I have read in the newspapers the account of your dangerous illness, and hasten to
extend to you a little information and advice.—I am but two
weeks off from my bed, after having suffered for six weeks
with Bronchial Pneumonia,—such
as you are said to have.—I was taken down at my farm in Westchester County
near Pleasantville station on the Harlem road. And my doctor was Doct Swift2 of that
place. He brought me through, refusing to permit any cupping as
was done in Florences3 case; but taking good care, that during
every half loc_vm.02506_large.jpg
hour, I should have a fresh, hot flax seed poultice
over my lungs in front—not covering the shoulder blades, except that he
gave me a jacket over my shirt, to protect from cold, as I thrashed about. The
jacket was a linen one with sleeves. so that I should not
feel the heat of one.—Now, after a short time, (only
a few hours,) from my left lung, (the one worst affected,) I began to throw off a
green mucus.—This continued for days.—My breath
came & went with a rattle. but this
he assured me would disappear, as it finally did.—My doctor insisted I would live.—others said no. I
could not.—He also gave my nurse each night instructions that at the
end of each 2 hours, I should take a milk punch of Jamaica rum, milk &
sugar,—a wine glass full.—And daytime I should take 2 or 3 as I needed
or felt inclined.—He gave me then sauce to eat.
loc_vm.02507_large.jpg such as
Partridges, and in fact any thing I felt I could relish. To those flax seed
poultices and the stimulants which kept me up, I
owe my recovery. I am still a little weak,
but my strength is daily improving.—I believe you can recover
if you will follow my suggestions. And you can write to Doct Swift, or I will for
you if you desire & notify me, for the other medicines he gave me to help the
poultices on.
If I can benefit you, you can rest assured I shall loc_vm.02508_large.jpg only be too happy to do
so.—
My address is for the next week at this Hotel. After that to my office 132 Nassau Street New York City.
Yours Very Sincerely Edward T Wood The Honored Walt WhitmanP.S. I used the poultices of flax seed so hot, that I could barely endure them. Gradually I got so I could have one put on so hot I could not bear my hand upon it. He also painted my lungs with Iodine.—but put the flax seed, red hot right over it.
WCorrespondent:
Colonel Edward T. Wood (ca.
1830–1898) was born in Steuben County, New York, and moved to Brooklyn in
1853. In 1856, he was one of three assemblymen to represent King's County in the
New York State Legislature and the only assemblyman from Brooklyn elected as a
member of the American Party, another name for the popular anti-Catholic,
anti-immigrant, far-right "Know Nothing" movement. In 1858, Wood was appointed
as Collector of Internal Revenue for Brooklyn's third district. After moving to
Manhattan in 1874, Wood practiced law and was Corporation Counsel in 1885 for
"Acting Mayor" William P. Kirk, a position he held for twelve hours. Wood's
appointment was contested by Emile Henry Lacombe, who was named Corporation
Counsel by outgoing mayor Franklin Edson before Kirk, as President of the Board
of Aldermen, assumed the role of Acting Mayor before the installation of the
incoming William Russell Grace. Arguing that the Acting Mayor does not have
authority to grant political appointments, Mayor Grace overturned Kirk's
appointment of Wood. For more information on Wood, see his obituary, "Death List
of a Day," The New York Times (September 4, 1898), 7. For
information on Wood's brief appointment as Corporation Counsel, see "Rival
Claimants Heard: The Controversy as to Who is the City's Counsel," The New York Times (January 23, 1885), 8.