Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-08-23
How long a. D was thisi'
The Old Man Talks.

Since DR.. Brown Sequard has made a
public explanation of his discovery, some
of the younger disciples of Esculapius.
who rushed has5ily 20 the front, and CON
demned the old biologist, are now begin
ing TO hedge" SO to speak. The old doc
TOT, writing in the London Lancet says:
81 am Y years old. Ny general strength,
which has been considerable, has notably
and gradually diminished during the last
ten or twelve years. Before May Is last
L was SO weak that was always compelle 4
to sit down after half an hours work in
the laboratory. Even when I remained
seated all the time, or almost all the time
IN the laboratory, used to come out of it
quite exhausted, after three or four hoars
experimental labor, and sometime after
only two hours. For many years, on re-
turning home in carriage, by O'Clock,
after several hours passed in the labora-
tory, was SC extremely tired that invari-
ably had to go to bed after having easily
taken very small amount of food. Very
frequently the exhaustion was so great
that although extremely sleepy, 7 could
not for hours go 20 sleep, and | only slept
very little, waking up exceedingly tired
~ he day after the first subcUtaneous
injection, and still more after the two
succeeding days, radical change took
place in me, and l had ample reason to
say and to write thatI had regained all
the strength | possessed a good many
years ago. Considerable laboratory work
hardly tired me. To the great astonish-
ment or my two principal assistants,
Drs. DAtsonval aud Henoque. and other
persons, was able to make experiments
for several hours while standing up,
teeling no Deed whatever to sit down.
Still more: Oae day (the pa of May),
after 81 hoEr5 of hard experimental
la6or III standing attitude, went home
so little tired that after dinner l was
able to work and to write for an huur
aud half part of a paper on a diff
cult subject. For more than, twenty
years had never been ole to do as
much. My friends know that, owing to
certain circumstances and certain habits
have TO- 80 or 40 years gone to bed
very early and done my writing
work IN the morning, beginning gener-
ally between 3 and o'clock. For great
many years l mad lOsS all power of doing
any serious mental work after dinner
Since my first suocQtaneous Injections l
nave very frequently been able to do such
WORK TOR two, three, and ore evening for
nearly four hours. From g natural i'm
petuoslty and slso to avoid losing time,
mao, TIL l was SIXTY years old, the habit
OF ascending and descending stairs so
rapidly thatsmy movements were rather
those OF running than walking. This had
gradually changed. and l had come 70
move slowly up and down stairs, hsviug
70 mold the banister il difficult stsircsses.
After the second Injection l found that
hsd fully regained my old powers, and
returned to ny previous habits in that
respect.
One of the most troublesome misiries
OF advanced life consists in the diminu-
ton of the power OF detection. To avoid
repeating the details | have eIewhere
given in that respect I will simply say
that after the first days OF my expert
IneGss 1 have had greater Improvement
With regard TO the expulsion of fecal
matters than in any other function. In
fac5, radical change took place, and
even on days of great constipation, the
poSec long ago possessed had returned
With regard to the facility of intellect
ual labor, which had diminished within
ne last few years, return to my pre-
Viods ordinary condition became quite
manifest csriug and after the frs two
or three days of mr. experiments
Is is evident from these fsc-s end some
others, that all the functions depending
on the power of action of the nervous
csnters, ana Is specially of the spinal cord
we're notably and rapidly improved By
the injections / have used. The last of
these Injections was made on June 5,
about five weeks and half ago. ceased |