The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-12-23
IN EXTREMIS.
All Hope Abandoned of Mr.. Blaine's
Recovery.
In THE GRASP OF BRICHT'S DISEASE.
Admitted by Physicians That the Dreaded
Malady Has Possession of the Dis
tinguished American-An
Alarming Attack.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-All day yes
terday the life of James G. Blaine hung
trembling in the balance. For more
than an hour in the forenoon hope was
abandoned and the end was momentar-
lily expected by. physicians, family and
| friends. All stimulation was thrown
aside in the apparent imminent pres
ence of death, and the suppressed facts
of his illness-the long denied but now
admitted Bright's disease. the occasion
al intervals of delirium, the long hours
when he has been incapable of speech
or motion, and other distressing fea-
lures of his illness, all incident to the
one overpowering organic trouble
(Brights disease), aggravated of late
by cold and by malarial, fever-were
tacitly admitted
The physicians assert that there have
not been any hemorrhages- The first
crisis was reached between 10 and IL a.
M, when a sinking spell set in from
| which the worst was feared. His family
| was called round the bedside and ply
sicians sent messenger after messenger
to the nearest drug store with prescrip-
tions requiring hastv attention. His
pulse, which had almost ceased to
beat became fitful At o'clock his
physicians, Drs. W. w. johnson and
Hyatt, considered him so much inn
proved, however. as to render their con-
slant presence at the bedside unneces-
sary Although there had been no
marked Improvement, and no change in
his condition upon which hopes of ulti
mate recovery could be based, the inn
mediate crisis had passed. At 2:30 a
reporter saw James G. Blaine, Jr., at
the family residence He said that his
fathers attack was very bad. His cont
dition had become so that it was feared
that in the event of recurrence death
must be the consequence.
| Mrs. Hale. wife of Senator Hale, of
Maine, one of Mr.. Blaine's closest friends,
was at the house for several hours dur
| ing the day, and made a second call late
| in the afternoon. About ) o'clock she
left, and soon after Mr. Hale called.
He remarked that Mr.. Blaine's condi-
ton seemed more comfortable than it
had been early in the day, but his con-
dition appeared to be critical.
'It may be- he said, 'that he will
recover. but those who have an interest
| in him have reason to be alarmed. In
| fact his condition is alarming 1t is
difficult to name the trouble. 1t is gen.
eral. There are the ordinary complica-
tions. His mind is perfectly clear"
The house was lighted up early and
all the lower shutters closed. Drs.
Hyatt and Johnston, who were to meet
at the house for consultation between
and o'clock, were sent for just be-
fore ) o'clock. DR. Hyatt was the first
| to arrive. lie reached the house about
five minutes after and was followed
by Dr. Johnston.
A little after 6 o'clock both doctors
left. DIR. Hyatt said Mr.. Blaines con-
ditiOn showed q slight improvement
over the morning. They did not con-
slider it necessary to issue another bull
letin similar to the one of Saturday
night. DIR. Hyatt said that he thought
that there was no doubt that Mr.. Blaine
would live through the night At the
same time he is undoubtedly critically
| i'll and any complication that may arise
would doubtless cause a fatal termina-
tion of his illness.
a little after $50 o'clock Mr.. J. G.
Blaine, Jr.. came out and said to the re-
porters: I'VE think that father is con-
siderably better than he was in the
morning. He was dangerously ill dur
ing the afternoon; however, he seems
to have rallied somewhat. The phys
l., al,
we now think that he will live during
the night and we hope for the best
Still, it must be said that he is very
dangerously i'll" These were the
strongest statements that had yet been
made by the family and physicians as
to the condition of the eX-secretary.
President Harrison, accompanied by
his private secretary, Mr.. Halford,
walked over from the White house to
the eX-secretary's residence last even
ing to personally inquire as to his con-
dition, and expressed relief and gratifi-
cation at being inf ormed that there had
been some abatement of the more
alarming symptoms.
The excitement throughout the city
was intense as the news of Mr.. Blaine'S
condition spread. and though it was
Sunday the papers issued extras, which
found rapid sale From an intimate
friend of the family it was learned that
it was only when Mr.. Blaine was sud-
denly seized with sinking spell in the
morning, which threatened for some
minutes to terminate in heart failure.
that his family suddenly realized how
near he was to death. For few
seconds he seemed to be in extremis,
and the watchers bent anxiously over
him. The emaciated face of the dying
statesman was white as marble and his
features sadly drawn. At times he
scarcely seemed to breathe and at
others gasped for breath. The physi-
clans who had been hastily summoned
were in the meantime not idle. They
piled him with stimulative cordials, the
trained nurses chafed his extremities
and it was only after working over the
patient for upward of thirty minutes
and the application of every art known
to the medical profession that Mr..
Blaine slowly revived.
Drs. Johnston and Hyatt called at the
Blaine mansion at l. o'clock and found
Mr. Blaine doing so well that they told
the family that they had no apprehen-
sion of dissolution taking place within
the next twenty-four hours. After they
left the family retired for the night
At 1870 the mansion was shrouded in
darkness with the exception of the sick
chamber, where dim light was burn
ing.
PEOPLE IN GENERAL.