Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-15
,s First Authentic Account Of the
StateSman'S Illness.
THE SHADOW OF DEATH.
mas Wh.n . fatal Termination Would No. Fave
Surprised Bis RSnily-LoDg in 3 Complete
Forpor-Hs First Showed Signs Of In
prSysmsni the FIRST Of Last Week.

4 secretary OF Slabe OoAoS VI '1AAO
as always been 3 man OF surprises.
rhe public has anticipated and rather
moved being startled by him. Mr..
Blaine has been just as sensational, al
most theatrical. about his own health
nd condition as he has in the trans
.ction OF public business or the
Engineering Of some great coup which
Mn the world would watch with the
host profound interest. For weeks he
has been here and no one could tell
bybether he was on the brink of the
krave or a man with the prospect Of a
foDr life before him. He was sur
koupded by mystery. IL was imposSi-
ble 10 ascertain the facts. No member
III his family would vouchsafe any in
formation and the lips OF the physician
we're sealed by professional etiquette.
Now for the first time since Mr..
blaine has been in Bar Harbor is any
paDer able TO publish an authorized in
serview with Mr.. Blaine'S medical at
tendant, giving the medical aspect of
the case. There have been several al
heTed INTERVIEWS and Statements, "
bEt they have been unauthorized and
Unauthentic.
When Mr.. Blaine first came here he
was q dangerously sick man, His was
y malady which defed the skill Of the
ordinary physician. He had sunk into
d lethargy, into a torpor from which
nothing could arouse him. He had no
organic disease, and that is why
tbe physicians were unable TO treat
him so as to produce any beneficial re-
suits. For weeks after he left Wash
ingtoc there was no visible improve
ment. At brief intervals he would rally
and give indications Of returning health,
cut almost Immediately he would re-
lapse and return to his former condi-
ton.
There were times, am assured on au-
thority. the correctness OF which no
one would question could 1t be made
Dublic. when those nearest and dearest
10 the Secretary would have not been
surprised at his death at any moment,
or If be had continued to live, that ne
tune be remained mOtiOnless and inert.
de took no interest in what went on
around him. There was a dull, vacant
stare in his face. II he thought at all
IL was perhaps only to brood on his own
condition. No one around him knew
what passed through his mind. 1t was
as if the spell OF the evil eye had been
laid upon him.
This state Of things lasted until the
early part of last week. Perpaps that
was the crisis. AT any rate, Mr.. Blaine
vas as near to deaths door as any
nan could be and still recover.
Since then his Improvement has been
marked. DR.. j. Madison Taylor, Of
Philadelphia, is Mr.. Blaine's physician,
and it Is owing to his skill and knowl-
edge of the requisite treatment that
the Secretary owes his returning health.
DR.. Taylor, who has cottage here, was
professionally known to members OF
Mr.. Blaine's family, and it was at their
request that he was called in.
Any amount of misinfOrmation has
been telegraphed from here regarding
Mr.. Blaine and his illness, and among
other things it has been said that DIR.
Taylor IS a specialist in nervous dis
eases and for that reason he is treating
the Secretary of State. This is not true.
Dr. Taylor is a general practitioner,
but he has had a good deal OF ex-
perience i'm similar cases and be-
cause of his knowledge and experience
is eminently qualified to treat his dis
tinguiShed patient. The medical side
Of the case can best be told by DR.. Tay-
l0r himself, i'm his own words. The fol-
lowing interview, after being tran
scribed, was read by EmmOns Blaine
and the doctor, who made few slight
corrections, 1t can therefore be ac-
cepted as the first official statement
coming from the family, and it is print
ed with their full knowledge and con
sent. DR.. Taylor said:
II suppose you want to know how
Mr.. Blaine is and what l think OF him. /
eau safely say that Mr.. Blaine is i'm
proving rapidly; that he is very much
better than he was when he first came
here; that am we'll satisfied with his
progress and that Mr.. Blaine now is
also satisfied with his own improved
condition.
'Mr. Blaine has simply broken down,
partly from overwOrk and partly from
not having taken proper care OF him
self. He is not man who has abused
himself in any way, but he has been
careless. He has been Indifferent about
his meals and irregular in his daily
routine. He has worked, too, fnceS-
sanity. In other words, the candle mas
been burned at both ends and the usual
result has followed"
Has Mr.. Blaine any serious organic
arrangement or chronic disease?'
Most emphatically not. assure you
IN all candor that every one Of the vital
organs is practically sound. There Is
no truth in the various statements that
have gone out that Mr.. Blaine is suffer
ing from Bright's disease or that his
heart is especially weak. As l said be-
lore, his illness is due TO Overwork and
'ne other causes which l have already
mentioned"
Then the statement that he is
threatened with paralysis, and that his
.eSS are weak, is probably an exaggera-
ton"
It's more than an exaggeration, 1t
Is an Untruth. Mr.. Blaine has been a
S'eA man and weak man, but he is In
20 peril OF paralysis. He walks rs well
. you or do, only he n not so strong
as we are"
J. Mr.. Blaine is as sound mentally to-
%! as he ever was. He takes an inter-
~ In everything that goes on around
.nl IN and he keeps In touch with current
LARS He has his private secretary
~''e' and he would do more than Is gooo