The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-05-11

XOnuer1ul discovery Ill I1eulCtl SClcllNVi
made by n man who to-day stands in the
front rank of his fellow workers-unequaled
by any in my own opinion. 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 "seelngis
believing" and when | recount the attack
made on my old hulk, how near L 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 i'll my thankful
ness and belief. l will also spin my yarn
anent my China cruise, and altogether, ex-
pect to entertain as well as be entertained
by you. With best wishes,
Sincerely yours,
Rear Admiral U. S. Navy.
Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston.
An autumnal afternoon in the year 1SS-
found the taut flagship Nomad rounding
the treacherous and dangerous extremity of
South America. And this day certainly in
tended to place itself on record with those of
its predecessors marked stormy, its nasti-
ness in wind and weather giving all hands
on board the flagship their fill in hard work
and discomforts. The record of the Nomdd
on this cruise, which she was now complet-
ing on her homeward bound passage to Bos-
IOn, u uDttu llOOb OlSdSlCCuDiOt WiNh NOA-
sidered in the light of heavy weather work.
From Suez to Alden, then on to Bombay,
Point de Gale, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Nagasaki and Yokohama, the
balance sheet stood largely in favor of old
Neptun-'s rough characteristics, but. with
remarkable evenness the health and original
roster of the ships company stood this day
as it did nearly three years ago-with one
exception. 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, lone of the crew
had suffered more than temporary lncon-
venience, and thus it seemed very hard that
now, in the closing days of the cruise, there
stood nine chances for, to one against, n VIC
tory being at last scored for the destroying
angel Death. When the Nomdd reached
Shanghai in the early portion of her cruise
her admiral was the healthiest man aboard.
A grand specimen of manhood was he. Over
six feet in height, weighing two hundred
pounds, broad i'll chest and strong in limb,
he rightly claimed for himself a full share of
Natures blessings. While returning late one
night from a diplomatic reception at the
Consulate at Shanghai, through overhead
ing and insufficient protection from the dan
gerous effects of the peculiar damp and
searching night air, he caught cold. only
a cold" remarked the admiral to the doctors
of his ship, "and easy to cure" So thought
the medical officers, but with a quiet though
insidious progression, this cold chung to the
admiral in spite of their best effortst to Grad
icate it, and when the time came for leaving
Yokohama, homeward bound, the admiral re-
allied that his lungs INT throat were decid-
edly out of order. The doctors advised re-
turning nome by mail steamer to San Fran
cisco, SO that greater means for curing this
persistent cough might be found in the
Naval Hospital there; but the admiral pre-
ferred to stick to his ship, still imagining
that his trouble would eventually be over
come by the doctors treatment.
No one who looked at the admiral even in
those days imagined that he would fall a
victim to lung trouble. But it was the old
story again typified IN this case; Only a
cold at first; and in spite of orthodox treat
ment the peculiar climatic effects of China
nursed it, and FASTENED the sure result of
such a deep-seated trouble. Time passed after
leaving Yokohama for Boston, bringing
varying symptoms in the aamiral's case, and
the doctors imagined that they held the dis
ease in check at least. But with the forma-
ton of tubercles, n~ight-sweats and the now
rapid consumption of lung tissues, which
had set in with alarming symptoms, the pa
tient realized that his cold had laid the seeds
of that fell agent of Death, consumption.
The hacking cough of the admiral had in
itself been sufficient food for serious consid-
Grafton, and now, as in the warm autumn
days the flagship gallantly rode over the
blue waters of the Pacific, bound for Cape
11Orn, the uOctOrS nOpeu mucn lot success.
But this boisterOus afternoon found the good
ship struggling with gigantic seas set off
from the Cape by a fierce northerly wind.
Leaden were the heavens n sad the
hearts of all aboard, for that morning the
usual bulletin of the medical officers had set
forth this intelligence: THE admiral is in
same condition as reported last night. A
burning fever has been slightly reduced,
while other symptoms are as heretofore an
nounced." All understood these words
without questioning. The beloved admiral
had during the past two weeks sunk very low
The symptoms of bloOd-poisoning, a torpit
liver, intense pains throughout the body
eyesight and mental faculties affected, appe
tite gone, through inaction of that great reg
ulator-the liver. These were the mean
which had reduced the admiral from tn
pinnacle of health to the valley and shadow o
death. Consumption held full sway now
and the well-known skill of naval doctor
was in this instance at least completed,
foiled.
The admiral had issued orders for the flag
ship to touch at Monteyideo for coal, and i
was the intention of the doctors TO lane tn,
admiral there for treatment. But one MAJ
in the ship was wrapped in the gloom of de
spair, as standing by the weather rigging or
the poop deck he glzed absently over tn
SETTLING waste of waters. This was the ad
mirals son. a lieutenant, and attache | t.
his father's staff. He feared that the wea
$500 NH Va H'AB ~ "DAE@ oNB 80 tNN'Nt
strength beyond endurance, II before tn
ship could reach Montevideo. Among
group of sailors gathered around one of tn,
great guns on the spar deck stoodthe captain
of the foretop, Brown, a slight but healthy
looking man. His companions were listen
ing to a recital of his sufferings from con
sumption, which had developed while he wa
attached to the sloop-of-war Ranger, lyin!
in the harbor of Yokohama a year ago, thi.
yarn" having been started by n discussion
about the admiral's condition. The men ha'
Just returned from some work around tn
deck, al order for which hal interrupte'
Browns story a few moments previously.
ga year ago this day / was hove to in tn
pill mans sick bay i'll the Ranger, then OF
Yokohama, an l tell you, pards, twas II,
use pipin' my number, cause | was nigh OIL
passin' in my enlistment papers for n lon!
cruise %aloft,' continued Brown. 'Con
sumption had me flat aback, and the docto
l says it was no use TO stow away his lush il
G my hold seem that my bellows was con
4 demned by a higher power than he conl
r wrastle with"
! Glow did you pucker out of it?" asked
%gunner's mate.
h "Wa'all," replied Brown, "my Chine
s washman came to Inc one mornin' an h