DEATH OF MR O'CONNELL. [From Bell's Weekly Messenger, May 24.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 228, 6 October 1847, Page 3

DEATH OF MR O'CONNELL. [From Bell's Weekly Messenger, May 24.]

This event, which has been looked for almost daily for some time past, took place at Genoa during the evening of the^ 15th May. The following letter, written by Dr. Duff, an English physician residing at Genoa, contains a full account of t!>e circumstances attending the death of Mr. O'Connell: — " Some account of the closing scenes of the life of an individual who has filled so remarkable a position in the world as Daniel O'Connell, must prove interesting to the generality of your readers, and I therefore, as an English physician, called in to attend him, take leave to lay before you the following statement:—On. Monday, May 10, 1 saw Mr. O'Connell for the first time, and he was then suffering from profuse and involuntary diarrhoea, with great pain of the abdomen under pressure, strong rapid pulse, flushed face, &c. Mr. O'Connell had also chronic bronchitis of some years standing. From the remedies employed these symptoms were much ameliorated, and on the morrow he seemed convalescent. But from Mr. O'Connell's great repugnance to swallow even the most simple medicine, this state of improvement could not be followed up. On the evening of Tuesday the llth,tlie new symptom of congestion of the brain presented itself. Active measures were immediately had recourse to, and from them there was a decided improvement. Again the aid of internal remedies was denied —Mr. O'Connell refusing to take any medicine.- Towards the evening of Wednesday, the 12th, the symptoms increased, —Mr. O'Connell was restless, and sometimes slightly incoherent. Our former measures were again employed, but with slight success. During Thursday, all the symptoms increased, with great tendency to sleep, from which, however, he could easily be roused; the breathing was much

embarrassed ; circulation became difficult and in some degree indistinct, and the mind wavered. Thursday night was passed in a state of profound heavy sleep, with increased difficulty of breathing, anJ, in addressing those about him, he imagined himself in London, .and spoke to them as if there. On Friday he was much worse, the breathing very laborious, the voice scarcely audible, and the words halfformed ; all the symptoms had increased. In this state he lingered on till Satorday night, seemingly conscious of the presence of those about him, but neither attempting to move nor speak. My treatment of Mr, O'Connell was always in conjunction with Dr. Beretta, of this place, and a young French physician, who had accompanied him from Lyons, and on the day preceding his demise, we had the advantage of consulting with Dr. Viviani, the oldest practitioner of Genoa, and of high repute. By his advice, and as a last resource, a further application of leeches to the temples was advised, but all was in vain ; he expired last night ot half-past nine o'clock, apparently suffering little pain. During the whole time of our attendance upon Mr. O'Connell it was with the greatest difficulty he could be induced to take medicine or even necessary food, and be perseveringly abstained from drink for fully forty hours. Had this been otherwise, the period of death might have been procrastinated, but his failing health and spirits, with constant tendency to cerebral congestion, rendered certain his death at no very distant period."