Bismarck weekly tribune., 1885-02-13

"A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.

"A THRILLINGE GEXPERIENCE.
Remarkable Statement Of Personal
Danger and Providential Escape.
| The following story which is attract
ing wide attention from the press is SO
remarkable that we cannot excuse our
selves if we do not lay it before our read
ers, even though it's length would ordin-
arily preclude its admission to our linn
ted space.
To the Editor Rochester (N. W Demo
crat:
Sir On the first day of June, 1881, !
lay at my residence in this city sur
rounded by my friends and waiting for
death. Heaven only knows the agony I
then endured, for words can never de-
scribe it. And yet, if a few years pre-
vious any one had told me that was to
be brought SO low, and by so terrible a
disease, I should have scoffed at the idea.
I had always been uncommonly strong
and healthy, and weihged over 200
pounds, and hardly knew, in my own ex-
perience, what pain or sickness were.
Very many people who will read this
statement realize at times, that 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
entirely without appetite the next. This
was just the way felt when the relent-
less malady which had fastened itself
upon me first began. Still thought
nothing of it; that probably I had taken a
cold which would soon pass away. Short
ly after this I noticed heavy, and at
times neuralgia, pain in one side of my
head, but as it would come one day and
be gone the next, I paid little attention
to it. Then my stomach would get out
of order and my food often failed to di-
gest, causing at times great inconven-
ience. Yet, even as physician, did not
think that these things meant anything Sc.
rious Ifancied was suffering from malaria
and doctored myself accordingly. But I
got no better. next noticed peculiar
color and odor about the fluids I was
passing-also that there were large guam
titles one day and very little the next.
and that a persistent froth and scum ap-
peared upon the surface, and sediment
settled. And yet I did dot realize my
danger, for, indeed, seeing these symp-
toms continually, finally became ac-
customed to them, and my suspicion was
wholly d1sarmed by the fact that had
no pain in the affected organs or in their
vicinity. Why I should have been SO
blind cannot understand.
consulted the best medical skill in
the land. I visited all the famed mineral
springs in America and Travelled from
Maine to California. Still I grew worse.
No two physicians agreed as to my NAL
ady. One said I was troubled with
spinal irritation; another, dyspepsia; an
other, heart disease; another, general de-
bility; another, congestion of the base of
the brain; and so on through a long list
of common diseases, the symptoms of
many of which really had. In this way
several years passed, during which time
I was steadily growing worse. Ny con-
dition had really become pitiable. The
slight symptoms I at first experienced
we1e developed into terrible and constant
disorders. Ny weight had been reduced
from 2O7 to 130 pounds. My life was
burden to myself and friends. I could
retain no food on my stomach, and lived
wholly by injections. was living mass
of pain. Ny pulse was uncomfortable.
In my agony frequently fell to the
floor and clutched the carpet, and prayed
for death. Morphine had little or no ef-
feet in deadening the pain. For six days
and nights had the death-premonitory
hiccoughs constantly. Ny water was
filed with tube-casts and albumen. I
was struggling with Brights Disease Of
the kidneys in its last stages!
While suffering thus I received call
from my pastor, the Rev. DIR. Foote, at
that time rector of st. Paul's Episcopal
church, of this city. I felt that it was
our last interview, but in the course of
conversation DR., Foote detailed to me
the many remarkable cures of cases like
my own which had come under his OBJ
servation, by means of remedy which he
urged me to try. AS a practicing physi-
clan and a graduate of the schools, I de-
rided The idea of any medicine outside
the regular channels being in the least
beneficial So solicitous, however, was
DIR. Foote, that / finally promised I
would waive my prejudice. began it's
use on the first day of June, 1881, and
took it according to directions. At first
it sickened me; but this thought was a
good sign for one in my debilitated con-
dition, I continued to take it; the sick
ening sensation departed, and I was