Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-01-27
WHAT DID BLAINE DIE OF
A wash xtOn FhvslCiaM h
scribe . the Peculiar q ymI8tOms Q

A Warrington Fhvsiciam De |
scribe . tine Peculiar Symptoms. |
Several years ago a curious and unac- |
countable thing happened. After Mr..
Blaine had eaten an ordinary meal his |
stomach, without any twinging or pre-
monition, suddenly stopped work. The
muscles which continually expand and
contract a healthy stomach ceased to
operate. The glands which secrete the
Juices which aid the process of digestion
cea sed to secrete. His stomach did not
act feebly, as in the case of ordinary in
digestion. 1t simply did not act at all.
The doctors tried all the assistants to
Indigestion, but the stomach refused to
respond. 1t was taking rest; indeed,
so far as they knew at the time, it had
forever stopped. After while, when
Mr.. Blaine was very near to death, the
| stomach. without warning. resumed its
normal functions. The physicians were
as much puzzled by this as they had been
by the stopping. They enioined upon
Mr.. Blaine great care in his diet, and
went away. The stomach, working as
if nothing had happened, ceased to
| trouble him.
| Several months passed, says the Wash
i 'liupton physician, and Mr.. Blaine had no
more trouble. He relaxed his caution a
little but as he committed no positive
sin against his digestive organs he was
4 free from any pangs. Then, just 1T had
lstopped in the former instance. so it
stopped again. Mr.. Blaine had put his
meal into a lifeless sack which had no
more ability to digest than the stomach
l of corpse.
| Again the physicians came and again
/ they questioned him closely as to what
he had eaten. But he had eaten nothing
which would in any way account for the
conduct of his stomach. They gave hin
xxybic fnr oII the effect they
had, might as we'll have been poured
ID into a rat hole. The masseurs generated
d, artificial warmth and artificial muscula
:. lexercise. But the stomach paid no at
= tention whatever. 1t was resting ant
. refused to be disturbed. Again Mr.
i Blaine was brought to the edge OF death
e When the doctors despaired of bringing
j. him around, when his family had aban
doned hope. the stomach started up wit
q vigor. In a few days Mr.. Blaine was il
q his usual health, and the public wa
astonished to find that he was lookin
- and acting as If no sickness had trouble
- him in years.
nu Eminent physicians made study {
his case. They arranged diets for hin
They speculated as to the causes. The
-, were pretty we'll agreed that back of th
- curious conduct of the stomach lay SON
= could tell why the stomach went on
!: strike without warning, and why it su
IS denly resumed work without reason.
he Within the past year the stoppini
!. and startings of the stomach ha
:, grown more frequent. and each tin
= the stomach has stopped it has tax.
a longer rest. "And," continued t
+. doctor who gives this explanation, "wl
sr can wonder that Mr.. Blaine is morb
Il about his health When his stoma
has stopped no one can tell him how
p. start 1T again. There is no certain
-. that it ever will start again. Each tir
10 he goes nearer to death, and each til
a. returns after longer time. and WI
al. more difficulty. You can imagine wh
a it means to Mr.. Blaine and his fam
~ when his stomach has gone into deaf
~ like trance, as it were. and when no G
M M knows whether it will ever resume
Oh duties again"
x The physician, who does not wish
- name to appear, is very positive in
-. serting that this is the truth about
III Blaine. He has learned it, he says, fr
~ personal examinations and from nun
;aa ous talks with Mr. Blaine's physician,
- NJ " Sr1n