The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-05-17

An IHxestiggtlon ?f the. Cnneea Of. Those
Powerful Men W. eRk.



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 peorie are becoming 80 strangely exer~
| cised over this announcement, an event OF tar
| more serious importance, which is taking place
| to-day seems to be almost wholly overlooked.
The nature of this most vital subject can bo
better explained by relating the following expe-
rionces:
Bishop e. O. Haven, known to the entire
land was unaccountably awakened one night
out of a sound Sleep and lay awake until morn
| ing 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 restlossness which
| seemed to possess him. In the morning he had
| but little appetite, but was apparently well in
| other respects. In a few days, however, he be-
| gan to feel restless and morbid, although he
| tried earnestly to overcome the feeling which
| had taken possession of him. Buttry 80 hewould
| the shade of some evil seemed to follow him,
| and he was conscious OF gradual sinking
| and wasting away OF all his physical faculties,
| He had been an earnest and diligent worker,
| and in his zeal frequently over-taxed his
| strength, and being absorbed in his duties
| failed to observe the common symptoms with
which he was afflicted, thus permitting the
| work of destruction TO go on unheeded. But
the end finally came in a most peremptory
| manner. Shortly before his death he wrote u
| letter-the last one he ever indited- in which
| he speaks as follows ga belief that death is
| near affects different minds differently, but
probably all who are in a fair condition of
physical and mental strength instnctively
shrink from it with an indetnable dread and
horror. A dying man is no more able of him
| self to foresee his own destiny or the destiny
ofthose 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 innu-
merable cases of fatal neglect. 1t is not suffi-
cient to say that many other brilliant men,
including Everett Sumner, Chase, Wood, Will
son and Carpenter, were swept away by the
came fatal trouble The question is, were
these men sufficiently careful of their heal tn
and could they have been saved The Albany
Argus in speaking of Mr.. Potter's sudden ILL
ness and death, SAYS:
Zone 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.. Pot
ter, some two years ago, suffered slight at
tack of kidney disease. Unwise dependence
upon q robust constitution and naturally per-
feet health, and neglect OF proper clothing,
doubtless sowed the seeds of q disease that
needed but some such personal neglect as that
of Tuesday morning to develop. From the
symptoms at frat shown, it was thought that
his only trouble was nervous prostration; bait
his long continuance in a 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.. Ed
ward F. Rook, 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 ex-
perience as described by cue Who knew, was
as follows: "At unexpected titles, aud on occa-
sions 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 former morbid
| mood. This feeling continued for number of
| months, when he became conscious OF an
| added sensation Of lassitude. He was tired
even when resting, and although ex-
periencing no acute pain, had dull,
aching sensations 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 affected, 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 in
! formed that he had brain difficulty somewhat
| in the nature OF 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 devel-
| oped to terrible troubles. lie was flushed and
ieverish, constantly uneasy, and yet always
| weary. He had an intense appetite one day
and very little the next His pulse was irreg-
| ular, his breathing labored, and every mo-
ment of existence was a burden. These dlsas-
! trous symptoms continued, his face and body
| became discolored, his heart was irregular IN
| its action, and his breath came in short, con-
| vulsive gssps He grew constantly worse not
| withstanding 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 perfect condition, and the reason OF his
| decease was of an entirely different nature"
The experiences which have been cited above
all had common cause and were each the re-
| suit of one disease. That disease, which so de-
ceitfully, yet surely removed the people above
| mentioned was Brights disease of the kidneys
| In tbs case of Mr. Rook the examination after
| DEATH while showing the brain 70 be in perfect
condition, revealed the terrible fact that he
| was the victim Of slight kidney trouble, which
had gone ON unchecked, until it resulted in
acute Bright's disease. The leading physiciane
and scientists of the world are fast learning that
more than ono-half the deaths which occur are
| caused by this monsrous scourge. 1t Is one oi
the most deceitful maladies ever known
| TO the human race. 1t manifests IT.
self by symptoms 30 slight and common
as to seem unworthy of attention;
and yet these very insignificant symptoms are
the first stages of the worst complaint known
in the history of the world. Thousands OF
people have died from troubles that are called
heart disease, apoplexy, pneumonia, brain fever
and similar diseases, when it was in fact
Bright's disease of the kidneys. The ravages
of this disease have been greatly increased
from the fact that until recent years no way was
known to prevent its beginning nor check its
increase when it had become once fixed upon
the system. Within the past two years, how
/ ever, we have learned OF more than four hun
dred pronounced cases of Bnght's disease.
many of them much worse than those above
| An.nrilnnd and I1anat of ruhnE1n lad haen given