Looking from the Lonely Rook

Manawatu Herald, 12 January 1897, Page 3

Looking from the Lonely Rook

The island of St Paul is merely a great ! rook in the Southern Ocean. It is the top |of a volcanic mountain. There are no ! means of sustaining life to be found on it. j The nearest inhabited land is Australia or Africa. To that ugly and deiolate refuge came a boat containing nine persons — two of them women. They had food — on short i allowance, for perhaps a week. In less ' than three days they were half insane from j anxUty. Water, water, water everywhere, but no help. On the fifth day, at dawn, a j brig hove to of! the island. They saw her. j Shouting, praying, weeping, they atambled <to the beach, and were rescued. It was on* chance in a hundred. I'll tell you why some other time. But, alas ! isn't it as bad, or even worse on land ? Look at the physical wrecks in homes, in hospitals, and answer me. One ' perishes of privation from shipwreck. A , thousand perish of privation in the midst of plenty. It isn't food they long for, but power to use it— worst and deadliest of all wants. "My food seemed to give me no strength," says «ne of this army of unfortunates, "and as the hopeless, starving days passed slowly by I grew weaker and weaker. By-and-by my legs trembled and bent under me, and I could no longer get about. "The ailment which reduced me to this fearful condition began in the spring of 1892. At first I hardly recognised it for what we commonly call a disease. I felt tirtd, heavy, and languid, bb on* often does on the approach of warm weather. I fancied it woqld pass away, but it did not. I lost my appetite, and only ate from habit and to keep me going. I had no pleasure in it. and mo warmth or glow followed it, as happens always when one is well. No matter how light and simplt the repast was, , or how careful I had been to select things that would not be apt to hurt me, the result was the same. No sooner had I swallowed it than my stomach was distressed, and my chest and sides full of pain. If you will allow me so to put it,' my food appeared to strike back at me as though I had no right to ase it. " There was a nasty bitter flavour ia my i mouth, more or less headache, and a kind ; of nervousness, which was new to my ex- • perience, &s it was depreaiing and cheerless. [ " Home remedies failing to help me, I 1 consulted a doctor, but his prescriptions i benefitted me no more than our domestic medicines hai done. My flesh and , strength grew less, and I felt like one who ' has missed his way and looks in vain for 1 a guide to point the road home. I " Finally I commenced attending the 1 Leamington Hospital, and continued to do so for twelve months, but the treatment \ they gave me had no better effect than all the rest. You can hardly understand how [ weary I got of taking drugs. I turned I almost with loathing from every new dose I — not because of the taste, but because k they deceived my hopes ; they were of no ' use to me. b "It this state I wa?, when in March, I 1894. a friend urged me to try Mother k Siegol'B Syrup. On account of the very reasons I have mentioned, I hated to ex- ' periment with any more medicines. But 3 I overcame this aversion (most fortunately 3 for me) and got a bottle of Mother Siegel'e t Syrop from Judd, the chemist, in Leamington, and after taking it I felt a marked and great improvement. I had ,no pain J after eating and my food felt right, digested, f and gave me strength. And as I grew I stronger my nerves ceased to trouble me. . I can only say that by the continued use of the Syrup I got better daily and was soon '' as vigorous and well as ever. 1 have had ) no relapse, and have every reason to think

my cure a permanent one. Yon are welcome to publish my letter. (Signed) (Miss) Lucy Eden, Tachbrook, near Leamington, September 26th, 1895." We hope Miss Eden's recovery may indeed prove permanent, and if it/loeashe will find no words too strong when she speaks of the remedy which wrought it. Bat oh, the vast multitude who still stand, like the shipwrecked people on the island, looking for rescue I—vicnma of that moit obdurate, common and baneful of disease!, chronio dyspepsia. It is lor their sakes Misn Eden kindly writes her statement, and for their sakes we print it. -jMfcy it reach many of them. ! 'y