Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-04-02
Il Shortened the Patients Leg Two Inches,
and 50 Affected The Nervous System
thai lie Continually Shock as
with the Palsy Palsy.
after Six Years Of Torment No Succeeds in Find
ing a Remedy for The Horrible lissase.
From the 1.yuptiua z'rsss, ::,.rion, 1iinois.

There is no name in this section of the
country, connected with the medical world,
that is better known to the public than thai,
of MIR. Monroe Peterson. He is situated III
q nice, comfortable home, with Il good farm,
about four miles west of Johnson City, ILL.,,
lie is now iitiy-eight years old, in Il healthy
condition, and weighs one hundred and ninety
pounds. Not Il more upright and honorable
citizen does our nation afford, and lie is
looked upon with wo,:lcr, because of lis
healthy condition after so long Il period of
misery and suffering.
The cans. of Mr.. Pctcrson'; long suffering
was Il hurt which he received in q fall, while
running u drill in 1861, being q sullicr ut
the time. lie has been crippled in his right
leg ever since that date. Sciatic rheumatism
then set in, and his leg began to slowly
with.cr away and draw UP in the joint, and
now it is about two inches shorter than the
other. 1t began to grow worse and, finally,
his whole body began to shake like a person
with the st. Nitus' dance. His first severe
attack was about six years ago.
There is no disease in the power of human
endurance more awful i'll its pains and
nflictions than s%ciatic rheumatism. Some
times its pain may he n slow, steady one,
while, at other times, it comes with jerks
and wrenc!.cs that seem to twist the body
out of all shape of recognition. 1t seems to
contract the muscles. drawing the body al
most in a knot. While this is probably the
worst stage of %sciltic rheumatism, it is sclmc-
times found in mildcr forms. So it w:s
with Mr.. Peterson, but with it was ussuci-
ated IL feeling and condition almost us u;l-
comfortable and nnbearahlc. The body was
in Il continual shake, rendering it impossible
for him 10 do anything. He had lost all
control of his muscles. On application to u
physician for relief, lie was told that The
a~tlliction might last him all his life, or, on
the other hand, it might leave him entirely
at an unexpected moment.
For over three years he was not able 10
write 81 word, 50 severe was his shaking. lie
could not even sign his vouchers, thereby
having to make his mark and witness it. At
this time he could not walk a step without
aid. nor even sit down in q chair without
assistance. SO severe was the shaking OF
his head that it almost caused him TO go
blind. He could not distinguish II person a
rods distance in front of him. lie came
very nearly losing his mind, and his friends
thought, as Il last resort, 1hat he would have
to be taken to a hospital. When he was
clan, he had to he examined i'll tie bragy,
so difficult was it for him to get out. Often
times it would seem that life was nearly en-
tinct, and his feet and hands would have to
be bathed in warm water and rubbed in
order to restore the circulation. For two
years he was not able to feed himself ut the
table. Ills ever faithful and dutiful wife put
the food to his mouth. Alright he would take
smothcring spells and would have to he
lifted up in bed that he might regain his
he was not able to put ON his clothes, not
able to do anything but sit and suffer his
miserable life away.
One physician gave, rs his decision of the
case, that his leg would have to be placed in
. vice and stretched to its original length,