The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-31
THE GENERALS SUFFERING.


THE GENERALS SUFFERING.
Bearing His Pain Patiently Without Single
Complaint.
New York World.
The Rev. DR.. Newman has spent good deal
of the time at Gen. Grants during the past
week Speaking last night of the way Gen.
Grant has borne himself lately, and of the gen.
eral and unprofessional aspects of the malady,
he said ''One of the most striking things about
the Generals sickness is his implicit faith in his
physicians. [ have been in many sick rooms,
but never in one in which the patient was so
anxious to follow every direction left by the
doctors. He does precisely as they want him to
do, and in every way aids them, instead of lying
on his back and letting them do all the work, as
some sick persons do. He obeys them like
soldier. Letters reach him from all over the
country with suggestions for help in his disease,
but he pays no attention to them. They all go
to the doctor, and if they amount to anything
the General benefits by them only after they
have passed the doctors favorable judgment.
The General is SO careful to obey directions that
he even keeps track of the hours when medicines
must be taken, never failing to take them
promptly.
There has been no noticeable change in his
appearance" DR.. Newman went on, during the
week or, indeed since first saw him on my re-
turn to the city two weeks ago. His condition
has not been so painless as is commonly sup
posed. On the contrary, he suffers very much.
Last night he was in intense pain When the
doctor called and looked at the throat, the Gen
eral saidf aothing about feeling worse. The
doctofsc earfIl comment was, as usual, that
the throay looked pretty we'll. When the doc
tor had gone from the room the General said to
me: He dosen't know how am suffering. / re-
peated this to the doctor, who said he had noticed
some change.
II mention this merely to illustrate how he
bears pain. No one knows of it unless by ask
ing, and then, in response to an inquiry if he is
suffering much, the General will say Yes as
calmly and quietly as though the question had
no reference to himself.
Last night he suffered terribly at the base of
the tongue, and down in the throat it ached and
was very sore. / cannot tell how far his exam
ination by the lawyers on the preceding day
may have induced such a condition, but what
ever the cause the effect was agonizing Yet he
sat with us in his pain, and even took part in
conversation. We talked among other
things of the prospect of war between England
and Russia I remarked that thought Russias
scheme might be to seize and hold Afghanistan,
and then offer it to England if England would
deliver Constantinople to Russia. Talk drifted
to the troubles in China. One Of the party
thought it would be good thing for this country
to join China in repelling the French.
"Oh, no. said, we want no foreign war on
our hands"
"'Nor domestic one, the General added sig
nfcantv"
THAT shows the peaceful disposition of his
mind, which is as clear ana broad as ever. He
was always OF peace Even during the
war, while others were seeking fame or glory,
his aim was always for peace. He pounded the
countrys enemies only to make them peaceful.
1t will be his chief military glory that he the
conspicuous embodiment in our war of the idea
of fighting for peace,
''The General is fully conscious Of his condi-
tion 1t would be useless to keep it from him.
His mind is like lightning in detecting changes.
He says little about the end but he is prepared for
it, His mind is at peace and in full unison with
the prayerfu spirit of the country. The physi-
clans do not lend him much hope They say that
their purpose is to create stimulate vital
force which shall offset the waste from the
disease and leave a surplus in his favor He
recognizes that as chance for postponing the
end, and, with others, l am yet hopeful that the
disease may be held in check, if not overcome, in
this way. have made the remark at different
times that | did not see why the physicians
should hesitate to compel sleep by the use of
morphine When / was in acute suffering
welcomed morphine. 1t soothed me and never
left bad effects that | could see. But in response
to this the physicians have informed the Gen
era that they are chary of giving it, because the
time may soon come when its use will be
necessity, and they do not want to accustom the
system to it. Of course, he understands what
that means. The idea in his rising early of late
and trying to keep up during the day is that he
may rest better at night. 1t dosent seem to
have succeeded wholly, although he really felt in
clined to sleep after returning from yesterdays
drive"
Although Gen. Grant retired at 10 o'clock on
Friday night, and had become quite sleepy from
two drives on that day, he lay awake in pain un-
til o'clock yesterday morning. Then COL
Grant gave him morphine, under which he slept
until o'clock. At about 10 o'clock the carriage
was ordered, and with Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Sartoris
and Mrs. Fred Grant he rode in the Park for an
hour He went driving again in the afternoon
with DR.. Douglas. Mr. Romero and ex-senator
Chaffee. Dr. Douglas said last night that there
had been mo particular change" in the Gener
ais condition within twenty four hours He had
eaten fairly we'll, and had not been in much pain
during the day. After the late ride he departed
from his recent rule about day sleeping and
took a nap of an hour. The neuralgia pains in
his head have returned somewhat, and an elec-
trio cap has been substituted for his knit skull
cap to relieve them.
Drs. Douglas, Barker Sands, and Shrady, all
the physicians engaged in the case, will meet in
consultation to-day
DIR. Shrady's Statement of Sundays Relapse.
New York Special.
DR.. Shrady said, after midnight "Dr Doug
las called for me about l:30 Sunday morning,
when on his way to General Grants, where
he had been summoned by messenger
short time before. l dressed hastily, and in
few moments we were being rapidly driven to
tho house of the General. Upon arriving there
we found the family up and alarmed at the
symptoms developed soon after DR.. Douglas had