WE CAN ONLY SAY THAT HIS INITIALS ARE "J. D."

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 16, 16 January 1891, Page 31

WE CAN ONLY SAY THAT HIS INITIALS ARE "J. D."

When a woman traveli ten miles merely to ask a few questions we may aaaums that her cariosity is excited. In the year 1883, a story went forth from Leverstock Green, Hemel Hempsiead, Harts, which aroused grea' i iterest in all the region thereabout. People came from various directions to enquire into the nutter ; what was alleged to have oooured had to do mostly with one man. If the story turned out to be true some a iod was likely to coma of it ; if false, it would only put the community more on their guard against all sorts of wild rumours. Among the women who were bound to get at the foundation of it was one from St. Albans and a cook from Langley. How strangely things work out in this queer world. Seven years have passed and the facts are now to become generally public •or the first time. It appears that about the first of January, 1889 an old resident of the place above named was said, and commonly believed, to be in a dying condition. For five months an Able and clever physician bad been attend* mg him constantly, no medical man could have done more, dis ailment was decided to be gout and rheumatism, which are now held to be praotically the same milady differently located. Well, this began back in July, 1882. As time r-n along the patient grew worse. The doctor's ability and experience didn't seem to count. The sufferer's ankles, feet, and hand*, became badly swollen. We all know this must have been a scary symptom beotuse that the fluids of hrn body (aad the body is nearly all fluid anyway) —instead of being oarried off as they naturally should be, were flow, mg over their channels an i inundating the parti around them, itut as a stream does after heavy rains. The doctor said, the danger of this state of things lay in the fatf, that when the water reached the heart or lungs it might end in sadden death. The causa of dropsy is the refusal of thu kidneys to carry off the water ; so much is piain. Bat what makes the kidneys strike work ? We now know the reason of that. It is became they are partially paralysed by a poison in the blood, arising from undigested food in the stomaoh. In plain English, a chronic state of indigestion and dyspepsia was responsible for result* whioh now threatened our unknown friend's life. It, was reported— and of its truth there isn't a doubt— that his abdomen was blown like a bladder on account of the water which to. ked all through his flesh. In a conversation a few weeks ago he said " All my friends now looked on me as a dying man." Ani reasonably enough too ; for what chance is there for a man who is gradually drowaing in this way ?-F.r that is what it was-* drowniug and nothing ehn m the woild. Medicine appeared to be of no use, and the poysician suggested that possibly the poor man mig&t ba benefited if be could go away from home and try the baths miueral waters, aad change of kcaae and air.~But aobjdy believed in that plan, and in honest truth, it is hardly likely that the wise pbysiciau believed in it himself. At all events the idea wasn't nut into practice. * About this time the patient's wife happened to be in the shop of a chemist at Hemel Hempstead, and he gay« her a little book, a sort of small pamphlet, and said she migot like to read it. She did read it, and lound in it a full descripiion of the very complaint that was f.st sending her husband to tne grave, and also the name of what was asserted to b• a remedy for it. After some trouble she got him to consent to try it, and sent for a bottle. He began, and kept it up for four months, taking twenty-six boitles altogettter. At the end of thtt time he was a well, sound man, and ia so to-day. The whole neighbourhood was amazad.— Hi* recovery, when hi had been looked npon aa no better than a dead nun, set tongues sagging all around the country, He now says : " I sbould not have been here now if it had not been for Mother Sdigel's Curative Hyrup, Our friend requests us not to publish bis full name, but says we may prmt his initials, which are "J. D." Address: Leverstock Green, Hemel flempstead, Herts. He will answer letters.