Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-02-22
CURED BY A MISTAKE.
Heroic Treatment Unintentionally
Applied Saves a Young Woman's
Life.

Il is not generally known that the
recent recovery of Miss LYDIA Jordan
Cincinnati, from diphtheria was the re-
suit of fortunate accident. Outside
OF a few, the family and a few friends,
the serious condition of the young lady
was not generally known.
Miss Jordan is one of the most pop
ular young women in Walnut Hills
society, and 1t is said that she will
shortly marry a young Avondale man.
About two weeks ago she went to
see friend who was sick with dipth-
eIia, and, unthinkingly, sat in the
room for over an hour. In few days
she began to show symptoms of the DIS
ease, and it soon developed that she
had it in the most virulent form.
The family physician. DR.. Disney.
began to lose hope, so strong hold had
the disease taken upon her system.
Miss Jordan kept getting worse and
worse, until finally the doctor found to
his utter CONSERVATION. that a false
membrane was forming in her throat.
This is regarded as the worst possible
form of the disease. and one which is
absolutely incurable.
The rapid growth of the membrane
was attended with increased difficulty
in breathing. 1t was gradually closing
the air passage. The doctor informed
Mr.. and Mrs. Jordan that the struggle
was over, and the disease had won.
The unhappy parents were almost
wild with grief. The girl had been an
especial favorite with them on account
of her handsome face and sunny dlspo-
sition. 1t hardly seemed real to them
that she could be lying on her death
I. To al
away with each laborious breath.
The doctor said that in a few hours
all would be over. Already the mem
brane had grown over tie throat so
that only a hole the size OF a large
needle remained.
The girl was lying with her head
thrown back. The veins Tin her fore
head were swollen, and her face was
fiery red. In every curve of her form,
in the clutching of her fingers, one
could read the agony she was enduI-
ing.
DR.. Disney had teen very fond OF
Miss LYDIA, and seeing that nothing
more could be done he left phial of
medicine 'to be used when the breath
ing had about stopped" and started
away. He fully expected never to see
the girl again until she lay in the coffin
with the whiteness of death in her
features. The medicine was some sim.
pie restorative that might compel the
soul to fret a little longer in the body,
but could not do any good.
The medicine was placed on a small
table II ear the bed among a lot pIvals
of similar size and shape. The father
and mother sat close 10y The bedside of
their dying child. Soon the sound of
hrf.Ta TIasu
The writhing of the frame showed that
the end was very near.
Mrs. Jordan started up, took from
the table what she thought was the
last phial the doctor had left, and
measuring out dose poured 1t quickly
down her daughters throat.
The effect was instantaneous and
horrible. The girl writhed aud quiv-
cred as she had not before. Her finger
nails tore into her flesh. Her face grew
black and her wide, staring eyes fairly
started from their sockets. No scream
issued from the lips. 1t was the per-
sonification of mute agony. This only
lasted for a minute.
Suddenly there was sharp cracking
sound. The girls body lifted itself
from the bed. There was a terrible
gasp, a groan, and then ut of racking
coughing. The swollen veins began 10
subside. the black color of the face
changed to a dull .red, the eyes slowly
closed and the girl began to breathe
again.
While this was happening and the
girl was at the very height of her suf-
fering, the mother looked at the bottle
whose contents had produced this ter
rible effect. To her horror she discov-
cred that. by mistake, she had given
the girl large dose of aqua ammonia,
a sufficient quantity to have suffocated
well 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 a week.
Her lips and the lining of her mouth
were burned by the ammonia. as her
throat must have been also. An eX-
animation into Miss Jordan's condi-
tion showed that although she was very
weak, yet her throat was comparatively
clear and there was every indication Of
certain recovery.
On the cover IN front of her the doc
tor found the false membrane which
had been the cause of all the trouble,
and which the girl had elected IN that
last paroXysm.