Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1882 — PRESENTIMENTS. [ARTICLE]

PRESENTIMENTS.

A* InTe«ti<atioii •« tbe Cause* of Those Dark Forebodincs Which Make Powerful Men Weak. [From the Golden Bu’e.] Much opprehension has been occasioned threngbont America from the announcement made by Prof. Proctor that the return in nineteen years of the great comet of last summer will cause the destruction of the earth. But, while people are becoming so strangely exercised over this announcement, an event of far more serious importance, which is taking place to-day, seems to be almost wholly overlooked. The nature of this most ritual subject can be best explained by relating the following expoH6DC6*: Bishop K. 0. Haven, known to the entire land, was unaccountably awakened one night out of a sound sleep, and lay awake until morning. His mind seemed unusually active, and he not only reviewed his past life, which had been an eventlul one, but laid extensive plana for the future. He did not feel especially ill, but could not account for the unusual activity of his brain, nor for the restlessness which seemed to possess him. In the morning he had but little appetite, but was apparently well in other respects. In a few days, however, he began to feel restless and morbid, although he tried earnestly to overcome the feeling which had taken possession of him. But try as he would the shadow or some evil seemed to follow him. and he was conscious of a gradual sinking and wasting away of all his physical faculties. He had teen an earnest and diligent worker, and in his zeal frequently overtaxed his strength, and, being absorbed in his duties, failed to observe the common symptoms with which he was afflicted, thus permitting the work of destruction to go on unheeded. But the end finally came in a most peremptory manner. Shortly before bis death he wrote a letter—the last one he ever indited—in which he speaks as follows: “A belief that death is near affects different minds differently, but probably all who are in a fair condition of physical and mental strength instinctively shrink from it with an indefinable dread and horror. A dying man is no more able of himself to foresee his own destiny or the destiny of those ho leaves than he was before he began to die.” The recent sad and sudden death of Hon. Clarkson N. Potter is one of the most serious warnings ever given in the long list of innumerable cases of fatal neglect It is not sufficient to say that many other brilliant men, including Everett Sumner, Chase, Wood, Wilson and Carpenter, were swept away by the same fatal trouble. The question is, were these men sufficiently caret il of tbeir health, and could they have been saved? The Albany Argus, in speaking of Mr. Potter's sudden illness and death, says: “One of the physicians who attended Mr. Potter here was interviewed last evening. He stated that Mr. Potter’s inability to converse had for some time served to baffle the physicians in their efforts to determine the root of his illness. It seems, bows ver, that Mr. Potter, some two years ago, suffered a slight attack of kidney disease. Unwise dependence upon a robust constitution and naturally perfect health, and neglect of proper clothing, doubtless sowed the seeds of a disease that needed but some such personal neglect as that of Tuesday morning to develop. From the symptoms at first shown, it was thought that his only trouble was nervous prostration; but his long continuance in a semiunconscious state led to the belief that his illness was seated in a chronic difficulty more mysterious and dangerous.” Up to the latter part of last year Mr. Edward F. Book, a membor of the New York Block Exchange, was doing business in Wall street, New York. He had everything to encourage him, and make life happy, but was the victim of unaccountable uneasiness. His experience, as described by one who knew, was as follows: “At unexpected times, and on occasions when he had the greatest reason to feel joyous, he was irritable and haunted with strange feelings of discontent. He endeavored to check thesefeelings and appear pleasant, but it required a great effort to do so ; after which he would again relapse into his former morbid mood. This feeling continued for a number of months, when he became conscious of an added sensation of lassitude. He was tired even when resting, and, although experiencing no acute pain, had dull, aching sensations in his limbs, and various parts of his body. Shortly afterward his head began to ache most frequently and his stomach failed to digest properly. Being told that he was suffering from malaria he consulted an eminent physician, who informed him that his kidneys were slightly affected, and gave him medicine to restore them. But he grew worse instead of better. He then consulted other eminent doctors of another school and was informed that he had a brain difficulty somewhat in the nature of a tumor, but in spite of all efforts to the contrary he continued to grow worse. At this time his condition was terrible. What were at first simple symptoms had developed to terrible troubles. He was flushed and feverish, constantly uneasy, and yet always weary. He had an intense appetite one day and very little the next His pidse was irregular, his breathing labored, and every moment of existence was a burden. These disastrous svmptoms continued, bls face and body became discolored, his heart was irregular in its action, and his breath came in short, convulsive gasps. He grew constantly worse, notwithstanding the utmost precautions of his friends, and finally died in the greatest agony. After his death an examination as to its actual cause was made, when his brain was found to be in a perfect condition, and the reason of his decease was of an entirely different nature.”

