Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 85

The Facts Detailed.

A Pressman's Interesting Interview.

The Case of Kin. J. GARRfOK. (by an independent reporter.) As lias been well said, the fact of the iurvival of the fittest in the struggle for existence is such a simple thing thafc a child can uudei stand it. But if there is a struggle the best equipped must, on the average, survive, and the weakest go to the wall. Perhaps the weakest comprise those who are least adaptive — perhaps least protected—against their surroundings, and to those we commend a study of the following dialogue, which took place between a reporter and Mr. Joseph Gariick, of No. 62 High-street, Dunedin :—: — Keporter : " I am given to understand that you once encountered a formidable opponent whilst you had no adequate means of defending yourself. 'Will you kindly tell me all about it ? "

Mr. Garrick: "I think you mean the struggle I had for my life some time ago, and that I was not properly armed because I was alow in adopting the right means of checkmating my physical enemies." Reporter: " You have guessed aright, sir." Mr. Garrick : " Well, well ; what a terrible experience it wa3 ! I was for three years quito unable to do any work, and for fcvio years out of the three I was as near to being a helpless invalid as a man could possibly be. I was in bed for the greater part of those two years of perpetual suffering, only being able to get on to the floor now and again for about half an hour at a time, and then I was always glad to get on to my bed tgaia because I was too feeble to sit up. This was when I was at my worst ; but altogether I was suffering for close on six yeare. [ will confine myself to the tima when I was utterly helpleSß, for it was then that my cup of bitterness was filled to the brim. You may be surprised to hear that my life was wrecked owing to indigestion and nervous disorders, for they may seem such every-day sort of complaints to do so much damage to one's system ; but my unfortunate experience will show to what dreadful extremes those ailments can lead a man to. I had a frightful burning sensation in my head which made life a perfect misery, as I could neither read, nor write, nor do anything else, and I was nearly going out of niy mind for the want of sleep. Just fancy a man lying day after day, uight after night, end week after week without getting any slumber to give his brain a little rest from the worrying thought that he was suffering from complaints which could notbeciired, and which, tl.eiefore, could lesult in nothing else but death. No wonder that my mind was all upset and that I was afflicted with such deep depression of spirits that I ceased to caro even for life itself. Why, when I went to my bed at the commencement of ray two years' martyrdom I thought I was going to die, for I had auch heavy, suffocating sen■ations in my chest that I have seen myself lying and thinking that I was going to lose my breath every moment. A strange sensation, like a deathly numbness, seemed to run through me, and my breathing appeared to have stopped for a few seconds, and when the horrible feeling had gone away I waited its recurrence with great anxiety of mind." Reporter: "Perhaps your heart was affected ? "

Mr. Garrick : "Without doubt it was, for it used to thump and thump, as if it ww trying to come out. As you may imagine. I could not eat very well when I was like this. Indeed, I had no appetite for any kind of food, and I daresay it was just as well that I could not eat much whilst my digestion was in such a wretched state, for the little I took gave me moro misery than enough, as my stomach used to fill out with wind and make me feel dreadfully uncomfortable. The unwholesome taste in my mouth was sickening and the fur on my tongue also nhowed what a bad state my internal organs trera in. My sight got very defective and in the mornings my eyes seemed to have

swollen during the night. Once or twice J tried to get oat oi bed without anybody assisting me, bub I soon found op tthatil was to«" feeble, and the giddy sensations I used t« have were terrible. I seemed to have got too low to be troubled with the bodily paint that some invalids have, but there was a dreadful ache in the small ol my back, anc my limbs were aftected m the same way. I( came to such a pass that I used to lie with my nerves shaking day and night iv such a violent manner that anybody looking at int would have thought that I was troubled with St. Vitus' dance, and my feeblenesi was eventually so pronounced that I could not stand on my feet."

Reporter : " What sort of medicine wen you taking ? " Mr. Garrick : " Everything that mj doctor ordered, but it did not help me. After a while I tried to doctor m3'self, but it was only running away with money week after week for no purpose. I was thoroughly sick and tired of taking so much medicine for nothing, aud I grew so disgusted and despondent at last that I would not take any more. A spell without physic did not mend matters, so I thought I would give just one more trial to medicine, and this time it was Clements Tonic."

Reporter : "Were you more fortunate witb that remedy than with the others 1 " Mr. Garrfck : "Oh ! much more. In fact, it was the only medicine that did me any good, and there is no doubt that I would still be in the same helpless condition were it not for the splendid benefits which resulted from the use of Clements Tonic. I may say at the outset that Clements Tonic cured me of my weakness, for when I started using it I was scarcely able to move ; but several bottles of Clements Tonic had so built np my nervous system and invigorated me gen< erally that I got more confidence in myself and when my strength had increased sufficiently, I got up out of bed and began to walk about. Just think what my feelings were like when I was able to do that, after despairing for two years that I would never regain my feet again ; and as nothing bub Clements Tonic could bring my health to such a satisfactory state, you can guess what a. great opinion I have of that medicine. « In my case it has laid undisputed claim to being the best remedy in the market, and my earnest wish is that all who suffer like I did may be brought into contact with Clements Tonic, as it will assuredly do them a world of good." Reporter: "Besides the improvements you have mentioned* did yon benefit in other directions ? "

Mr. Garrick : •' Certainly I did, or else I would nob have got my strength back in such a wonderful manner. The doctor? had said that indigestion was at the root of my troubles, and for that complaint Clements Tonic was superior to everything I had tried before. It made me sleep and eat well, besides releasing me from the aches and disoomforts that had tortured my existence. It was almost like a resuscitation from death that I experienced through using Clements Tonic, so you can publish these words o* thankfulness in any way you like.' 1

«■»

T¥fe Shepherdess's Fairy ("On the Ethics of Friendship"). *'Thiee mottoes — that of our page aud those of our clvb — stand firmly in the view of all tn^e D L.F., and as a whole we strive daily to act up to them. 'We write for the benefit of Ctheis, not for oursehe3' runs the motto of cur page. This motto bids us to place self in the backgroimd, and in writing to our dear Queen Dot do so tha<t our chums nioi'e than, ourselves may be benefited an<3 receive pleasure from the letters we send her The truest way to be h.appy is to make those aro\ind us happy, and in doing so we ourselves reap a rich reward. . . Then work and write to benefit our fellow-creatures, and scatteT seeds of kindness, love, and happiness in their pathways, and we shall have great happiness and much joy in life. The Dunedin Club's motto, •Union is Strength ' speaks a great truth, for where things are all at sixes and sevens they cannot stard. but united they fear no fall. . . • The D.E.F. arc united in the strong bonds of love and friendship, atid can do and do do cieat things ; but let us aim to do even greater than we have done in the past, aaid hold our banner still higher. 'Excelsior,' the motto of the InvercarsJl Club, is an excellent one. anrl one well worth being borne in mind It points us to higher ideals, nobler thoughts, kindlier deeds, and directs us to look above the depressing things of life, and seek to live clean and puie lives, such as God would have His children do. . " We«t Coaster ("Our DL.F. Mottoes"). HARRY, Acting Secretary.