Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1899-05-12
"LuNeERs" in COLORADO.
Former Consumptive Tells of HE Ex
perience in Seeking Health.


| perience in Seeking Health.
There has been an increasing ten
dency recently on the part of consump-
tives to seek dryer and less variable
climates as last resort before giving
up hope: There have been enough au-
thenticated instances of consumptives
getting well, apparently in the face Of
every indication that their cases were
hopeless, to inspire hope In the breasts
Of other sufferers from the disease. Last
week a young man belonging to a
Brooklyn family, who was a consump-
! tive before he went away, returned
from Denver, Colo, sound and we'll, to
the surprise and qualification of his
friends. His recovery was a surprise
to himself and to his friends.
Il found great many consumptives
In Denver" he said in telling of his ex-
periences, "and they were known there
by the name of 1ungers.' When a fresh
consignment of consumptive people
came into the city, residents looked at
them with sort of contemptuous pity
and remarked that another lot of lung
ers' had arrived. / was asked almost
soon as l came to Denver by a man
| the hotel l stopped at, who, like me,
went to Colorado in the endeavor to get
cured of consumption, if 4 was lung
er, 'too.' When he explained what a
lunger' meant l admitted that / was
one.
Before 4 left Brooklyn 1 could not
get any doctor who would undertake to
give me any hope of recovery. Two Of
the best physicians in New York, after
examining me carefully, told me that 1
had consumption, and knew 1t myself.
When told them l was going to Colo
RADIO to seek for a cure there they did
not discourage me, but l saw that they
were not sanguine.
Il soon made a number of acquaint-
ances in Denver who were 1ungers,'
who all had a hope of recovery, and we
planned little trips. Camping out was
fayorite way of passing the time, and
really found sleeping in tents in the
pure air of that wonderful climate very
pleasant, though l was not as hopeful
as the others. One night the tempera-
ture suddenly changed, in a most I'M
usual way for the time of the year.
when we were camping out. 1t became
very cold, and there was raw feeling
| In the atmosphere. A driZzling rain
fell, which changed into snow, or, rath-
er, sleet, and | was miserable in the
tent. Gusts of wind blew the mixture
of snow and rain all about me as lay
on a mattress, and not only was the
mattress wet, and felt the rain trick
ling down my neck as my head lay on
the pillow.
Il thought that would be surely the
death of me, and in the belief that there
was no hope for me, after getting up
and walking about little, lay down
again in despair and soon fell asleep.
l awakened in about six hours and be-
lieved l was done for. l got up in a
listless, despairing way and began me-
chemically to kindle a fire outside to
cook some breakfast, the sky being
clear by that time. To my astonish-
ment, not only felt all right, but actu-
ally hungry; instead of being in a high
fever, as expected. felt much better
than before lay down. hardly dared
to believe it at first, but l continued to
amp out and felt stronger and better
very day, and here l am now a well
man.
Il should say that people knew in
Colorado who to all appearances were
not as far gone in consumption as 1
have died there, but it is a fact that 1
recovered. Some people will tell you
that a hopeful mind goes a long way
toward effecting cure, but cannot as
cribe my cure to this, as had little
hope of ever getting better, and went to
Denver more as duty in order that
might know that tried every possible
means to get WELL"