The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-28
CAUSE OF HIS ILLNESS.
An Eminent Physician Gives the Story of
MI. Biaine's BIaIady.

An Eminent Physician Gives the Story of
Mi. Biaine's NaIady.
The following new and interesting &C.
count of the malady of ex-Secretary
Blaine comes from an eminent physician
in Washington, who is a friend of the
Blaine family. There has been much
speculation as to the real cause OF Mr..
Blaine's sudden illness and equally sudden
recoveries. and many theories have been
advanced. But the Blaine family and their
physician have kept silent, and there has
been no explanation which seemed to fit
all the facts in the case. According to
this Washington physician, Mr.. Blaine
suffered from rare and curious
malady, a sort of aggravated Indigestion,
which is yet by no means so simple and
explainable a sickness as Indigestion.
His own physicians were much astonished
at the manifestations of the disease, and
there is wide difference of opinion as to
the cause of it.
Like so many other Americans who
have worked hard and eaten lrregularly,
Mr.. Blaine had long suffered from indi-
gestion. AS soon as these attacks became
serious he put himself upon careful diet,
and in every way tried to restore his
stomach to its normal health. But sew
eral years ago q curious and unaccOunt-
able thing happened. After Mr.. Blaine
had eaten an ordinary meal his stomach,
without any twinging or premonition,
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
ceased to operate. His stomach did not
act feebly, as is the case in ordinary indi-
gestion. 1t simply did not act at all .
The doctors tried all the assistants to di-
gestion, but the stomach refused to re-
spond. 1t was taking rest; indeed, SO
far as they knew at the time, it had for
ever stopped. After awhile, when Mr.
Blaine was very near to death, the
stomach resumed its normal functions.
The physicians were as much puzzled by
this as they had been by The stopping.
They enjoined upon Mr.. Blaine great care
in his diet and went away. Thestomach,
working as if nothing had happened.
ceased to trouble him.
"sSeveral months passed, says this
Washington physician, ''and Mr.. Blaine
had no more trouble. He relaxed his
caution little but, as he had committed
no sin against his digestive organs, he
was free from any pangs. Then, Just as it
had stopped 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
of a 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 him medicines, which for all the
effect they had might as well have been
poured into rat hole. The masseurs
generated artificial warmth and artificial
muscular exercise. But the stomach paid
no attention whatever. 1t was resting
and refused to be disturbed. Again Mr..
Blaine was brought to the edge of death
When the doctors despaired of bringing
him around, when his family had ADAM
doned hope, the stomach started up with
vigor. In few days Mr.. Blaine was in
his usual health, and the public was
astonished to find that he was looking
and acting as if no sickness had troubled
him IN years.
Eminent physicians made G study of
his case They arranged diets for him.
They speculated as to the causes. They
were pretty well agreed that back of this
curious conduct of the stomach Law some
serious organic trouble, but no one could
tell why the stomach went on strike
without returning and why it suddenly
resumed work without reason. Within
the past year the stoppings and startings
of the stomach have grown more frequent.
and each time the stomach has stopped IL
has taken longer rest.