LORD BEACONSFIELD'S LAST ILLNESS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1973, 12 September 1889, Page 31

LORD BEACONSFIELD'S LAST ILLNESS.

Reminiscences by His Medical Attendant.

Dr Kidd, who attended Lord Beaconsfield in his la3t illness, gives some very interesting reminiscences of his noble patient in the " Nineteenth Century " for July. We make the following extracts from the article : —

HIS BEFUSAL TO TAKE EXEEOISE.

The greatest difficulty was to get the patient to take exercise. "My grandfather," he said to me, " lived to 90 years ; he took much open-air exercise. My father lived to 80, yet he never took any." Lord Beaconsfield tried to steer a middle course, but the utmost he could be persuaded to take was a short walk two or three times a week if Lord Rowton or some other pleasant friend called to accompany him, otherwise he easily found an excuse for not going out. His slow pace in walking prevented him from getting much benefit from it. [At Constantinople in 1830 he was greatly gratified by a certain Mehemet Pasha telling him that he could not be an Englishman, but rather one of an Eastern race, because he walked so slowly. — " Quarterly Review," p. 23, January 1889.] Riding he had given up, although in his early days passionately devoted to it. For many years his life had been a sedentary one ; presuming on his hardy constitution, and the fact of his father's great age without openair exercise, he considered it a matter optional in his case. He had the excuse of urgent occupation in his political and literary life to hinder it. Yet Nature has a Nemesis power of revenging herself on the man of sedentary life. In the end the liver suffers. In one of his letters to his sister he says, " I have recovered from the horrors of a torpid liver whioh has overwhelmed me the last few days."

HIS COUETESY TO LADIES,

The character of Lord Beaconsfield was most singular. To those without his manner was that of reserve and coldness, with a proud expression of power and lofty aim. But to the charmed inner circle of his friends there was a bright genial glow of kindness shown which made all feel at ease. At first a manner apparently cold and distant, but directly you struck the chord of sympathy most cordial and responsive. In the company of ladies his face became most animated. All the activity of his mind became freshened into new life, and he spared neither time nor trouble to interest them. An old lady, Mrs De Burgh, hearing of his asthma, sent him a pot of Stockholm tar, with a note advising him to expose it in his bedroom at night. It proved helpful. An ordinary Prime Minister in full work might have written an autographic note of thanks. Lord Beaconsfield found time to visit her in Eccleston square to thank her for her kind present, much to her delight.

AT HOME AT HUGHENDEN.

After the London season his life at Hughenden was very quiet 1 a walk round the "German Forest" — a lovely clump of young trees that Lord Lyndhursf named the " German Forest "—and a look at the beautiful shrubs and trees on the terrace, most of them with a history, one planted by this friend and one by that. He delighted to recall the memories of old friends from the trees planted by them. After his walk, to write or to read was his chief occupation. He was a great reader. Of the many journals and reviews on his table the " Revue de Deux Mondes " was his^favourite. Over it he spent much time.

BEACONSFIELD AND BISMAEOK.

As the time of the Berlin Conference drew near, Lord Rowton, his dearest and best friend, urged that I should accompany him to Berlin. Lord Beaconsfield was unwilling, satisfied with my promise to be in readiness to start at once for Berlin if telegraphed for. At Berlin, his health was suddenly disturbed by a severe chill. An urgent telegram summoned me there. I found him suffering from a fresh attack of congestion of the kidneys and liver, but was enabled to afford prorgpt relief, and he recovered his usual vigour of mind and body, and got through the work of the Congress with ease. I remained with him till the Treaty of Berlin was completed, and returned with him as Calais. Three or four days before the Treaty was signed I was sitting with him in his private room when Prince Bismarck was announced. He walked into the room, giving his hat to the servant. After being introduced to the Prince I retired, and found the servants outside the door trying on Prince Bismarck's hat. "Why," said one of them, "the hat is almost big enough to take our two heads into it." The day after Lord Beaconsfield said to me, " I. can tell you to-day the object of Bismarck's visit yesterday, as it is no longer a secret. The Congress wa3^on the point of coming to an untimely end that morning, as I absolutely refused one of the Russian Plenipotentiaries' condition, and I left the Congress room saying I should have to return to London at once to concert other measures. Bismarck heard of this and rushed off to the Russian Ambassador, persuaded him to withdraw the point, and then called to stop my return to London."

DEATH IfOB A DINNEB pABTT.

In the spring of 1881 he felt the cold most keenly, and seldom went out for a walk — his only exercise. Yet he could not deny himself the pleasure of going into society in the evening. He thought that with fur coat and shut carriage he might risk it. But on one of the worst nights in March he went out to dinner, and returning home was caught for a minute by the deadly blast of the north-east wind laden with slee,t. Bronchitis developed the next morning with distressing asthma, loss of appetite, fever, and congestion of the kidneys. Asthma is a most peculiar disease. It comes on often in the most healthy places and vanishes in the crowded, close streets of the town. In the low-lying Downing street near the Thames he had much less asthma than in Curzon street, where his bedroom was a small stuffy one with fluffy paper and old-fashioned curtains. From the first asthma followed him in Ourzon street.

OALLEBS AT OUBZON STBEET.

During one of our 11 o'clock settlings of the bulletin his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, fresh home from the funeral of the murdered Czar, came in upon us, ask-

ing anxiously as to the progress of oar illustrious patient. Among the many distinguished callers Mr Gladstone walked in and inquired most feelingly after his old opponent. We, the doctors, had a hard time in reading the many hundreds of letters, telegrams, and post-cards with suggestions for infallible cure. One card to Lord'Beaconsfield delighted him much ; it was : Don't die yet ; we can't do without you. (Signed) A Bbitish Wobkman. HIS FAVOUBITE COLLEAGUE.

Lord Beaconsfield's love and regard for Earl Cairns was unbounded. One day during his illness Lord Beaconsfield said to me, " I want specially to see Lord Cairns. He is admirable in council ; I want to explain my views to him." After spending upwards of an hour with Lord Beaconsfield, Lord Cairns come oufc and said to me, " With so near a prospect of death, can you not get Canon Fleming to visit him ? He is specially the one Lord Beaconsfield wonld listen to on matters "concerning the soul and eternity." Obstacles were put in the way, ?and the opportunity was lost. To myself sitting by his bed at night he spoke on spiritual subjects, in a manner indicating his appreciation of the work of Christ and of the Redemption. At Hughenden he was a diligent attendant at the communion service, and when in London at Whitehall Chapel.

THE END.

During his last illness there was no pain nor acute suffering, but at times much distress and weariness, all of which he bore with the most exemplary patience and endurance. To all those around him he showed the greatest kindness and consideration. At midnight there was a visible change for the worse, and the heaviness graduaUy passed into the calm sleep of death. Lord Rowton remained up. all night with Dr Mitchell Bruce and myself. At 1 o'clock we summoned Dr Quain, Lord Barrington, and Sir William Rose to witness the end. Lord Barrington was the first to arrive, and at once joined Lord Rowton in a loving clasp of Lord Beaconsfield's right hand ; his left was laid in mine. Soon afterwards Dt Quain arrived. It touched us all deeply to sec the dying statesman rise up in his bed and lean forward in the way he used to do when rising to reply in debate ; his lips moved bufc no sound came. He fell back on the pillows, and in about 10 minutes, without suffering or distress, his spirit passed away.