# Mid-1860s Mention to Dr. Jayne's and Illness



## Robby Raccoon (Aug 11, 2017)

In a lot of antique letters from the 1840s to 1920s (I love old letters) I discovered this mention: 

"He is now taking Dr Jaynes Alterative and Sanitive pills, commenced a few days ago, cannot tell now whether it will benefit him or not." January 25th, 1865.

The writer is the wife of a very ill man named Samuel. She, too, takes ill in a later letter and that is the last we read of her.

"My hand trembles so that I can barely write," she says in her final letter. 

She tells of how Samuel, her ill husband, wanted to learn Telegraphy as he was no longer able to do physical labour, but classes for it were on the fifth story of an opera house. He collapsed twice in ascending the stairs, in which the doctor of the medical college in the same building declares Samuel critically ill and confines him to bed. 

"He says Samuel's disease is of the spinal marrow affecting the heart, stomach, and brain..... This to me is a dark picture-- Yet I live in hope-- 'The Lord doeth all things well'." May 2nd, 1865.


It is nice to see an expression of faith and hope even when things look bleak. We've seen that Dr. Jayne's medicines did not help Samuel, in which he continues on the road of broken health, but still she retains her hope in the Lord our God. 


Just an interesting set of letters from over 150 years ago.


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## nhpharm (Aug 11, 2017)

That's very cool!


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## Robby Raccoon (Aug 11, 2017)

Thank you, NHPharm, for commenting.


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