Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-23
A MINISTER'S ESCAPE
From the Asylum to the Bosom of Hi
Home-How it was Done


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.
Whether it be true with others / 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 nottell, but that some enemy of nv
being was devouring me within | was
certain. At times l would seem compar-
atively well and then [ would be attacked
with the most distressing symptoms. /
would feel peculiar pains in various parts
of my body, my head would seem heavy:
my respiration labored; my appetite
would be ravenOus one day and l
would lOathe food the day following.
Then again | would lose all interest
in life would feel weary without
eXertiOn; would become sleepy at midday
and restless at night. Occasionally my
breathing would be labored and my heart
almost motiOnless, while at other times it
would palpitate violently. | thought
these troubles were the result of malaria
and treated them accordingly, but | got
no better Shortly afterward my stomach
became deranged, my food failed to di-
gest, and the fluids | passed were of a
peculiar Odor and color. And vet / did
not realize that these things meant any
thing serious. Finally | consulted a
number OF eminent physicians, each one
of whom took a different view as to the
cause of my troubles. One said | was
suffering from brain disease; another spi-
nal difficulty; others heart affection, kid
ney disease, etc. My symptoms were
l was cauterized, 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 prescription. After he
had gone / requested friend to 90 and
ask him what he thought of my trouble.
! The reply was: "Oh, he will be all right
in few days; it is only an attack of de-
lirium tremens." He was at once in
formed that this was impossible, as | had
never used any kind of Intoxicating
drinks; whereupOn he returned, made in
quiries and changed his prescription. But
all the care of my friends and physicians
availed nothing. | grew worse constantly.
and what is most terrible to think of did
not know what allied me, nor could | find
! any one who did.
During JIlc summer ana ldlI Oh last wear
my pulse ranged from 120 to 1870 per min
ute; | had no relish for food, and was in
deed most pitiable object. / continued
in this state until last December, when
| became unconscious and lost my reason,
I though had two physicians in whom my
self and friends placed implicit conf
dence. In this condition | was taken to
BrattlebOrO, Vt, for the purpose of being
! placed in the insane asylum. / remained
] 10 10; la Ill
! the while by my faithful wife who never
/ left me and believed that some disease and
not insanity was the cause Of all my trOu-
| BILE. | regained consciousness in March
! last and insisted upon being taken home.
| The physicians advised that | remain, but
| insisted upon leaving, and we began the
! journey, travelling slowly. | was met at
the dock by friend whom l recognized,
and then / became again unconscious and
remained so for over a week. When
| once more recognized my friend and knew
my surroundings | determined to try, as a
last resort, treatment of which | had
| heard much but knew nothing. Neither
myself nor friends had much faith that it
or anything could help me, but we re-
solved to try. We accordingly dismissed
/ the physicians, gave up all other RENE
dies, and | rejoice to say that with the
blessing of Him who guided us ! am to-
! day a we'll man, having not been so YigOr-
Gus for many years, and | owe it all to the
wonderful, almost miraculous power of
Warmers Safe Kidney Cure, the remedy
which / used.
You can well imagine how grateful
must feel under the circumstances, and,
| like a new convert, | earnestly desire that
! all who are suffering should know and
/ avail themselves of this means of recov-
cry. Had it not been for the remedy above
named | should doubtless now be within
| the walls of an asylum or in my grave.
The great trouble with my case was that
no one seemed to know what | was afflict-
ed WITH and am positive that thousands
of people in America to-day are in the
same or similar condition, and do not
| know its cause. Kidney troubles are the
| most deceptive of all diseases, They have
| no symptoms of their own, but often
! show the symptoms of nearly every known
| complaint. | know that people are dying
| every day from supposed consumption,
/ apOpleXy, heart disease, spinal complaint,
| and many other diseases, when, could the
! real cause be known, it would be found to
originate in the kidneys. In their adj
vanced stages kidney troubles are the most
| terrible of all known maladieS, as my own
experience can fully verify. That ! had
Brights disease of the kidneys there can
be no doubt. That the symptoms were
| those of many other diseases is equally
| ttIbdlIl4 anu lIietl as uOOllGll W d lCIII-
| BILE death had / not been saved as | was,
am positive. The following letters Just
| received confirm this:
! VERMONT ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE,l
BRATTLEBORO, VI, Oct. 80, 1882.
ReU. e. ID. Hopkins:
| DEAR SIR-Yours of the 21st inst re-
| ceived. We congratulate you not only
upon the continuance of your health, but
also upon its apparent continual improve
ment. Few persons, | think, have passed
through so eXhausting an experience as
! you and rallied from it. Certainly l can
not recall one who came to us in so criti-
CAL and for days and even weeks in so
! hopeless a state for amendment as you,
and who survived and recovered from it;
for, think, you may now consider your
self recovered and no longer on the cOnva-
/ lescent list. Hoping for the continuance
| of your present health, with the best
wishes from all here, / am yours truly,
| j. DRAPER.
| OCEANIC, N. j., November 2, 1882.
My DEAR FRIEND-Replying to your
| letter / would say, have been acquaint-
ed with my highly valued friend, the Rev.
| S. D. Hopkins, about eighteen months,
and very intimately acquainted for about