Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-05-11

Believer in the old school of medicine, il.
application and results, should thus recani
in favor Of that which is sneered at by old
practitioners, may startle you, but seeing Is
believing" and when l recount the attack
made ON my 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 lust cause for sincerity in my thankful
ness and belief. / will also spin my yarn
snent my China cruise, and altogether, ex-
rect 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 antumnal afternoon in the year 1888
found tho taut flagship Nomad rounding
the treacherous and dangerous extremity OF
South America And this day certainly in
tended 10 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 Fl IN hard work
pnd dlscomfOrts. The record of the NOmdd
on this cruise, which she was now cOmplet-
ing on her homeward bound passage to Bos-
ton had been most disagreeable, when con-
sidered in the light of heavy weather work
From Suez to Alden, then on to Bombay
Point de Gale, Singapore, Hong Kong.
Shanghai, Nagasak and Yokohama, the
balance sheet stood largely in favor of old
Neptun Is rough characteristics, but with
remarkable evenness the health and original
roster Of the ships company stood this day
as il did nearly three years ago-wlth one
execution. Throughout the diverse and
varied exposures incidental to cruising over
tho Asiatic station, where cholera, fevers,
liver complaints, malaria, and colds of all
degrees reign in full force, none of the crew
had suffered more than temporary lncon-
vtuience, and thus it seemed very hard that
now. in the closing days of the cruise, there
etood nine chances for. to one against, vic
tory being at last scored for the destroying
angel Death When the Nondd reached
Shanghai in the early portion of her cruise
ner admiral was the heathiest man aboard
grand specimen Of manhood was he. Over
ak feet in height, weighing two hundred
pounds, broad in chest and strong in limb,
he rightly claimed for himself a full share of
Natures blessings. While returning late ono
night from diplomatic reception at the
Consulate at Shanghai, through overhead
ing and insufficient protection from the dan
rerous effects OF the peculiar damp and
etarching night air, he caught cold. only
q cold, remarked the admiral to the doctors
of his ship, "and easy to cure" So though.
the medical officers but with quiet though
lmiral in spite of their best efforts to Grad
ioato it, and when the time came for leaving
Yokohama homeward bound, the admiral re-
allied that his lungs and throat were decid-
edly out of order. The doctors advised re-
turning home 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 n
victim to lurg trouble. But 1t was the old
story again typihed in this case. Only
cold at first; and III spite of orthodox treat
ment the peculiar climatic effects Of China
nursed il. and fastened the sure result OF
such deep seated trouble. Time passed after
leaving Yokohama for Boston, bringing
varying symptoms in the admiral's case, and
the doctors imagined that they held the dis
ease in check at least. But with the forma-
ton of tubercles, nlght-sweats and the now
fapId consumption on Islnzt 's1sss1su, s,ss!ss
had set in with alarming symptoms, the pa
tent realized that his cold had laid the seeds
of that fell agent Of Death, consumption.
The hacking cough If the admiral had in
itself been sufficient food for serious consid-
Grafton, and now, as in the warm autumn
days the flagship calamity rode over the
bluo waters of the Pacific, bound for Cape
Horn, the doctors hoped much for success.
But this boisterous afternoon found thegood
ship struggling with gigantic seas set of
from the Cape by a fierce northerly wind
Leaden were the heavens and sad the
hearts of all aboard, for that morning the
usual bulletin of the medical officers had set
forth this intelligence: ''lhe 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 asst two weeks sunk very low.
The symptoms of blood poisoning, torpid
lYer, intense pains thro lghout the body,
oversight and mental faculties affected, appe-
lite gone, through inaction of that great reg
tiiator-the liver. These were the means
which had reduced the admiral from tho
pinnacle of health to the valley and shadow of
death. Consumption held full sway now,
and the well-known skill of naval doctors
was IN this instance OF 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 de-
SPAR, rs standing by the weather rigging on
the poop deck he gazed absently over the
SETTLING waste of waters. This was the adj
mirais son, lieutenant, and attache to
his fathers staff He feared that the wear
aud tear of ship life would sap his fathers
strength beyond endurance, and before the
ship could reach Monteyideo. Among u
group Of sailors gathered around one of the
great guns on the spar deck stoolthe captain
Of the fOretop, Brown, slight but healthy
looking man. His companions were listen
ing to a recital of his sufferngs from con
xub1 al, bod do, VIII ha
attached TO the sloop -of-war Ranger, lying
in tho harbor of Yokohama a year ago, this
yarn" having been started by q discussion
about the admirals condition. The men h I'd
just returned from some work around the
deck, an order for which ha1 interrupted
Browns story few moments previously.
"A year ago this day was hove to in the
.pill mans sick bay in the Ranger, then oil
Yokohama, an | tell you, pards, twas no
use pipin' my number cause ] was nigh on
passin in my enlistment papers for long
cruise aloft, continued Brown. "Con.
sumption had me fiat ahack, and the doctor
says II was no use TO stow away his lush IN
my hold seem that my bellows was con-
demned by Q higher power than he could
wrastle WITH
"How did you puczer out of it?' asked
gunner's mate.
"Wa'all," replied Brown, "my Chinee
washman came to me one mornin an he
Gays to me, ''me hab got alice same Mclean
man medikin, do you heap goldn ! says,
bring it off, Chang; I buy all the same.
That afternoon Chang hove up with fourteen
bottles of lush, enough to kill or cure the
whole ships crew, an that looked fresh in
their nice wrappers. Says Chang, China
man doctor hab got plentee more, he make
heap good well with my sick, this number
one mediken alice same through Yokohama
Wa'all took the bottles an told the doctor
/ was goin' 10 try one as by the saihn' or
ders on the bottle, and the doctor he laughed
md said twas no good, but l done as the
regulations says from the first, an here
am, ag'in the doctors ideas, to be surer'
With this triumphant assertion Brown
looked about the circle. Then, lowering his
voice, said; Boys I've four of those
precious bottles left-ain't give 'em all
away yet fter was cured-an' if you all
think that it would not be too free with the
'old man, suppose go to his son there on
the poop deck an say what | have TO You,
an askin' his pardon, say we want the adj
miral TO Try the stuff in my bottles, seem
that they cured my consumption.
This idea met with approval from all
sides. Therefore Brown walked off for an
interview with the admiral's son, with no
little anxiety in his good heart as to the re-