Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
I have heard her say this herself, in
his presence, shortly before her death. For the last few weeks she
took scarcely any nourishment, and could with difficulty swallow her
medicine. The principal cause of this difficulty lay in the extreme
nausea which followed any attempt to swallow, but it was greatly
increased by the painful and constricted state of the throat, which
was extremely rough and raw, and rendered swallowing very painful. As
the disease progressed the vomited matter became strongly coloured
with bile, and was of a strong yellow colour. The opression on the
heart also increased, until at length respiration was almost impeded.
The heart and pulses also gradually lost power, and latterly the lower
portion of the body was almost paralysed, the limbs being stiff, and
the whole frame, from the waist downward, very heavy and cold. The
patient also suffered from severe cold perspirations, as well as from
heat and irritation of the upper portion of the body, and from entire
inability to sleep. A very remarkable feature in the case was, that
notwithstanding this general sleeplessness, each fresh attack of the
malady was preceded by a sound slumber of some hours duration, from
which she appeared to be aroused by the return of the more active
symptoms of the disorder. I tried all the usual remedies indicated by
such symptoms, but without any permanent effect, and I was a good deal
perplexed by the anomalous appearance of the case, and especially by
its intermittent character, the symptoms recurring, as I have said,
with increased severity, at regular intervals of about a fortnight. I
mentioned my difficulty to Mr. Anderton, and asked if he would wish
further advice. At his urgent request I consented, though with some
hesitation, to meet Baron R**, who holds, as I was given to understand,
a regular diploma from several of the foreign Universities, but whose
practice has been of a somewhat irregular character. I first consulted
with him on the 12th July.[2]
[Dr. Dodsworth here details at some length how he became convinced of
the Baron's great skill and knowledge of chemistry, and was finally
persuaded to meet him in consultation.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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