The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-12-28
Lamentable Accident to a Proml-
mont Young Now York
Physician.
Surely Dying a Most Awful Death From
Blood Poisoning Contracted While
Following His Profession.
A Life For a Scrach-The Dying Mans
PAINFUL Efforts to Communicate
With His Wife.


II, Atkinson, one of the leading physl-
clans OF Brooklyn, was lying at the point
of death last night at his residence, "
Henry street. 4 few weeks ago he
seemed TO have long lease Of life before
him. lie was In his thirty.hlth year
only, and was man Of splendid
physique, He was always in buoyant
health and, as many Of his patients cx-
pressed II, his presence in the sick room
was better than medicine. In 1872 he
graduated from the Long Island College
Hospital, and has since practlccd in
Brooklyn, A few years ago he found it
necessary to employ an assistant in his
practice, He was also engaged in sew
cradle business enterprises, and Of late
he has become
PROMINENT IN POLITICS
in the Heights 4 week ago Thursday,
at an exciting primary election, he was
chosen President o! the First Ward Re-
publican Association, beating General
Benjamin F. Tracy, his opponent, by a
vote Of four TO ten. The disease from
which DR.. Atkinson is suffering, and
from which there is not the slightest hope
of his recovery, is misunderstanding, con-
tractcd while attending private patient
in August last. The patient was the vic.
tim of an infectious disease. and had
been for some time under DR.. Atkn-
sons treatment. 4 painful opera
ton became necessary, and ether was adj
minlStcred. While the patient was under
the knife he scratched the first joint of
the middle finger Of the Doctors right
hand with his nails, drawing blood. The
wound was apparently Insignificant, and
for some time it did not give DR.. Akin.
son any anxiety. Soon, however, the
pain IN his finger increased, and the swell.
ing extended to the hand and forearm,
and about October lSt he was Obliged TO
RESORT TO CAREFUL TREATMENT
under which the finger healed up, scar
still remained on the point where the
patients nails had entered, and the Joint
itself was red and sunken, No suisse
quont bad effects were apprchended from
the injury by either the doctor himself or
other physicians, whom he had consulted,
and he supposed that the poison had been
eradicated from his system. Toward the
end of November, however, he began ia
suffer from racking headaches on the left
sidt of his head, and heayineSs anC
| dullncSs, the very opposite of his natural
~ lively disposition. He WAS also troubled
with insomnia and had TO resort to mar.
coticS. He found 1t more and more diff.
Acult to attend TO bis numerous patients,
the most Of whom he handed over to DR..
Pcarce, his assistant, About two weeks
ago the
EFFECTS or THE POISON
became more manifest. In stepping off
car, DR.. Atkinson found that there was
some trouble in his right leg, and with
difficulty he walked froa Fulton street to
his Office atsoS Pineapple street about a
block distant. Day hy day the difficulty
extended, but, until yesterday week, he
spent several hours at his Office He
made his last call at seven o'clock in the
afto noon. 1t required the services Of
DR.. earce and friend to help him on
with his ovcrcoat, his right arm,
his right side and his right leg
having become paralyZcd. His voice
was tremulous and his mind was wandcrt
Ing. He was assisted to his home. Next
morning he could move his left arm only,
and on Wednesday his tongue became
paralyzed and power of speech was gone.
Prof. Armour, Doctors MCCorklc, West,
Lewis and Pearce, the attendant phySi-
clans, called on Prof. KEGS, a specialist
of Bellevue Hospital, who expressed an
opinion that DR., Atkinson would recover.
one or more physicians remained at his
bedside day and might, but in spite ofmost
careful treatment the patient grew worse
until
HOPE WAS ABANDONED.
During his intervals of consciousness, No
communicated with his wife by signals,
such as moving his eyelids or opening and
closing his left hand, which he could vet
do. Occasionally he would make an effort
to speak, but he could utter nothing in.
telligiblc. DR., Pearcc said last night that
the patients pulse had reached 100, and
that the end was not far Off The case,
he added, was considered one of the
most remarkable that had come to the