THE LATE JOHN BALLANCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2501, 11 May 1893, Page 2

THE LATE JOHN BALLANCE.

DESCRIPTIVE DETAILS OF THE PREMIER’S ILLNESS. [From the Wellington Evening Post.] Mr Ballauce’s fatal illness dates from the early days of last session; then it was c-illed stomachic spasims. From the Press Gallery of the House, it was pitiful to watch the progress of the disease. Night after night it could be seen that the Leader of the House was fighting with deadly pain. The man who had gained immeasurably in the estimation of the House and the public during the parliament, and who had successfully battled with political.forces arrayed against him, triumphing by his own indomitable will, was fighting with all. the power which that will gave him to thrust down the physical weakness which threatened to overcome him. Time after time he would be observed lying back in his place, ashen pale, waiting to reply to some expeeted attack from the Opposition benches, forced to get up every little while and retire to his room there to writhe in agony. But back to the House he would come, and then, when the expected attack was being delivered, he would take notes in a bold, hand upon the foolscap before him, while stimulating his flagging powers with powerful smelling-salts. Then, when it came his turn to reply, casting off all signs of weakness, he would with the fluency of a ready debater seek to rout his accuser. This sort of thing was more than human flesh could bear, and so at last he was compelled to give in, and leave the Hon W. P. Reeves to lead the House. A MEMORABLE SCI'NE was caused by an aside made by that gentleman to Mr Hutchison, leading Mr Ballauce to hasten back to the House before he had sufficiently recovered. Once more that heroic but suicidal struggle with pain and weakness was resumed. Night after night the Premier stood by his Electoral Bill, piloting its main principles through the shoals of committee, he visibly suffering pangs unspeakable. At last he had to give in, and leave the Bill to his colleagues, while leavjng tfle Minister of Works to lead the ‘ House. What happened everyone knows. But the struggle had killed the Premier. He bad offered himself up as a SACRIFICE URON TlfE ALTAR QE PARTY. The struggle had beep a struggle to the ■ death, and singularly enough, dining the course of that struggle, there was an ominous token. The man who was i killing himself there for his party paid i an eloquent tribute to the memory of i his predecessor, whose end was so drama- 1 ticaliy in peeping with hia career. He, i too. was a victim to' paify gov grp prep t ? ( and as Mr Ballauce delivered' his panegyric t ■ v hv those who Had watched < ,t was leiu events'fhat he was ‘ flosely the progress oration. 1 lelivering, too, his own futreit,- . [t was long before he coiih.l lie ifioved r rom Wellington, but when this Was 1 jossible, he went to Taranaki in search q if the strength which had left him. t iVhile at New Ploraouth, he suffered a t evere relapse, and was brought back to i Vellington by special train, Dr Carroll v oming with him. His case by this v ime

HAD BECOME DESPEEATE,

and as his medical advisers practically considered it hopless, it was decided by his friends and himself that he should permit Mr Heeden, an old mine manager, who had effected some very remarkable cures by massage and animal magnetism, to try what he could do for him.

