Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-02-07
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.
Remarkable Statement of Personal
Danger and Frovidential Escape.

press-is 50 remarkable that we can
not excuse ourselves if we do not lay
it before our readers, even though its
length would ordinarily preclude its
admission to our limited space:
TO the Editor of the Rochester On.
W Democrat, Sir On the first day
of June, 1881, l lay at my residence
in this city surrounded by my friends
and waiting for death. Heaven only
knows the agony i then endured, for
words can never describe it. And
yet, ifa few years previous any one
had told me that I was to be brought
so low, and by so terrible a disease, /
should have scOffed at the idea. |
had always been uncommonly strong
and healthy, and weighed over 200
pounds and hardly knew, in my own
experience, what pain and sickness
were. Very many people who will
read this statement realize that at
times they are unusually tired and
cannot account for it. They feel dull
pains in various parts of the body and
do not understand it. Or they are
exceedingly hungry one day and en-
tirely without appetite the next.
This was just the way l felt when the
relentless malady which had fastened
itself upon me first began. Still l
thought nothing of it; that probably
| had taken a cold which would soon
pass away. Shortly after this /
noticed heavy, and at times neural
gic, pain in one side of my head, but
as it would come one day and be
gone the next, l paid little attention
to it, Then my stomach would get
out of order and my food failed to di-
gest, causing at times greatinconven-
fence. Yet, even as a physician, 1
did not think that these things meant
anything serious. / fancied l was
suffering from malaria and doctored
myself accordingly. But l got no
better. next noticed a peculiar
color and odor about the fluids was
passing-also that there were large
quantities one day and very little the
next, and that persistent froth and
scum appeared upon the surface, and
a sediment settled. And yet l did
not realize my danger, for, indeed,
seeing these symptoms continually, 1
became accustomed to them, and my
suspicion was wholly disarmed by
the fact that / had nGpains in the af-
fected organs or in their vicinity.
Why should have been so blind |
cannot understand.
consulted the best medical skill
in the land. | visited all the famed
mineral springs in America and trav-
eled from Maine to California. Still
grew worse. No two physicians
agreed as to my malady. One said /
was troubled with spinal irritation
another, dyspepsia; another, heart
disease; another, general debility
another, congestion of the base of the
brain; and so on through long list
of common diseases, thesymptoms OF
many of which really had. In this
way several years passed, during
which time / was steadily growing
worse. Ny condition had really be-
come pitiable. The slight symptoms
| at first experienced were developed
into terrible and constant disorders.
My weight had been reduced from
POI to $50 pounds. My life was a bur.
den to myself and friends. / could
retain no food on my stomach, and
lived wholly by injections. / was q
living mass Of pain. My pulse was
uncomfortable. In my agony l fire.
quently fell to the floor and clutched
the carpet, and prayed for death
Morphine had little or no effect il
deadening the pain. For six days
and nights had the death-premoni
tory hiccoughs constantly. My wa
ter was filled with tube-casts and al
bumen. I was struggling will
Bright's Disease of the kidneys in it
last stages!
While suffering thus l received +;
call from my pastor, the Rev. DIR
Foote, at that time pastor of st. Paul
Episcopal church, of this city. l fel
that it was our last interview, but il
the course of conversation DIR. Foot
detailed to me the many remarkable
cures Of cases like my own which hat
come under his observation, by mean
of a remedy, which he urged me t,
try. AS a practicing physician and
graduate of the schools, derided tn
idea Of any medicine outside of tn
regular channels being in the leas