The Portland daily press., 1894-02-09
HlCCoUGHlNG TO DEATH.
An Unprecedented Case Which Has Baffied
Seven Physicians.

New York, February s-Ten weeks
ago yesterday John Carherry of %
Webster street, Newark, was a strong
robust, medium sized man weighing just
147 pounds and in the enjoyment of per-
feet health, says the Sun. Today he is a
mere shadow of his former self, weighing
less than ninety pounds, and hardly
able to talk, much less move.
He is lying on couch at his parents
home anxiously awaiting death to relieve
the agony he endures His sufferings are
due, apparently, solely to an attack of
hiccoughs, which has baffled the skill of
seven eminent physicians OF Newark and
appears to grow worse daily, despite
their efforts, as well as the one hundred
and one home remedies usually applied
in similar cases. The most peculiar
phase of Carberry's affection is the man.
ner in which it was contracted.
Ten weeks ago yesterday he stopped at
his barDer's, according to his usual Gus
tom on Wednesday, to get shaved. While
applying the lather, Carberry says, the
barber used unusual force on the chin,
and he was suddenly seized with an at
|
violent he was forced to leave the chair
before he had been shaved.
After slipping water, and trying several
other old-fashioned remedies without
obtaining relief, Carberry left for Lalor's
saloon on Belleville avenue, where he
was employed as a bar tender.
He was rapidly growing worse, and,
unable to obtain relief he went home,
and after his mother had .tried mustard
plasters on the chest and throat, potato
poultices, sugar and vinegar, and several
other household remedies, he sumomnd
DR.. Chapman. The latter prescri bed and
cheerily said when leaving that the
day. But he wasn't, and then DR.. Wen
dell was called in conjunction with DR..
Chapman. Another day passed without
relief, and DR.. Corwin was added to the
list of attendants, without any better
results.
The doctors were puzzled, the patient
grew respondent. and the parents be-
to the list of physicians Drs. Lyon. Zeh,
Towles and Hawks. The seven
physicians held consultation after con-
sultation, and'applied ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
internal and.external, without affording
the patient any apparent relief.
So it continued from day to day, with
the patient rapidly growing thin and
emaciated, unable to sleep, eat or
| drink, and the hiccoughs recurring at
regular intervals of thirty seconds, until
| the sufferer actually began to pray that
death might come to his relief.
| The doctors say that such case is
absolutely without precedent. They
presumed he might be affected with in
| f1ammation of the stomach, and have
used hot water as an emetic and
| douches, but without affording the
patient even temporary relief.
The case has attracted widespread at
tention, and hundreds of visitors call at
the house daily to ascertain the.condition
| of the patient The outcome is watched
with great interest by medical men, and
every one of standing in the vicinity has
been consulted as to the probable end of
the malady.
Carberry, Notwithstanding his occupa-
tion, is temperance man, and was
always regular in his habits. He worked
as ship carpenter until five months ago,
when he began to tend bar.