The Dawson journal., 1883-03-08

fectly helpless. l have treated
him for many years and | have
always relied mainly on his won
derful power of will to bring him
through. His brain has never been
shaken before and he has always
been perfectly self-possessed In
this has been his great strangth.
His body, as mere physical
frame, could never have resisted
one-half the suffering he has un-
dergone and survived. Only twice
in my experience have known his
mental action even interrupted.
That was in 1854 and in 1867,
when under severe pain there was
a temporary loss of memory. Not
the slightest arbitration but sim
ply a shock that destroyed the
memory. For example, when in
1867 he was screaming with pain,
Mr.. Linton Stephens came to me
and said:
"Why, doctor, brother Aleck is
crazy
[ went in and he was soon quiet
[ asked him if be had suffered
much, and he said not at all. He
seemed to forget the existence Of
the pain under which he had been
writhing but a moment before. In
few moments, however, he was
perfectly clear. His mind resum-
ed it's sway, his feeble frame to
his powerful dictate, and in a
short time he was well. But from
the first in this case, as far as /
can Judge, his mind has been gone,
and he has been drifting perfectly
helpless at the mercy of every
chance Or impulse?"
"What was the cause Of death?''
II should say beyond doubt, that
it was overwork. He died from
everlasting his mental organs.
You understand that if you use
any organ of the body excessively
it wears out. He has been able
to do but little physical work, and
his whole energies have beer
poured in to his mental organ
The mental ganglia, or gray sub
stance of the brain-that part Of
the brain in which the mind exists
the outer surface of the brain
The continued and excessive use
of this organ has induced ner-
vous exhaustion under which i
has failed entirely and left hin
without the power to rally. L
may be that excessive and study
have produced a rush of blood tt
the brain that resulted in cappil
larry engagement, or it may be tina
it has brought about de
pletion Of the brain. In any even
it is the constant and excessive
use of his mind that has produced
his death. For example he hat
been unable to sleep since I came
and consequently unable to Civ,
the brain that rest that was i'm
perItlvely needed.
Gould you not force him t.
! sleep?"
We had about determined thi
afternoon to force him to sleep to
-;ol-t ~ +l,n ,,ea nf ohiaral Ty,
or three hours ago we were dis
cussing it. We discovered befor,
using the chloral that he was dy
! ing, and that nothing could saw,
him. If we had used the chlora
he would have died under it, anC
the public might then have iudg
ed that the choral had produceC
the death, which it now appear.
was inevitable with or without it.
'Has Mr. Stephens had no luc
Id intervals since you arriyed?"
"None except to-day. Ideterm
ined to see if [ could not bring
him to fix his mind on something
[ approached his bedside, sharply
caught him, and arresting his eye
said decisive: Mr.. Stephens, wht
am [? He looked up, his brigh
eyes flickered for a moment, ther
steadied themselves on me, and he
said: why, doctor, how are you
Is Mrs. Steiner with you? anc
pressed my hand just as he usec
to do. He then seemed to be try
ing to concentrate his thought.
for moment, and evidently in
tended to ask my wife and myself
to come to the mansion or home
in Charlottesville. | could no
understand definitely which. In
deed before he had uttered his
thought he was off again, and
dill not attempt to arouse him"
''It is impossible then that he
will become conscious before
deathY
Entirely SO. He may die al
any moment. | don't think he
can live two hours, and he will die
speechless and unconscious. As
| said, his pulse is barely percep-
tible now. 1t will shortly flicker
In his wrist one or two ftful beats
then stop forever. There will be nc
pain and no consciousness. He
will die under a cloud.
TALK WITH DR.. MILLER.
Az about tr,o -.