TEMPORARY RELIEF, The serious aspect of the case was the continual suspension of nature’s functions but the new treatment restored these for a time, and from the same such remarkable results were produced that the hope* of speedy recovery was freely entertained, and on all hands congratulations poured in to Mrs Ballance, who had so nobly nursed her husband in his dire distress. The relief was so great that the Premier was able to return to his home at Wanganui, and from being a bedridden invalid, was able to walk about his garden to take drives, to conduct the business of his office, and to take his share in the Government of the country. While at Wanganui, he was visited by an ENGLISH PHYSICIAN OP NOTE who happened to be in the colony, and the judgment of this expert was that there was no organic derangement, but that the engine had been too powerful for the ship; that, in fact, Mr Ballance’s resolute will had driven on his mental powers, and kept them at high pressure until there had come physical collapse. He advised that an operation would be necessary, and that the Premier must retire from politics and take complete rest, and possibly along voyage of at least six months. Mr Ballance, however, always sanguine of his ultimate recovery, would not lay down the reins of office. After a short time he came down to Wellington, and presided over various Cabinet meetings held at his own house, showing mental grasp and vigor strangely out of keeping with his physical weakness. From all his departments at this time there were coming anticipations of a surplus, soon to be realised; and when, on Easter Saturday, ho asked the writer to come up and see him, he was pardonably proud of the results which were then assured. A TERRIBLE CHANGE. But “ how changed was the man” in the short space of a few weeks. His intellect was as bright as ever, and his greeting as cordial; but he had fallen away untfl what had been sturdy limbs could now be spanned by the hand. The idea of a sea voyage possessed him, and after talking of his surplus, comparing figures, filling in details of departments (which, being a holiday, the writer had brought him), and finally reckoning up the substantial whole, he spoke with eagerness of a trip which he promised himself in the Hinemoa. too late! But he had taken remedial measures too late. Soon afterwards came a message that he had to abandon his trip, as his medical attendant (Dr Henry was with him throughout) had pronounced against it. He could not, however, wholly abandon the idea, and so set was his heart on getting on the sea that he arranged a trip around the harbour on the Ellen Ballance. Fine weather had been experienced up to that very day ; but tliat day was the first of the wet spell we have since experienced. Nevertheless, ho went out in the Government launch, and the rain coming on he had to be taken below, where the closeness of the little cabin did not improve matters. Next day he was bad, the next worse, then better, and then worse, but always bad. There was a complete stoppage of the natural functions. A. consultation was held, Drs Anson and Janies acting with Dr Henry, and with Dr Macgregor, who had watched the case throughout as a friend.

THE OPERATION DECIDED ON. As a result, it was decided to send at once for Dr Cleghorn, of Blenheim, whose reputation as a surgeon marked him out for the purpose. On his arrival a further consultation was held on Thursday last, and that evening it was decided that there was only one thing which offered any hope of saving the patient’s life. The bowels must be laid bare, opened, cleansed, and the obstruction removed. For ten days there had been a cessation of the functions, and danger was imminent. THE PREMIER’S SENSITIVENESS. Up to this time Mr Balance had been perfectly sanguine, and confident of his ultimate recovery, and any suggestion to the contrary produced upon him the utmost serious effect. I had been fully cognisant of every stage in his illness, and of all the hopes and fears of his colleagues, but knowing this, and knowing that the Premier insisted always on reading the papers, and acting also at the express request of his colleagues, I refrained from publishing anything of an unpleasant or alarming character. As an instance of his intense feeling regarding any suggestion as to the hopleasnesa of his case, I may mention that he got hold of a Westland paper containing a telegram from Wellington, suggesting that he could riot recover, and speculating as to his successor. The telegram gave him intense annoyance, and he insisted on a contradiction being sent. A TEST OF ENDURANCE. Again, when coming on his last journey from Wanganui, he was lying in pain in the carriage, when some pressmen appeared at Palmerston Northland entered the compartment. He at once got up, assumed an appearance of ease, and remained standing while he spoke to them ; but as they thoughtlessly continued asking him questions, and he felt unable longer to combat the pain and weakness under which he labored, he placed his hand upon his side, excused himself, said he felt tired with his journey, and, lying down, concluded the ’.interview in that position, his questioners little thinking of the agony they were causinghim.

