Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-04-11

workers-uneQualed by any IN my own opln-
ion. That /, who heretofore have ever been
the most orthodox believer in the old school OF
medicine. its application and results, should
thus recant in favor of that which is sneered
at by old practitioners, may startle you, but
s'seeing is believing" and when l recount the
attack made on nv old hulk, how near / came
to lowering my colors, and the final volley,
which through the agency above mentioned,
gave me victory you will at least credit me
with Just cause for sincerity in my thankful
ness and belief. / will also spin my yarn
anent my China cruise, and altogether, expect
to entertain as we'll as be entert aimed by you.
With best wishes, Sincerely yours,
Rear Admiral U. S. Navy.
Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston.
An autumnal afternoon in the year 1888
found the taunt flagship Nomad rounding the
treacherous and dangerous extremity OF South
America. And this day certainly intended to
place itself on record with those of its pre-
decessors marked stormy, its nastiness in wind
and weather giving all hands on board the
flagship their fill in hard work and discom-
forts. The record of the Nomad on this cruise,
which she was now completing on her home
ward bound passage to Boston, had been most
dlsagreeable. when considered in the light of
heavy weather work. From Suez 20 Alden,
then on to Bombay, Point de Gale, Singapore,
hama, the balance sheet stood largely In favor
of old Neptunes's rough characteristics, but
with remarkable .evenness the health and Orlgi-
nal roster of the ships company stood this day
as 1t did nearly three years ago-wlth one eX-
ception. Throughout the diverse and varied
exposures incidental to cruising over the
Asiatic station. where cholera, fevers, liver
complaints, malaria, and colds of all degrees
reign in full force, none of the crew had Suf-
fered more than temporary inconvenience.
and thus it seemed very hard that now. In the
closing days of the cruise, there stood nine
chances for, to one against, victory being at
last scored for the destroying angel Death.
When the Nomad reached Shanghai IN the
early portion of her cruise her admiral was the
healthiest man aboard. grand specimen of
manhood was he. Over SIX feet in height,
weighing two hundred pounds broad in chest
and strong ia limb, he rightly claimed for him
self full share of Natures blessings. While
returning late one night from a diplomatic re-
ception at the Consulate at Shanghai, through
ov er-heating and insufficient protecuOn from
the dangerous effects of the peculiarly damp
and searching night air, he caught cold. "'Only
cold, remarked the admiral TO the doctors of
his ship, land easy to cure So thought the
medical officers. but with quiet though in
sidious progression. this cod chung to the adj
nl1ral Ill spite OF their best efforts 10 eradicate
il, and when the time came for leaving Yoko-
hama. homeward bound, the admiral realized
that his lungs and throat were decidedly out of
order. The doctors advised returning home by
mail steamer to San Francisco, so that greater
means for curing this persistent cough might
be found in the Naval Hospital there: but the
admiral preferred to stick to his ship, still i'm
agining that his trouble would eventually be
overcome by the doctors treatment.
No one who looked at the admiral even in
those days imagined that he would fall a VIC
tim to lung trouble. But it was the old story
again typlied in this case. Only a cold at
first; and in spite Of orthodox treatment the
peculiar climatic effects of China nursed it,
and FASTENED the sure result of such deep
seated trouble. Time passed after leaving
Yokohama for Boston, bringing varying symp-
toms III the admraIs case, and the doctors i'm
agined that they held the disease in check at
least. But with the formation OF tupercles,
nlghI-SWeatS. and the now rapid consumption
of lung tissues, which had set in with alarming
symptoms, the patient realized that his cold
had laid the seeds of that fell agent of Death,
consumption. The hacking cough of the ad-
miral had IN itself been sufficient food for serl-
GUS consideration. and now, as in the warm
autumn days the flagship gaIlantly rode over
the blue waters of the Pacific bound for
Cape horn, the doctors hoped much for
success. But this boisterous afternoon
found the good ship strug cling with
gigantic seas set off from the cape
by a fierce northerIy wind. Leaden were the
heavens and sad tie hearts OF ali aboard. for
that morning the usual bulletin of the medical
officers had set forth this intelligence: The
admiralis ID same condition as reported last
night. A burning fever has been slightly re-
duced, while other symptoms are as heretofore
announced" All understood these words with
out questioning. The beloved admiral had
during the past two weeks sunk very low. The
symptoms of bloOd-poisoning, torpid liver
intense pains throughout the body, eyesight
and mental faculties affected, appetite gone,
liver. These were the means which had re-
duced the admiral from the pinnacle Of health
TO the valley and shadow of death. COnsotllop-
ton held full sway now, and the Well-known
skill of naval doctors was this Instance at
least completely fooled.
The admiral had issued orders for the flag
ship TO touch at Montevideo for coal, and it
was the intention of the doctors to land the
admiral there for treatment. But one man in
the ship was wrapped IN the gloom of despair,
as standing by the weather rigging On the
poop deck he gaZed absently over the seerh1ng
Waste of waters. This was the admiral's son,
lieutenant. and attached to his fathers staff.
He feared that the wear and tear Of ship-life
would sap his fathers life beyond endurance.
and before the ship could reach MOntevideo.
Among group of sailors gathered around one
Of the great guns on the spar deck stood the
| captain of the fore-top. Brown, slight but
healthy looking ma1. HIS companions were
listening to recital of his sufferings from con-
sumption. which had developed while he was
attached to the sloop-of-war Ranger, lying in
the harbor OF Yokohama a year ago, this
yarn having been started by a discussion
about the admiraFs condition. The men had
| Just returned from some work around the
deck, an order for which had interrupted
/ Browns story few moments previously.
"a year ago this day was move to in the
pill mans ok bay in the Ranger, then of
| Yokohama. an [ tell you, par,1s, twas no use
| pipin' my number, cause was nigh on passin
! in my enlistment papers for my long cruise
! aloft," continued Brown. 81 Consumption hao
M fla aback, and the doctor says it was no use
to stow away his lush in my hold SEEM that
my bellows was condemned by higher power
! tLan he could wrastle with"
How did you quicker out of it?" asked {
gunners mate.
.sWa'all, replied Brown, my Chipee wash.
man come to me one mornin' an he says to
me. me hab got alice same Mclean man medi
kin. do you heap good! l says bring it off
Chang, buy all the same. That Afternoon
Chang hove in with fourteen bottles of a lush
| enough to kill or cure the whole ships crew
an that looked fresh in their nice wrappers
Saws Chang. China man doctor hab got
plentee more, he make heap good well viii
nv sick, This number one medikln alice same
through Yokohama Wa'all. took the bot
Il If