Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-02-04
A TERRIBLE CONFESSION.
A Physician Presents Some Startling
Facts,

4
The following story-which is attract
ing wide attention frem the press--is so
remarkable that we cannot excuse our
selves if we do not lay it before our
readers entire:
To the Editor Of the Rochester Nv. y
Democrat.
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
describe it. And yet, if a few years
previous any one had told me that /
was to be brought SO low, and by so ter
rible disease, / should have scoffed a.
the idea. / had always been uncom.
monty strong and healthy, and weighed
over 200 pouRds, and hardly knew, En-
my own experience, what pain or sick
ness were. Very many people who will
read this statement realize at times they
are unusually tired and cannot account
fer it. They feel dull pains in various
parts Of the body and do notunderstand
why. Or they are exceedingly hungry
one day and entirely withouG appetite
the next. This was Just the way I felt
when th9 relentless nlalady which had
fastened itself upon me first tegaa.
Still thought nothing of it; that prob
ably / had taken cold which would
soon pass away. Shortly after this ]
noticed heavy, and at times neuralgia,
| pain in one side of my head, but as il
would come one day and be gone the
next, paid little attention TO it. Then
my stomach would get out Of order and
my food often failed to digest, causing
! at times great inconvenience. Yet,
even as a physician, l did not think
that these things meant anything seri
| Gus. l fanci6d I was suffering from
malaria and doctored myself according
| ~. But got no better. [ next noticed
a peculiar color and odor about the
| fluids l was passing-also that there
were large quantities one day and very
little the next, and that a persistant
froth and scum appeared upon the sur
| face, and sediment settled. And yet
did not realize my danger, for, indeed.
| seeing these symptoms continually, /
| finally became accustomed to them.
and my suspicion was wholly disarmed
! by the fact that I had no pain ia the
affected organs or in their vicinity.
| Why [ should have been SO blind can
not understand!
1 consulted the best medical skill in
| the land. 7 visited all the famed
mineral springs in America and travel
ed from Maine to California. Still I
| grew Orse. No two physicians agreed
as to my nalady. One said was troubl-
ed with spinal irritation, another,
dyspepsia; another, heart disease; an
| other general debility; another, conges-
ton of the base Of the brain; and so on
| through q long list IF common diseases,
the symptoms Of many of which /
really had. In this way several years
| Job T
| lily growing worse. My condition had
really become pitiable. The slight
| symptoms I at first experienced were
| developed into terrible and constant
disorders. My weight had been reduc.
ed from 2O7 to $50 pounds. My life was
burden to myself and friends. [ could
retain no food on my stomach, and I
lived wholly by injections. I was
living mass of pain. My pulse was I'M
comfortable. In my agony frequently
fell to the floor and clutched the carpet,
| and prayed for death! Morphine had
little or no effect in deadening the pain.
For six days and nights had the death
| premonitory hiccoughs constantly!
My water was filed with tube casts
and albumen. l was struggling with
Bright's disease of the kidneys in it's
| last stagesi
While suffering thus I received call
from my pastor, the Rev. DR.. 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 remarka BILE cures of cases
like my owp which had come under his
observation. AS practicing physician
| and graduate of the schools, I derided
| the idea of any medicine outside the
regular channels being in the least ben
efcial. So solieitous, however, was DR..
Foote, that I finally promised I would
waive my prejudice. I 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
| good sign for one in my debilitated con-
| diti0n. [ continued to take it; the sick.
ening sensation departed and was final
" able to retain food upon my stomach.
In few days noticed a decided change
for the better, as also did my wife and
friends. My hiccoughs ceased and [
experienced less pain than formerly. I
was so rejoiced at this improved con-
dition that, upon what I had believed
but a few days before was my dying
bed, Vowed, in the presence of my
family and friends, should I recover I
would both publicly and privately make
known this remedy for the good of hui
manity, wherever and whenever I had
| an opportunity, and this letter is in full
fillment of that VOW. My improvement
was constant from that time, and in less
than three months 7 had gained 26
pounds in flesh, became entirely free
| from pain and I believe I owe my life
and present condition wholly to Warn
er's safe cure, the remedy which used.
Since my recovery have thoroughly
re-investigated the subject of kidney
difficulties and Bright'S disease, and
the truths developed are astounding.
I therefore state, deliberately, and as a
| physician, that believe more than one
| half of the deaths aUbicb occur IN America
are caused By Bright's disease of the
| Kidneys. This may sound like rash
statement, but am prepared to verify
it fully. Bright's disease has no dis
| tinctive features Of its own, Gndeed, it
often develops without any pain what
| ever in the kidneys or their vicinity,
l~x,AI L., l.