THE BRITTLE MAN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1049, 11 February 1911, Page 13

THE BRITTLE MAN.

--' ./v"- "'•"•'■-- ' "/" ■" "". •' LOOKING-FORWARD TO RECOVERY.

"Of all the patients who' will 6pcnd ■ .Christmas in the various London hosv' pitals, no one is'more eagerly looking : forward to the great day'than is Alban Rushbrook,>tho .-brittle, man, who sinco ■ last April has been at the Homeopathic Hospital, , Great Ormond Street (writes a correspondent; of the "Daily Mail," on ■December U) .'For years the muscles all over;his body• have been gradually hardening .into a etono-like consistency, and he. was. brought..-to London in order that a last,effort'might be made to arrest its slow development. At that time the , ■ only- muscles': retaining 'any freedom of movement were certain groups on the left : arm, and tho jaw-muscles. ! Yesterday I found him busily "writing Christmas let-ters-(with'his'left hand) to his friends. - ' Pointing with his pen.to'tho nurses decorating the/ ■ wards with Christmas wreaths, he exclaimed: That is what I am waiting-for—Christmas. It isn't tho entertainment,.or tho decorations, or tho • dinner; what I want is my smoke. ' Duringtluf winter thero-is.no. plaeo where 1 can l l»"6'omfortSbly r 'puf 'w r that"'t J «th' smoke. ' My Christmas will bo my pipe,for on Christmas Day I shall bo allowed to smoko-here in bed.' 'Then ho showed - mo «how much softer certain of his muscles had become sinco our last meeting. 'Last time you camo (in June) wo both thought my neck muscles were a little bit more pliable. Now I 1 know that I can turn my head more freely, that my chest moves 'moro when I breathe,;and that.l got more movement in my riijht shoulder, elbow, and wrist.' Shortly, 1 hope to bo able to write again with my right hand. Already I can get both hands on my bed pulley and change my position in bed without help. There is no doubt-I am'getting better gradually,' but -I miss my smoke. Tho; doctor tells mo that'nest-summer. I can got'out and havo ray smokoevcry day. The trouble is, I may be dead by thenl',- Howovor. his pmlie and the cheerful, hopeful look in 1 his eyes belied his words; and showed that however hardly tho hand of fate has rested on his;physical frame, Bushbrook still retains that optimism which is such a valuable asset towards recovery from any disease."-