The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-02-26
/. TERRIBLE CONFESSION.
a Physician Presents sene start
ling Facts.


tracing wide attention from the
press-is so remarkable that we can
not excuse ourselves If we do not
lay it before our readers entire:-
To the Editor of the Rochester IN. "
Democrat.
SIR: On the first day of June,
1881, 1 lay at nay residence in this
city, surrounded by my friends and
waiting for death. Heaven only
knows the agony then endured, for
words can never describe it. And
yet, if few years previous any one
had told me that / was to be brought
so low, and by so terrible 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 or sick
ness were. Very many people who
will read this statement, realize 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 why. Or
they are exceedingly hungry one
day and entirely without appetite
the next. This was just the way L
felt when the relentless malady,
which had fastened itself upon me,
first began. Still | thought nothing
of it; that probably l had taken a
cold which would soon pass away.
Shortly after this noticed a heavy,
and at times neuralgia, pain in one
side of my head, but as it 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 inconven-
fence. Yet, even as a physician, L
did not think that these things
meant anything serious. l fancied
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 a
persistent froth and scum appeared
upon the surface, and a sediment
settled. And yet 1 did not realize
my danger, for, indeed, seeing these
symptoms continually, l finally be-
came accustomed to them, and my
suspicion was wholly disarmed by
the fact that 1 had no pain in the
affected organs or in their vicinity.
Why should have been SO blind l
cannot understand!
l consulted the best medical skill
in the land. l visited all the famed
mineral springs in America, and
travelled from Maine to California.
Still / grew worse. No two physi-
clans agreed as to my malady. One
said l was troubled with spinal ir-
ritation; another, dyspepsia; an
other, heart disease; another, gen.
eral debility; another, congestion of
the base of the brain; and so on
through long list of common dis
eases, the symptoms of many of
which l really had. In this way
several years passed, during which
time l was steadily growing worse.
My condition had really become
Pitiable. The slight symptoms / at
first experienced were developed into
terrible and constant disorders. My
weight had been reduced from 207
TO 100 pounds. My life was burden
to myself and friends. / could re-
tain no food on my stomach, and
lived wholly by injections. was a
living mass of pain. My pulse was
uncomfortable. 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 hiecoughs constantly !!
My water was filed with tube-casts
and albumen. was struggling with
Bright's disease OF the Kidneys in
its last stagesi
While suffering thus ] received
call from my pastor, the Rev. DIR.
Foote, at that time rector of st.
Psul's Episcopal Church, of this
city. felt that it was our last in
terviev, but in the course of con-
versation DR.. Foote detailed to me
the many remarkable cures of cases
like my own which had come under
his observation. AS a practicing
physician and q graduate of the
schools, / derided the idea of any
medicine outside the regular chan
nels being in the least beneficial.
So solicitous, l. however, was DIR.
Foote, that Iafnally promised
would waive my prejudice. 1 began
its use on the first day of J une, 1881,
and took it according to directions.
At first it sickened me; but this 1
thought was good sign for one in
my debilitated condition. con-
tinued to take it; the sickening
sensation departed and was finally
able to retain food upon my stomach.
In q few days l noticed decided
change for the better, as also did my
wife and friends. My hiccoughs
ceased and l experienced less pain
than formerly. was SO rejoiced at
this improved condition that, upon
what l had believed but few DAYS
before was my dying bed, / vowed.
in the presence of my family and
friends, should / recover I would