THE DYING STATESMAN. Up to this time, a reason had prevented his colleagues from suggesting to him the necessity, which had always been present to themselves, of appointing his successor. When, however, the result of the consultation was told him, and he was made aware that he was face to f wee with death, and that the only alternative was an operation, so serious that it might itself involve death, he realised for the first time the gravity of his position. It took until Sunday morning tq prepare the instruments 'necessary, to agree as to a plan of operation, and to make final arrangements. During the interval, the poor sufferer was as a condemned person awaiting his doom. As the hours passed by he appeared to positively shrink up with his sufferings, mental and physical, which he was going through, and fur the first time he spoke of a successor. He told his colleagues that he now saw it would be better for him to resign under such circumstances, HL colleagues passed the and him be of' good' seer, al operation would be suece.safgl, Up Sunday Sir R. Stout came, find a message awaited steamer to proceed at once to ■onC premier ’ s b.ou.ffe. Tbqyq he found Ml? Miantt Waiting ic him his lasf re-, quests and directions as to ©veil#"-- 1 the too probable event of his not surviving the Ordeal he Was about to go through, All the Cabinet Ministers in Wellington were assembled at tho house, and there was AN AFFECTING GOOD-BYE

between them and their chief. These strong men gave way to their feelings. With Airs Ballauce, the faithful wife and sacrificing nurse, there was, too, an affecting parting, and then came the message from the doctors that all was in readiness, A room had been specially prepared, everything being saturated with carbqliQ

antiseptics. Dr Cleghorn was to perform the operation, Dr Fell assisting him, and Drs Macgregor and Mackenzie being there with Dr Henry. When the summons came, the Premier, casting off in an extraordinary manner the depression and weakness which the suspense had produced, sprang out of bed, and, walking unassisted to the operation-room, shook hands cordially with the medical men, said “good-bye” to all, jumped on to the operating table, and, throwing himself upon his back, bade the operators begin. It was

A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF PHYSICAL courage triumphing over physical weakness Choloroform was administered, and for about two hours and a-half the operation was proceeded with. It was still incomplete when it was felt that it would not be safe to continue it longer, and the patient was brought back to semi-consciousness. During all this, time his relatives, Sir Robert Stout, and his colleagues had been waiting, fearing the worst as the moments went by. Next morning Mr Ballance was partially conscious, and was able to speak hopefully of the ultimate success of the operation to his brother--in-law (Mr Anderson) and to Sir Robert Stout. That evening a further consultation was held, and it was decided that the operation might be resumed on Tuesday morning. Once more that anxious grop of Ministers and friends gathered at the Premier’s residence, and once more the poor sufferer, who had been kept more or lesss under the influence of opiates, was laid upon the operating board and placed under the knife. At 8 a.m. the operation was resumed, and by 11 it was successfully completed, the old adhesions removed, the obstruction overcome, the gaping wounds sewn up, and a ayphon inserted. Then came THE CR'TIUAI. STAGE, Twenty-four or forty-eight hours would show whether the exhausted system could throw off the weakness under which it suffered, and whether the relieved organs would act. The patient alternated between semi-consciousness. There was little hope from the first, but yet there was some as the hours passed on, but as it was found impossible to administer nourishment, the hope would steadily vanish, and the wonderful vitality which the sufferer had shown threatened to be exhausted at last. From Saturday morning until the time of his death the Premier had no food. On Wednesday a last effort was made by the injection of champagne to stave off the end, and set the bodily functions once more going. There was a temporary revival—a flicker of the expiring life —but by this morning the medical men had practically given up hope, and at about 1.43 p.rn. they feared that the end was at hand. Messengers were sent out in haste to summons Ministers, who had just gone to their residences after coming out of Cabinet, the Minister of Works and the Colonial Secretary having been earlier in the morning at the Premier’s residence. Cabs were flying hither and thither with urgent appeals for haste, and soon all the Ministers were going to Tiuakori road as fast as horseflesh could take them. the bvd. The man upon whom every mind in New Zealand then dwelt, the hope of his party, and the admiration of his political foes, was sinking fast into the oblivion which hid already come, to all appearance, to his senses, and a very short time it was thought would see the end. But the watchers around his bed waited till the shades of evening had closed around them before the white figure on the bed drew its last breath, and passed unconsciously into the greatest consciousness beyond. Johu Ballance, Premier and leader of men, was dead. He had gone out with the dying day, and as the watchers silently looked at their watches, the hands pointed to 6.19. E. ; D.H.