DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0229
LIFE OF CAPTAIN BARCLAY.
303
weather. Sometimes he wore a flannel jacket, and at other’s
a loose dark grey coat, but always used lamb’s wool stock-
ings and strong shoes. He walked in a sort of lounging
gait, apparently without making any extraordinary effort,
scarcely raising his feet more than two or three inches from
the ground.
It was not till the morning of the thirteenth day that he
began to feel any inconvenience from unremitted exertion
and the want of necessary repose. He was then, for the
first time, seized with pains in the lower extremities, which
continued to increase, though his legs never swelled, as was
erroneously reported in the public prints. At length on the
twenty-second day the pains became so distressing that he
had recourse to medical advice. Dr. Sandiver, who was sent
for, recommended the use of the warm bath; but this ren-
dered his feet so tender that he was obliged to abandon it.
The Doctor then advised the application of flannel soaked in
boiling water, and wrung till nearly dry, as a substitute for
the bath. The flannel in this state was applied to the parts
affected, and frequently renewed; it caused the pains in the
thighs and legs to remove from one part to another, but af-
forded no permanent relief. A mixture of oil and camphor
was also rubbed in after the flannel had been applied. He
nevertheless continued to grow worse and worse, so that dur-
ing the last week he was unable to rise without assistance,
and when lifted up could not stand for some time unless
supported. One fortunate circumstance, however, was,
that to the end his appetite never failed, and to this alone
may be ascribed the accomplishment of the task. It was
completed on Wednesday the 12th of July, at thirty-seven
minutes past three in the afternoon, amidst an unprecedented
concourse of spectators. The influx of company had so
much increased on the preceding Sunday, that the expediency
of roping-in the ground was suggested; but Captain Barclay
objected to the measure as indicating too much parade.
D d 2
303
weather. Sometimes he wore a flannel jacket, and at other’s
a loose dark grey coat, but always used lamb’s wool stock-
ings and strong shoes. He walked in a sort of lounging
gait, apparently without making any extraordinary effort,
scarcely raising his feet more than two or three inches from
the ground.
It was not till the morning of the thirteenth day that he
began to feel any inconvenience from unremitted exertion
and the want of necessary repose. He was then, for the
first time, seized with pains in the lower extremities, which
continued to increase, though his legs never swelled, as was
erroneously reported in the public prints. At length on the
twenty-second day the pains became so distressing that he
had recourse to medical advice. Dr. Sandiver, who was sent
for, recommended the use of the warm bath; but this ren-
dered his feet so tender that he was obliged to abandon it.
The Doctor then advised the application of flannel soaked in
boiling water, and wrung till nearly dry, as a substitute for
the bath. The flannel in this state was applied to the parts
affected, and frequently renewed; it caused the pains in the
thighs and legs to remove from one part to another, but af-
forded no permanent relief. A mixture of oil and camphor
was also rubbed in after the flannel had been applied. He
nevertheless continued to grow worse and worse, so that dur-
ing the last week he was unable to rise without assistance,
and when lifted up could not stand for some time unless
supported. One fortunate circumstance, however, was,
that to the end his appetite never failed, and to this alone
may be ascribed the accomplishment of the task. It was
completed on Wednesday the 12th of July, at thirty-seven
minutes past three in the afternoon, amidst an unprecedented
concourse of spectators. The influx of company had so
much increased on the preceding Sunday, that the expediency
of roping-in the ground was suggested; but Captain Barclay
objected to the measure as indicating too much parade.
D d 2