Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-10-20
A Professional Confession.
THE UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES OF Prominent
MAN MADE PUBLIC.


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| reliable source, that 1t Is herewith re-
published entire In addition to the valuable
m.,,.- :, o,,,.;ns !, will h. f,,nd sx,..a-
ihgis interesting
To the Editor of the Democrat and Chronicle
SIR:-My motives for the publication of
the most unusual statements which follow
! are. first, gratitude for the fact that have
been saved from a most horrible death, and
secondly. a desire to warn all who read this
statement against some of the most deceptive
influences by which they have ever been
surrounded. 1t is fact that to day thousands
of people are within a foot of the grave and
they do not know it, To tell how l was
caught awav from lust this position and 10
warn others against nearing it, are my
objects in this communication.
On the first day of June 1882, l lay at nv
residence in this city surrounded BY my
friends and waiting for nv DEATH Heaven
only knows the agony then endured, for
words can never describe it, And vet, if a
few wears previous, any one had told me
that was to be brought so low, and by so
terrible disease, I should have scoffed at
the idea had always been uncommonlv
pounds and hardly knew, in my own ex-
perience, what pain or sickness were. Very
many people who will read this statement
realize at times that they are unusually tired
and cannot account for it. They feel dull
anc indefinite pains in various parts of the
body and do not understand it. Or they are
exceedingly hungry one day and entirely
without appetite the next. This was just the
way felt when the relentless malady which
had fastened itself upon me first began.
Still thought it was nothing: that probably
had taken cold which would soon pass
away. Shortly after this | noticed a dull.
and at times a neuralgic pain in my head, |
but as it would come one day aid be gone |
the next, paid but little attention to it,
However, my stomach was out of order and
nv food often failed to digest, causing at
times great Inconvenience. Yet l had no
idea. even as a physician, that these things
meant anything serious or that a monstrous
disease was becoming fixed upon me. |
Candidly. | thought | was suffering from
Malaria and so doctored myself accordingly. |
But got no better. l next noticed
peculiar color and odor about the fluids
was passing-also that there were large
quantities one day and very little the next, |
and that persistent froth and scum appear |
ed upon the surface, and a sediment settled |
in the bottom. And vet | did not realize |
my danger, for, indeed, seeing these
symptoms continually, l finally became |
accustomed to them, and my suspicion was
wholly disarmed by the fact that | had no
pain in the affected organs or in their vicinity. |
Why should have been so blind | cannot |
understand.
There is terrible future for all physical |
neglect, and impending danger always brings
a person to his senses even though it NAV
then be too late. / realized at last. nv
condition and aroused myself to overcome it. |
And, Oh how hard tried. | consulted the |
best medical skill in the land | visited all |
the prominent mineral springs in America |
and travelled from Maine to California. Still |
| grew worse No two physicians agreed as |
to nv maladv One said | was troubled |
with spinal irritation; another nervous |
prostration; another, malaria another
dyspepsja: another. heart disease. anotber
general debility: another, congestion of the
base of the brain; and so on through long
list of common diseases, the symptoms of all |
of which really had. In this way several |
years passed during all of which time | was
steadily growing worse. Nv condition had |
really become pitiable The slight SYMPTOMS |
at first experienced were developed into
terrible and constant di.orders-the little
twigs of pain had grown to oaks of agony |
My weight had been reduced from 2O7 to 1870 |
pounds Nv life was a torture to mvself and |
friends. could retain no food upon nv
stomach, and lived wholly by injections. I
was 4 living mass of pain. Nv pulse was
uncomfortable. In nv agony / frequently |
fell upon the floor, convulsively clutched the |
carpet, and PRAYED for death. Morphine had |
little or no effect in deadening the pain. For
six DAYS and nights l had the death pre-
monitory biccoughs constantly. NV urine
was filed with tube casts and albumen. /
was struggling with Bright's Disease of the |
Kidneys in its last stages.
While suffering thus I received call from |
my pastor. the Rev. DIR. Foote, rector of
ST. Paul's church of this city. | felt that
it was our last interview but in the course |
of conversation he mentioned a remedy of
which had heard much but had never used |
DR.. Foote detailed to me the many ramarka- |
BILE cures which had come under his obser- |
vatien, by means Of this remedy, and urged |
me to try it. As a practicing physician and |
graduate of the schools, cherished the |
prejudice both natural and common with all |
regular practitioners, and derided the idea of
any medicine outside the regular channels |
being the least beneficial. So solicitous. |
however, was DIR. Foote, that finally prom
ised would waive my prejudice and try the |