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NEW YORK TIMES
April 5, 1885

OBTAINING MORE SLEEP. A QUIET NIGHT AND DAY IN THE GRANT HOUSEHOLD. A DAY OF COMPARATIVE COMFORT FOR THE SUFFERER

Unbounded surprise was expressed yesterday morning by those who had spent the night at the bedside of General Grant. The patient was seemingly in a more favorable condition than he had been in for several days. On Thursday morning his death seemed a question of minutes. 24 hours later one of his physicians said he would not be surprised to see the General live until Easter Sunday. According to the same authority, General Grant could not have lived beyond 5 o'clock Thursday morning if the treatment of his case had not been radically changed. To the use of stimulants, hypodermically administered, is ascribed the wonderful improvement in the General's condition. "Had the course of treatment been delayed five minutes," said one of the watchers by the General's bedside, "the flags of the city would have quickly been at half mast and the news would have been flashed across to the Nation and the world that General Grant was dead."

The appearance at 4:30 a.m. of Ulysses Grant, Jr. created some alarm, but he assured those who questioned him that he had not answered a summons, but had called on his own accord. He had spent several hours after midnight at his hotel. There was perfect quiet in the house until 5 a.m. Then the household awoke, a happy one. The Rev. Dr. Newman was the first to rise. He reached the General's bedside a little after 5 o'clock and the General greeted him with a smile. "I think I have had 7 hours of sleep," he said. The Pastor expressed his pleasure at finding his friend so well, and after a little conversation with him, left him. In the hall he met Mrs. Grant. Her face was lighted up with happiness. Clasping his hand, she exclaimed, "I knew he would be better. I have been praying for him through the night. His improvement is in answer to the prayers of his country and of his family. am sure of it."

Dr. Newman left the house in the morning and told reporters: "I stayed all night at the General's. Ah, what a joyous household that was on Thursday night! All were happy. The great strain was relaxed and the ladies were smiling. The men felt easy. There was everything to hope for in the General's condition - everything, mean, for the night. Colonel Fred is the noblest and most devoted son I ever knew, and he went to his couch and slept, though he was ready for a summons a dawn. At 5 o'clock the last two mornings the General has faced death. Yesterday when the family was summoned, the doctors said the General had not five minutes to live. We all knelt in prayer. The General has passed through these crises nobly. Had it not been for his wonderful vitality - which he has in reserve beyond any expectations - he could not have survived the morning attack. The struggle and the conquests he now makes show that Lincoln's comment was so right, 'He has never been beaten.' He will, then as now, never bent before reverses."

General Grant dozed off and on after Dr. Newman left him at 6 o'clock. As the family rose they called singly at the patient's bed and cheered him with smiling greetings. At 8:30 o'clock, the General's brother-in-law called and went to the sick room, General grant greeted him genially. 'You have been here several times when I was as asleep," he said, 'I am glad to see you.' They talked for several minutes. General Grant was perfectly coherent and lucid, and was suffering little pain at 9:30.

Then Ulysses Grant, the General's nephew came out. "The General has had no serious choking spell since Sunday," he said. "His mind is right, except just after waking, when it's cloudy for a little while, the result of drugs and stimulants. He suffers little now from pain, although it sometimes returns. At 7 o'clock this morning he sipped a cup of coffee with apparent relish. His most constant and best attendant is Henry, his nurse, who combines gentleness and skill to a wonderful degree. Harrison, the General's servant, is also very faithful, and Colonel Fred's devotion is sublime. Until last night, Fred had not had his clothes off for an entire week. The family is very anxious that the General's life be prolonged to the last possible moment. That's why the doctors have stimulated him. He sleeps most of the time in his armchair, as it rests him better than the bed. It is strange that the General's face does not show his condition. It is quite full and of good color. Only when one feels his arms and body does it appear how much weight he has lost. His countenance looks ever bright and cheerful. I feel confident that he will be alive tomorrow. With less confidence, I look for him to live for several days."

At 10 o'clock Senator Chaffee found the General still cheerful and bright. He was walking around the rooms an looking forward with pleasure to a bath. They waited on the second floor until after this operation was over, when the General chatted a little, saying he felt better and resuming his chair, dozed off. Senator Chaffee said on coming out: "His vitality is simply wonderful. He talks rationally, and no one would suspect he was on the border yesterday."

When the General awoke from his nap following his bath, there was delivered a basket of lilies, a gift from Mrs. Leland Stanford. General Ely Parker, formerly on his staff, found him admiring them and expressing his gratitude for them. the nap refreshed him and he was in good spirits, the effect of the stimulants go longer being apparent in his demeanor. But his head throbbed with pains of neuralgia, and signs of restlessness soon appeared. When hot cloths were applied to the head to relieve the pain, there was a stimulant injected to relive the general trouble. It had immediate effect. The morphine and the brandy kept him quiet all evening, but again they alone sustained him, keeping him constantly in a half stupor which the doctors described as "comfortable."

Whenever he did rouse himself, it was for a few minutes only. He had no inclination to talk, and the family kept away from him most of the time, except Colonel Fred and Mrs. Grant, whom he wanted near. The evening passed in the sick room as had the afternoon, the General being listless most of the time with occasional bright spells. The family visited him singly from time to time, but it was evident that he was better off alone, as he was rarely in humor to say anything , even when awake. The breath was kept in the General's body by impregnating him with morphine and brandy.

 

 

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