The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-21

For months James G. Blaine has been
fighting against an incurable organic
maLady. Medical assistance can be OF
no avail, and to his devoted family now
remains only the sad waiting for the
end. Mr.. Blaine was born IN Union
township, Washington county, Pa, OF
revolutionary ancestry. At the age of
II he was graduated from the College of
Washinton and jefferson III his native
state and shortly after went 70 Ken
lucky as professor of mathematics.
Through his marriage with Miss Harriet
Stanwood, native of Maine, he was in
/ duCed to remove to that state, where he
became journalist and was associated
| at different times with the Portland
! Daily Advertiser and kennebec journal.
In 1858 Mr.. Blaine was elected 10 the
state legislature of Maine, from which
;ime his political influence and impor-
lance have steadily increased. In 1862
he was first elected to congress, and was
reelected six times, until he became
senator in 1876. He was called 10 the
cabinet during his first term as senator,
and has ever since been considered one
! of the foremost statesmen OF the coun-
! try.
The following new and interesting &C.
count of the maIady Of ex-Secretary
/ Blaine comes from an eminent physician
! in Washington, who Is friend of the
Blaine family. There has been much
| speculation as to the real cause of Mr..
Blaine's sudden illnesses, and equally
sudden recoveries, and many theories
| have been advanced. But the Blaine
/ family and their physicians 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 is suffering from
rare and curious mah,dy, a SORT of ag-
gravated indigestion, which is yet by no
means so simple and explainable sick
ness as Indigestion. His own physicians
are much astonished at the manifesto
tions Of this disease. aud there is wide
difference of opinion as to the cause
Of it.
Like so many other Americans who
| have worked hard and have eaten IL
regularly, Mr. Blaine has long suffered
from indigestion. As soon as these at
tacks became serious he put himself upon
careful diet, and in every way tried to
But several wears ago a curious and I'M
accountable thing happened. After Mr.. ;
Blaine had eaten an ordinary meal his
stomach, without any twinging or pre- /
monition. suddenly stopped work The I
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 Secrete. His stomach did not /
act feebly, as is the case in ordinary /.
indigestion. 1t simply did not act at
all.
The doctors tried all the assistants to
digestions, but the stomach refused TO /
respond. 1t was taking rest; indeed, /
so far as they knew at the time, it had /
forever stopped. After a 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 enjoined .
upon Mr.. Blaine great care in his diet, !
and went away. The stomach, working |
as if nothing had happened, ceased 10 /
trouble him.
Several months passed. says this /
Washington physician, aud Mr.. Blaine /
had no more trouble. He relaxed his /
caution little. but as he committed no |
positive sin against his digestive organs, /
he was free from any pangs, Then, just 1
as it had stopped in the former instance, /
so it stopped again. Mr.. Blaine had put /
his meal into q lifeess sack, which had I
no more ability to digest than the ,
stomach of a liteless corpse.
Again the physicians came, and again .
they questioned him closely as to what F.
he had eaten. But be had eaten nothing F.
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 we'll have been poured .
into rat hole. Tie masseurs general !
ed artificial warmth and Artificial muscu-
lar exercise. But the stomach paid no .
attention whatever 1t was resting, and .
refused to be disturbed. Again was Mr.. +
Blaine brought TO the edge Of death. !
When the doctors de>pdIred OF bringing
hum around, when his family had aban-
doned hope, the stomach started up with
vigOr. In few days Mr.. Blame 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. Eminent physicians made 4 study
of his case. They arranged diets for
lllui 4tieN itEtLidAf't a. ~ - ~ 'i''1'
/ They We're pretty well agreed that back
Of This curious conduct OF the stomach .
lay some serious organic trouble, but no +
one could tell why the stomach went on (
strike without warning, and why 1t
suddenly resumed work without reason.
Within the past year the stoppIn@s
and stariings Of the stouiac' have grown .
more frequent. and each time the .
stomach has stopped it has taken a .
longer rest. And continued the doc
tor who gives this explanation, who .
can wonder that Nj Blaine Is morbid .
about his health: When his stomach .
has STOPPED, no one can tell him how 70 .
start It again There Is no certainty
that Il viii ever start again. E4ch tine (
/ he goes nearer to death, and each time
returns after a longer time, and with 4
more difficulty. You can imagine what +
/ II means 10 Nlr. Blaine AMI his family .
when his stomach mas gone into death I
ike trance, a. D, wer-, and when 40 cae .
knows whether 1t VA! RESUME is duties /
again.
The physician, who does not wish his !
name 10 appear, IS very positive 80 assert .
in- that this j. tie trsth ab1u. Ir- /
Blaine. Ee has learned IT. Ee sty>. from (
personal examinations and from numer- 4
Gus "a. as with Mr. Blain~'s physicians +
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