The experiences which have been cited above all had a common cause and were each the result of one disease. That disease, which so deceitfully, yet surelv, removed the people above-mentioned was feright’s disease of the kidneys. In the case of Mr. Kook the examination after death, while showing the brain to be in a perfect condition, revealed the terrible fact that he was the victim of a slight kidney trouble, which had gone on unchecked, until it resulted in acute Bright’s disease. The leading physicians and scientists of the world are fast learning that more than one-half the deaths which occur are caused by this monstrous scourge. It is one of the most-deceitful maladies ever known to the human race. It manifests itself by symptoms so slight and common as to seem unworthy of attention ; and yet these very insignificant symptoms are the first stages of the worst complaint known in the history of the world. Thousands of people have died from troubles that are called heart pneumonia, brain fever and similar diseases, when it was, in fact, Bright’s disease of the kidneys. The ravages of this disease have been greatly increased from the fact that until recent years no way was known to prevent its beginning nor check its increase when it had become once fixed upon the system. Within the past two years, however, we have learned of more than four hundred pronounced cases of Bright’s disease, many of them much worse than those above described, and most of whom had been given up by prominmit physicians, who have been completely curd® The means used to accomplish this end has been Warner’s Safe Kidney and Liver Cure, manufactured in Rochester, N. Y., a remedy that has won its way into the confidence of the public solely upon the remarkable merits it possesses. As a result, it is more widely used and thoroughly praised than any medicine which has ever been before the American public. Indeed there is not a drag store in the entire land where it cannot be found.

Although Bright’s disease is so common in cities, h is still more prevalent in the country. When eminent physicians in the largest cities are not able to recognize Bright’s disease, it is only natural that m the country,, where there are few physicians of any kind, and those few so unacquainted with the disease as to call it by some other name, it should rage terribly and yet unknown to the onqs who are suffering with it. Thousands or>peop]e can look back and recall the death of friends from what was supposed to be some common complaint, when it was really Bright’s disease, and no one knew it. The terrible pleuro-pneumonia, which has been so dreaded, is usually the result of uremic .or kidney poison. Lung fever can be traced to a similar source. Most cases of paralysis arise from the same difficulty as well as innumerable fevers, lung, Throat, head and bowel troubles. A vast number of ladies have suffered and died from complaints common to tleir sex called, perhaps, general debility, when, could the real cause have been kn >wn, it would have been found to be Bright's disease, masqueradlug under another name. In marked contrast to the sad cases which Have been stbovo described are the experiences of many prominent people who were as low as of the persons mentioned, but who were remarkably restored to former health and vigor by this same remedy. Among this number nre the following prominent names: Col. John C. Whitner, Atlanta, Gs.; B. F. Larrabee, Boston, Mass.; Gen. C. A. Heckman, Phillipsburg, N. J.; Rev. D. D. Buck,. D. D., Genova, N. Y.; Dr. F. A. McManus, Baltimore, Md.; Edwin Fay, Davenport, lowa ; Rev. A. C. Kendrick, 'LL. D., Rochester, N. Y.; J. 8. Matthews, Portland, Mich.; 0. W. Eastwood, New York; Dr. A. A. Ramsay, Albia, Iowa; Chancellor C. N. Sims, D. D., Syracuse, N. Y.; Dr. S. P. Jones, Marinette, Wis.; T. 8. Ingraham, Cleveland, O.; Henry T. Ciiampney, Bislon, Mass.; El-ler James 8. Prescott, North Union, 0., who is a prominent member of the Shaker community, and many others. To all candid minds the force of the above facts must come with special power. They show the importance of promptness and attention to the first symptoms of disordered health before disease becomes fixed and hope departs. They show how this can success uliy be done, and that the dangers which await neglqct can only with difficulty be removed. A. lady near thia place had her teeth extracted by Dr. Campbell, as preliminary to inserting an artificial set. While the dentist was wait; pg for the gums to nature itself usurped his office and supplied the lady with a perfectly new aud sound set of .Recorder,

“I knew he was no saint,” said the parson’s wife, referring to a party who occasionally attended church, but whoee pietv her husband had been in the habit of extolling. “No saint, my dear? I don’t understand you.” “Don’t, eh? Well, I sat in the pew next to him this morning, and when he made believe get down to pray his knee-joints creaked like the rusty hinges of an old bam door.”