Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-01-31
Cured by a NIisfake.


recovery of Miss Lydia Jordan from dipth
liberia was the result OF fortunate accident
Outside OF a few, the family and few
friends the serious condition of the young
lady was not generally known.
Miss Jordon is one of the most popular
young women in Walnut Hills society, and
it is said she will shortly marry 8 young
Avondale man.
About TWO weeks ago she went to see q
friend who was sick with diphtheria, and
uuthinkingly, sat in the room for over an
hour. La few days she began to show
symptoms of the disease, and it soon devel
oped that she had it 10 its most viruent
form.
The family physician, DIR. Disney, began
to lose hope, so strong a hold had the dis.
ease taken upon her system. Miss Jordan
kept getting worse and verse, until finally
the doctor found, to his utter CONSERVATION,
that false membrane was forming in her
throat. This is regarded as the worst pos
sible form of the disease, and one which is
absolutely incurabe.
The rapid growth of the membrane was
attended with increased difficulty in breath
ing. 1t was gradually closing the air pas
sages. The doctor informed Mr.. and Mrs.
Jordan that the struggle ives over, and the
disease had won.
The unhappy parents were almost wild
with grief The girl had been an especial
iavofite with them Oh account Of her hand
some face and sunny disposition. Il hardly
seemed real to them that she could be lying
On her death-bed, with her young life
slowly heeipg away With each iaborioue
breath.
The doctor said that in few hours all
would be over. already the membrane had
grown over the throat so that only hole
the size of a large needle remained.
The girl was lying with her head thrown
back. The veins in her forehead were swol-
len, and her face wss fiery red. Ia every
curve OF her form, in the clutching OF her
fingers, one could read the agony she was
enduring.
Dr.. Disney had been very fond of Miss
Lydia, and seeing that nothing more could
be done he left q phial OF medicine "to be
used when the breathing had about stop
ped,' and started away. He fully expected
! DeV TO see the girl again until she lay in
the coffin with the whiteness of death in ber
features. The medicine was some simple
restorative that might compel the soul to
f.e; little louger in the BODY, but could
never do any good.
The medicine was placed OF small table
near the bed among lot Of other phisls OF
similar size and shape. The father and
luoiher Sal close by the bedside of their
dying child. Soon the sound of the breath.
ing grew louder aud hersher Tho writh-
ing of the frame showed that the end Was
very near.
Mrs. Jordan started up, took from toe ia
bic what she thought was the last phial
the doctor mad left, and, measuring out q
Gose, poured it quickly down her daughters g
throat,
Tbe effect was instantaneous aud horrible
The girl writhed and quivered as she had
not before Her finger nails tore into her
flesh. Her face grew black, and her wide,
staring eyes fairly startef from their sock
cts No scream issued from the lips. 1t
was the personifcation Of mute agony. This
only lasted for minute.
Suddenly there was sharp, cracking
-ourd. The girls body lifted itself from tho
bed. There was q terrible gasp, a groan,
swollen veins began TO su5side, the black
cclor of the face cbasged to dull red, the
eyes slowly closed, and the girl began to
UESutuS SRi.Ib.
White this was happening and the girl
was at the very height of her suffering, the
mother looked at the bottle whose contents
had produced this terrible effect. To her
horror she discovered that, by mistake, she
bad given the girl large dose of aqua am
monis, a sufficient quantity to have suffoca-
ted we'll person.
The doctor was Immediately sent for, and
when he arrived was told what had been
done. To his astonishment he found the
girl resting easy and looking far better than
she had for q week. Her lips aud the lin
ing o: her mouth were burned by the am
mona. as her throat must havs been also.
An examination into Miss Jordan's condi-
ton showed that although she was very
weak, yet her throat was comparatively
clear and there was every indication OF Ger
tain recovery.
On the cover in front of her, the doctor
found the false membrane which haG been
the cause of all the trouble, and which the
girl had elected in that last paroxysm.-Cn
cinnaii TimeS-Star.