over this announcement, an event Of
far more serious Importance, which is taking
place to-day, seems to be almost wholly over
looked. The nature of this most vital subject
can be best explained by relating the following
experiences:
Bishop E. o. Haven, known to the entire
land was unaccountably awakened one night
out of a 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 especial
ly ill, but could not account for the unusual
activity of his brain, nor for the restlessness
which seemed to possess him. In the morn
ing be had but little appetite, but was appa-
rently well in other respects. In few days,
however, 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 evil
seemed to follow him, and he was conscious
of a gradual sinking and wasting away of all
his physical faculties. He had been an earnest
and diligent worker, and in his zeal frequent
~ OVeT-LdAeu HIS slTeuBLI, ana uclHS aDSOTUcu
in his duties failed to observe the common
symptoms with which he was afflicted, thus
permitting the work of destruction to 60 on
unheeded. But the end finally came in most
peremptory manner. Shortly before his death
he wrote letter-the last one he ever indited
in which he speaks as follows: "a belief
that death is near affects different minds diff
ferently, but probably all who are in a fair con-
dition of physical and mental strength instinct
lively 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 des-
tiny of those he leaves than he was before he
began to die"
The recent sad and sudden death of Hon.
GARRISON n. Potter is one of the most serious
warnings ever given in the long list of innu-
merable cases of fatal neglect. 1t is not suf-
ficient to say that many other brilliant men,
including Everett, Sumner Chase, Wood, Will
son and Carpenter, were swept away by the
same fatal trouble. The questionis, were these
men sufficiently careful Of their health, and
could they have been saved! The Albany Ar
gus in speaking of Mr.. Potters sudden illness
and death, says:
some of the physicians who attended Mr.
Potter here was interviewed last evening. He
stated that Mr.. Potter's inability to converse
had for some time served to battle the ply
sicians in their efforts to determine the root
of his illness. 1t seems, however, that Mr.
Potter, some two years ago, suffered slight
attack of kidney disease. Unwise depend
ence upon robust constitution and naturally
perfect health, and neglect Of proper cloth
ing, doubtless sowed the seeds of a disease
that needed but some such personal neglect
as that of Tuesday morning to develop. From
the symptoms at first shown, it was thought
that his only trouble was nervous prostration;
put his long continuance in a semi-uncon-
scious state led to the belief that his illness
was seated in chronic difficulty more mystic
rious and dangerous"
Up to the latter part Of last year Mr.. Ed
ward F. Rock, a member Of the New York
stock exchange, was doing business in Wall
street, New York. He had everything to en-
courage him, and make life happy, but was
the victim Of unaccountable uneasiness. His
experience as described by one who knew,
was as follows: "At 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 en-
deavored to check these feelings and appear
pleasant, but it required great effort to do
SO; after which he would again relapse into
his former morbid mood. This feeling con-
tinued for a number of months, when he
became conscious of an added sense OF
lassltude. He was tired even when
resting, and although experiencing no
acute pain, had dull, aching sensa-
lions in his limbs and various 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 malaria he consulted an emf
nent physician, who informed him that his
kidneys 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 brain difficulty
somewhat in the nature Of tumor, but in
spite OF all efforts to the contrary he contin-
ued to grow worse. At this time his condi-
tion was terrible. What we're at first simple
symptoms had developed to terrible troubles.