Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-03
UNDER THE GALLONS!
Frightful Condemnation of a Mother
by Her Somewhat Does it Mean?

by Her SOMEWHAT Does it Mean?
Not long ago weeping mother called
to bid goodbye to her only son who
was soon to be executed.
woman" he exclaimed in momen-
tary. frenzy, "Woman, | would never
50 have been here had you done your
duty by nee when / was young!'
This was terrible parting! 1t horri-
fed the spectators, it nearly crazed the
conscience stricken mother.
One can scarcely overestimate the
mothers influence in the moulding of
the character of her offspring. But
how often, oh, how often, do mothers
seem to ignore this responsibility!
During a recent trip on the rail the
writer made the acquaintance of DR.. A.
j. Benedict, of Sackett's Harbor, n. Y,
a person who has made a study Of hui
man development. Referring to the
murderous tendency of the times, we
asked that eminent man if the outlook
was not discouraging?
s'It looks So" he said, "but fancy
we have a cause and the remedy for
such evils. In my professional career [
have found by hard study that we have
emerged from savagery by development
Of the nervous system and the intellect
ual life, and we return to savagery as
we ignore me fact that without the
solid, trustworthy nervous system, we
cannot hope to save the race. Boys
stuff dime novels and the pistol is to
them the only respectable, glorious in
strument to secure fame. Women read
trashy literature and straightway try
to murder their husbands and friends by
poison. Business men yield to the
i l1,4,, =
Ministers, charmed by beauty, forget
the behests of conscience. On every
side we see the weakness OF personal
integrity"
do you regard it as disease?"
More especially as the result Of
disease which, however, may be pre-
vented"
"PIease define how"
4 cannot now enter into details. Our
people can see their bodies, their blood,
their bones. They neUer see their nerves
and consequently many do not suppose
then haze d11y. The farmers wife re-
ioices in a big, ply frame, and yet
she dies prematurely. The nerve cannot
stand the strain of continual work. The
minister falls dead IN his pulpit, but he
never did days physical work in his
life. The lawyer faints in the presence
of the court and is soon a wreck or
corpse, and yet the work is nerve work.
The man of affairs is overcome with APP
Oplaxy; the politician and publiciSt with
Bright disease. The mind of the untu
tored man is fired by the exploits of
crime and he longs for such fame. These
persons overwork or over-excite the
nervous system and this fact kills or
demoraliZes them"
eff all this be so how would you rec
tify it then"
"Let me tell you. A few years ago I
had lady patient who was an utter
wreck. She was the mother of several
children. She lost her mind and mag
med she was cursed of God. She was
farmers wife, and worked early and
late. never saw a finer specimen of
physical womanhood than she, but she
was a nervous wreck She became blood
less, had the very worst of female dis
orders and was in the last stages Of al
buminuria or Bright's disease. This
latter disease works particular havoc
with the nervous system and produces
insanity and despair. She was in
sane and desperate and [ fear tGinted
the blood of her offspring with these
terrible tendencies. | treated her for
SeVerai ySaTS. Oue Ny one Guo StauUdLu
remedies Of the schools failed, but [ final
ly cureo her with Warmers safe cure,
and she is to-day strong and well. Yet
thousands of women like her, every year
bring Informed and criminally inclined
children into the world. Is it any Won
der that nervous diseases prevail and
ahat the whole moral sense is democrat
lied? If tAat remedy were generally
| used, we would have stronger mothers,
stronger children, stronger men and
women, and with perfect physical and
and society be more secure"
Such candid opinions are surely worth
considering.