Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 74

A Family Heirloom LIVER and KIDNEY DISEASE.

LIVER SYMPTOMS WELL DESGRIBED*

The Case of Mr. R. HODNET.

{By a. Dunedin llzpoiter.)

" There is no doubt," said Mr. Richard Hodnet, of No. 1 Walker Avenue. Dunedin, " that ray. many years of suffering Irom rheumatism completely undermined my health in every respect. Kneumatism is a legacy handed dowii from my forefathers, all of whom were victims to that complaint. Being hereditary, there is every probability that all the members of. our family<yvill be affected by that painful disease: But what I have to speak about mostly just now is in reference to an attack of kidney and liver disease which I did not get rid of for about eight years." " A long term of sickness, Mr. Hodnet. What were your symptoms like f enquired thei reporter. " I commenced to suffer dreadfully with headaches, which had such a blinding effect upon my eyes that I could hardly see to read or write. Each nieal was characterised by the most repulsive pains in the stomach, when I always experienced a terrible* griping sensation in that quarter, as if the food had turned bad and had no means of escape. Then, quite suddenly, a nasty bile used to rise to my mouth, and the sour foo~d used to be vomited up. When the stomach was empty I had long spelld of belching afterwards, and then the paiu would ease a little. These symptoms were sometimes varied by violent attack of windy spasms, which made my heart take to violent palpitations, whSn I was nearly scared out 6-f ihf life with the way that organ used to thump against my ribs. Between my shoulders I had a sensation as though a dozen needles were being thrust into me, whilst in my loins was an ever-existing a^ony . which I cannot adequately describe.'^. Whenever I drew a deep breath tho agonies in the region of my heart were something never to be forgotten, and my breathing was always frightfully bacl ; owing to a stuffy feeling in ray chest, which felt as tight as a drum. The dainty food that was served up to me was usually difficult to swallow, on -■iccount of an extreme soreness of' my f hroat. Added to these maladies, I had an occasional dry, hacking cough, which sometimes alternated with the expectoration of phlegm. 1 felfc miserable and tired from daylight till dark, without the least inclination for work, pleasure, or a-nythftig else. As my kidneys became more diseased with the advance of Lime, so also did my daily tortures increase. In the lower portion of my back I had acute pains which madenie groan aloud. It was a matter of impossibilty for me to stoop to put on my boots, and if I had dropped a fifty-pound note in tha street I could not have succeeded in picking it up. If I walked a little distance I was gulled up abruptly by the c .harp pains in niy heart, whichl firmly believed was diseased ; but- before I had travelled very far I was perfectly exhausted."

" Judging from what you have told mo you must have been very weak."

"I should rather think I was weak. I became so debilitated that some days I could scarcely stand whilst I put on mv clothes, and as for doing a day's work — well, I could not have done it for all the tea in China. I experienced a confinement of tho bowels for two or three days at a stretch, and after that I was seized with attacks of diarrhoea ; the urine was scanty and high-coloured. The smell of my breath was most offensive, and, combined with the bitter tasto in my mouth, made me feel continually inclined to be sick. I could never understand how it was that I felt so languid and sleepy all day, and yet I could not get to sleep at night. My mind was ill at ease as year after year passed by without any sign of a change for the bettor, and it was at night mostly that I used to ruminate over the gloomy future that was apparently in store for me.' vThe unhealthy activity of my brain was 'a striking feature of the weakening effects of my complaints I used to lie" thinking first about one thing and then another all night along, fmdjyhg&lhad £6 get up I was hardly

