Year: 1867

The following was written by 4 yell
low fever patient on the fifth day after
being taken sick: the labor of writing
it caused relapse, which came very
near costing his life:


The writer of this has had glimpse
of Purg gatorv, and the way ii came to
pass was this: Tuesday morning. ''1al-
low jack" so called, introduced him.
self unceremoniously and at once pro-
ceeded to break every bone in this poor
subjects body. He was left helpless
and prostrated. Now appeared an ar
my of little devils, who commenced
prowling, prodding, and digging to sa-
tisfy themselves that not a bone was
left unbroken. But in spite of all the
devils, the skull remained unbroken.
They made detail to keep continually
beating the subject on top of the head
and downwards towards the neck.
Then they had kind of Greek fire,
which at regular intervals they poured
down the spine of the subject.


Having arranged all these prelimina-
ries they of course thought they had
him dead Now they commenced a
curious game all would whirl around,
then stop all of sudden and play with
some strange devices that were neither
cards nor dice, yet something of the
sort. The subject. watched this game
with intense interest, so much so that
he almost forgot his broken bones and
s. unhinged joints. Thus his mind and
the spirits and the game went spinning
along together till about dark, when a
servant entered and asked if the subject
was sick. He rather though he was.


A delegation of neighbors now crowd
ed around the bed to learn how the sick
man felt. He endeavored briefly to
convey some idea of his feelings. One
Of those present asked if he would take
a preparation to check the fever, he
answered he might, provided it was
neither calomel nor quinine. No, it
was a homeopathic remedy. Well,
the subject had no objection. Soon after
a physician made his appearance, look
ed rather serious, gave his Instructions,
and told the subject to quench his thirst
with almost any decent drink. Now
he happened to be always thirsty, tried
citrate of magnesia for while, but soon
grew disguised with it, then tried le-
monade, but with no better success.
The novel idea struck him to try pure
cold water, and it turned out to be ex-
actly the thing.


The physician continued his visits and
would announce from day to day with
a curious air that the patient was bet
ter. In the meantime, when not inter
rupted, the subject and the spirits and
the curious game played by the latter
went swimming along together as much |
so as on the first day, but gradually the
host grew smaller; some of the spirits |
seemed to have urgent business else
where, others Jagged, and all that ran |
around grew more and more careless. |
But ust in exact proportion the sub
ject grew more and more powerfully |
weak" Thursday morning he was all |
powerfully weak the spirits had all
lid With kick and snort the sub
ject flung back the bed cover, landed
on the floor, and said, 81 amt dead
yeti '. .- ... ....... |


With the assistance Of nurse, of
whose existence the subject now be-
came aware, he found his way back to
bed again. Friday morning he found |
himself so powerfully weak that he did !
not feel able to raise a finger. The doc
tor came and looked rather more pleas
ant than usual !; said that everybody
had expected the subject to die, but,
continued he, @"You are not going to
die; you will be out in a few days"


A brilliant idea struck the subject,
and summoning all his strength he rails
ed himself on his launches, and told
the doctor he would like to have some
thing to eat. The doctor suggested
that the subject might drink a cup of
coffee with boiled milk. Would duck
swim? The coffee was, well made and
drank, and the patient gained Strength /!
enough to attempt to write this, which
he managed to do by eight hours hard
work, laying on his back, and holding +,
III ms pencil in one hand and his paper in ltf
the other. And the natia,,t stilI lives l