The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-04-06
AN OAkvlLLE MIRACLE.
The Remarkable Case of
Mr.. John w. Condor.


/ pital and Discharged as lncurabIe.
The Story Of his Miraculous Re-
coyery as Investigated by an
Empire Reporter,
Toronto Empire.)
For more than year past the readers
of the Enapia'e have been given the par
tieulars of some of the most remarkable
cures OF the 10Th century, all, or nearly
all Of them, in cases hitherto held by the
most advanced medical scientists to be in
| durable. The particulars of these cases
were youched for by such leading news
papers as The Hamilton Spectator, and
| Times. The HalifUD Herald, Toronto
| Globe, LeMonde, Montreal; Detroit Neaos,
Albany, N. Y; Journal, Albany Express
and others, whose reputation placed be-
| yond question the statements made.
Recently rumors have been afloat of
remarkable case in the pretty little town
of Oakvile, of young man recovering
| after years OF helplessness and agony.
The Empire determined to subject the
case to the most rigid investigation, and
accordingly detailed one of our best res
porters to make d thorough and impar>
tlai investigation into the case. Acting
upon these instructions our reporter
went to Oakvilie, and called upon Mr..
John w. Condor (who it was had so mi
raculously recovered) and had not long
been in conversation with him when he
was convinced that the statements made
We're not only true, but that 1.-THE half
had not been told.' The reporter found
Mr.. Condor at work iii one of the heavi-
est departments in the Oakville Basket
Factory, and was surprised in the face
of what he knew of this case, to be con-
fronted by q strapping young fellow of
good physique, ruddy countenanoe and
buoyant bearing. This now rugged
young man was he who had spent great
part Of his days upon a sick-bed, suffers
ing almost untold agony. When the
Empire representative announced the
purpose of his visit Mr. Condor cheer,
fully volunteered statement of his case
for the benefit of other sufferers. Il am"
said MIR. Condor, IAN Englishman by
birth, and came to this country with my
parents when nine years of age, and at
that time was as rugged and healthy as
any boy Of my age. | am now 80 years
of age, and it was when about Il years
old that the first twangs of inf1ammatory
rheumatism came upon me, and during
the fifteen years that interviewed between
that time and my recovery, a few months
ago, tongue can hardly tell how much
suffered. Ny trouble was brought on,
think, by too frequent bathing in the
cold lake water. The joints of my body
began to swell, the cords of my legs to
tighten. and the muscles OF my limbs to
contract. | became helpless cripple,
confined to my bed, and for three
months did not leave my room. The
doctor who was called in administered
preparations of iodide of potassium and
other remedies without any material
beneficial effect. After some months of
suffering | became strong enough to
leave the bed but my limbs were stitfened
and | was untitled for any active yoca-
ton. [ was then hampered more or less
for the following nine years, VIXEN [ was
again forced to take my bed. This at
tack was in 1886, and was a great deal
more severe than the first. My feet,
ankles, knees, legs, arms, shoulders, and
in fact all parts Of my frame were affect
ed. MY joints and muscles became bad
-iy swollen, and the disease even reached
my head. My face swelled to a great
size. 1 was unable to open my mouth,
my jaws being fixed together. |, of
course, could eat nothing, My teeth
were pred apart and liquid food poured
down my throat. l loss my voice and
could speak only in husky whispers.
Really, am unable TO describe the state
| was in during those long weary
months. With my swollen limbs drawn
by the tightening cords up to my ENACT
ated body, and my whole frame twisted
and contorted into indescrbable shapes,
| was nothing more than defOrlned
skeleton. For three long weary months
was confined to bed, after which | was
able to get up, but was Il complete phys
zeal wreck, hobbling around on crutches
a helpless cripple. My suiferings were
continually intense, and frequently
when | would be hobbing along the
street I would be seized with a paroxism
of pain and would fall uncoucious to the
ground. During all this time [ had the
constant attendance of medical men. but
their remedies were unavailing. llthey
could do was to try to build up my sys>
TEN by the use of tones. In the fall OF
1889 and spring of 1890 again suffered
intensely severe attacks, and at last my
medical attendant, as Il last resort,
ordered me to the Toronto General Hos
pital. | entered the Hospital in June
Goth, 1890, and remained there until
September Goth of the same year. But,
Notwithstanding all the care and atten-
ton bestowed upon me while in this in>
stitution, no improvement was notices
able in my condition. After using ais
most every available remedy the hos
pital doctors whom there was about
case was incurable, and | was sent away,
with the understanding that l might re-
main an outside patient. Accordingly
from September, 1890, | went to the
Hospital once a week for examination
and treatment. At this stage | became
suddenly worse, and once more gained
admission to the hospital, where | lay in
a miserable suffering condition for two
months or more. In the spring of 1851 |
returned to Oakville, and made an at
tempt to do something toward my own
support. | was given light work in the
basket factory, but had to be conveyed
to and from my place of labor in a buggy
and carried from the rig to a table in the
works on which | sat and performed my
work. In August, 1891, | was again
stricken down, and remained in an ut
terly helpless condition until January,
1882 AT this time, Mr.. James, a local
druggist, strongly urged me to try DR..
Williams Pink Pills for Pale People.
was prejudiced against proprietary med
icines as had spent nearly all l pos
sessed on numerous highly recommended
SO called remedies. | had taken into
my system large quantities of different
family medicines. | had exhausted the
list of liniments, but all in vain, and [
was therefore reluctant to take Mr..
James advice. /, however, saw strong
testimonials as to the value of DIR. Viii
liams' Pink Pills as blood builder and
nerve tonic, and thinking that if | could
only get my blood in better condition
my general state of health might be i'm
proved, | resolved to give Pink Pills a
trial. With the courage born of dispair
| bought box, but there was no notice
able improvement, and thought this
was like the other remedies | had used.
But urged on by my friends continued
taking Pink Pills and after using seven
boxes I was rewarded by noticing a de-
eided change for the better.
My appetite returned, my spirits be-
gan to rise and | had a little freer use
of my muscles and limbs, the old trouble
some swellings subsiding. l continued
the remedy until | used twenty-five
boxes when | left off. By this time |
had taken on considerable flesh, and
weighed as much as 100 pounds. This
| >Pe Ie,. fo,,,