able to rise. Such a haggard face you never saw. I had no colour whatscvever, and the black marks under my, eyes and the deep lines in my forehead bespoke of the^ mental anxiesi§3 and physical sufferings I endured. TTie symptoms of indigestion were now more aggravating than ever. The skin ovefr my body was a dirty yellow colour, aa£c§ I got as nervous and fretful as a child 1 . If the butcher or baker announced their arrival in their usual manner by calling; out-, I got quite a 'st-art,feand co?h;nienced trembling all over, whilst the conversation of people who happened to call only jarred on. my nerves and made me irritable. Nothing was pleasant or*, agreeable, and I suffered from a genera^ feeling of discontent which must h_a.v© had a prejudicial ef£ept upon those wittc whom I wa« brought in contact. $iut my friends pitied me, and indeed, I was deserving of sympathy, for. my life yrsif a living torment. If I had a short dose during the day I was made restless^aSeSf uncomfortable by frightfully hid^oip dreams which made me loathe the idga of falling asleep. My emaciated framer was thoroughly bent up with. pain. 1 could not more without suffering acutely, and if death had hailed me. I would have welcomed it with joy."

" What kind of attention did you receive?"

" Considering that I was so bad that I had to go to the hospital you max know that I wanted the very best attention obtainable, and I must say thafc I got it, but the medical men did not understand my case — M least, they coujd not relieve me. When I left- thp hospital I was fairly done up and disheartened, but I was soon under the cafe of another doctor, wha said my inlerjjat organs were very much diseased. After being under Jlis treatment for a long time without any good results I dis^. continued his service* and engaged other doctor, whose medicines turned cut to be equally unsuccessful^>ThtiT I went on from one medical man to,,a,nj£ other till I must have been treated by six doctors altogether, and the whole lot of them did not do me a pennj^ worth of good. I then thought my disease was incurable, and I was-so* worKed up with a feeling of melancholy that I dare not even hope." " Did you try any medicines besides the doctors' ?"

"Yes; till I was sick and tired of trying. Ido nob think there is a. medicine placed upon the market- which. .1 have not given a fair chance. TJfesr w ere all the same — nob worth" the c^rt they were stopped up with. There isjsn exception to every rule, howeveiy anjl Cleinente Tonic proves the truth of tHi£ saying. Yes ; a friend told me that Clements Tonic had cured him, and all^L, ed me to give it a. trial. I bqugEj? a bottle of Clements Tcmic and r7~*jicl me so much good I was oncotfraged^t'o keep on with it. I felt the awful ston^acli and chest pains getting easier and easier .till they faded away, and I again looked forward to meal time with a -hungry interest. By degrees my back was. relieved from the agonies which had so often doubled me up, and iriy head became clear. Indigestion troubles were stopped and sleep was restored by Clements Tonic, which ultimately cured my iiver and kidney disease?, and made me sound." '" Will you allow me to report your case ?" " You may publish these statements in any way." ""statutory declaration. I, Richakd Hodnet, of Nc. i Walker Avenue, Dunedin, in the colony of New Zealand, do solemnly and sincerely declare thst I have carefully read the annexed document, consisting ot three folios and consecutively numbered from one to three, and that it contains and is a true and faithful account of my illness and cure by Clements- Topic, and also contains ray full permission to publish in any way my statements— which I give voluntarily? witlioui jeceising any paymerjt ; and I make thjs solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to he true, and by virtue ottlie provisions of an Ac?, o{ the General Assembly of New Zealand, intituled " The ] Lstic* of Peace Act, 1882 " ■- -^~ - - A . v > — Declared at Dunedin, this thirty-first day of December, one thousand nine hundied, before me, " HUGH GOURLEY. ].F f !

— A cafe- proprietor in Bloomfield, New f Jersey, has hit upon a novel method of making his debtors that desert him for a Vival concern settle their bills promptly. He has placed a large placard in his window, giving the name of each debtor, his address and occupation, and the amount he owes. This poster is .illuminated at night with coloured lights. On the top of it are the words in big letters, "The Dead-beat 3of Bloomfield." l

—It must be quite pleasant to be incarcerated in a. French prison. The Figaro publishes a list of the good things given to prisoners in the Fresnes Gaol. Last year the prisoners consumed 45,000 litres of red wine, 40,000 kilos of lillets of beef and legs of mutton, 1500 kilofa of jam, 100 kilos of caramels and other sweets, to say nothing of such dainties ac macaroni, fruit, ham. and a whole catalogue of tasty cheeses with fartCF THlTfiflß.