People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1892 — THE SICK STATESMAN. [ARTICLE]

THE SICK STATESMAN.

James G. Blaise's Condition Said to Show a Slight Improvement—His Immediate Death Evidently Not Anticipated by His Physicians. ■Washington, Dee. sl—2 a. m.—Mr. Blaine is resting quietly. Daring the greater portion of the evening he has been in a profound slumber—in fact, so profound thtft it was with difficifVfcy he could be awakened by his attendants to receive the usual nourishment His physician, who called at midnight Stood at his bedside upwards of half an hour for the purpose of conversing with him, but as he showed no sign of awakening he left the house. In reply to the questions of the reporters he said: “The fact that Hr. Blaine sleeps so soundly is not evidence that he is In a state es coma, on the contrary it shows that he is enjoytng a natural rest, aided in a measure, of couAe, by the usual soothing opiates. One. of the reassuring factors in the treatment of Mr. Blaine grows out of this sleeping, and it is restful, recuperative slumber too. For the last two days my patient has been bright and cheerful, with all his faculties folly alert, and I can safely assert there is not the slightest indication at this hour of anything of a relapse, or even a change tor the worse. “Of course we wiU not permit Mr. Blaine to talk any more than Is absolutely necessary, despite his evident anxiety to do so on all occasions That he is fully alive to all that is going on about his bedside was evinced yesterday during the visit of Dr. Loomis, for the patient propounded queries and insisted upon an answer to each, showing that there was no wane in his mental powers.” Mr. Blaine passed a fairly comfortable night Monday and managed to get a considerable amount of sleep. Tuesday he felt a trifle stronger for his rest and seemed to be bright and cheerful. Later in the day, when the sun came out from behind the clouds, his spirits revived accordingly, for he has a room facing toward the south and enjoys the genial sunlight, of which there has been so little for the last few days. Even the physicians and the members of the family who are about the bedside do not regard the improvement in the great statesman’s condition as of such a nature as to give grounds for hope of any lasting rally. Another such case of heart failure as the patient suffered Sunday, it is admitted, would probably be more than he could survive.

Newspaper men asked the physicians Tuesday morning what was the real nature of the disease from which Mr. Blaine is suffering. They were given to understand that it was by the wish of the family that this is kept from the public. If it were made public it would open a large field for discussion that would be intensely disagreeable to his family and friends. “Mr. Blaine is suffering from exhaustion,” said Representative Boutelle, of Maine. “He has drawn upon his gray matter for years and years ■without any regard to his health or the possibility of impairing his vitality. His book, ‘Twenty Years in Congress,’ would be a monument in itself to any man, and yet it is only one of the many great things Mr. Blaine has done. It was composed with a rapidity that stands unequaled in literary history, excepting, perhaps, the novels of Sir Walter Scott.”

It has been asked many times if there was a possibility that Mr. Blaine might emerge entirely from his present condition and be restored again to health. Efforts have been made to have Dr. Johnston, answer this question, hut he will not do it. The splendid rally Mr. Blaine has made since Sunday has given the coimnunity as well as the relatives a more hopeful feeling. It is based to some extent upon the knowledge of the many ordeals through which Mr. Blaine has passed successfully. But this hopeful feeling has little but sentiment to support it. The organic character of this disease is such that no combination of favorable circumstances and no succession of rallies could restore the patient to health. This is the view taken by those most familiar with the case. Under such circumstances the slight fluctuations for good o t had from day to day amount to little except as marking the advancing stages of the disease. New York, Dec. 31.—Dr. Alfred L. Loomis returned to this city Monday night from Washington, where he had been to gee Mr Blaine. .To a reporter he said: “Mr. Blaine is in a very critical condition, yet h£ cannot be said to he in any immediate danger. He is very sick and may die at any moment or he may live for weeks. It is impossible to tell anything more definite about the case at present.”