Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, June 27, 1858
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Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, June 27, 1858
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:mec
student editorTranscriber:spp:msr
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1858-06-27
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Letter from Charles Sumner to Frances Miller Seward, June 27, 1858
action: sent
sender: Charles Sumner
Birth: 1811-01-06
Death: 1874-03-11
location: Paris, France
receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: UnknownUnknown
transcription: mec
revision: crb 2017-04-25
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Page
1
Paris- 27th June ‘58
Dear Mrs Seward,
Congress I suppose is
ended, & senators all re-
turned to their homes. I hope
your husband
worn down. It seems to me lately
that he takes work much more
easily than when I first knew
him. I am glad of it.
I wish I could say any
thing very pleasant about my-
self. I am in the hands of
a most careful, skillful, lear-
ned, scientific & schooled phy-
sician
case most carefully thoroughly
—testing the gradation of sensi-
[left Margin] my love to your family & husband. My address will always be care
of Baring Bros. & Co.
London
Ever yours,
Charles Sumner
Page
2
bility by the hand—by ice—& by
boiling water. He explains my con-
dition completely. The brain is
substantially well. But there
is a slight effusion about the
brain, & also a congestion of
membranes about the brain.
Besides, there are two weak
places in the spine—one in
the neck & the other in the
small of the back, where the
blows on my head took effect
by contre-coups. He insists
upon what is called "active
treatment." The throughness of
his examination inspired me
with such confidence that I
told him at once to do what
he pleased—that I would flinch
Page
3
from nothing. He has burned me
with fire six times on the
neck & back. Coals are not
roses. Since this treatment be-
gan I have had blisters in every
gradation, & all the succession
of small incidents & bruises.
Tomorrow he burns me
again. By & by, it is to be
on the head itself.
For internal remedies I am
to take strychnine! Fire
& Poison! You will see that
I am making thorough work.
Of course in my solitary days
& sleepless nights, I have ample
time to meditate on the brutal-
ity of slavery & also on the
Page
4
baseness & healthlessness which
have dogged me from the beginning
of this trouble. But with re-
turning health every blister, every
smart, every torment, shall
be repaid to slavery. The
men, whether calling themselves
enemies or friends, I shall let
alone.
As soon as this fiery treatment
will permit I shall seek the
country—perhaps the baths
of Vichy, & then of Aix, which
the Dr thinks may benefit me.
But I am determined to spare
no effort for my health—trusting
I be well in Autumn. Alas! How
often I have been disappointed, and my
Dr tells me that without this treat-
ment I should never have got beyond
the chance of a most serious relapse. Give
Paris- 27th June ‘58
Dear Mrs Seward,
Congress I suppose is
ended, & senators all re-
turned to their homes. I hope
your husband
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
is not
too muchworn down. It seems to me lately
that he takes work much more
easily than when I first knew
him. I am glad of it.
I wish I could say any
thing very pleasant about my-
self. I am in the hands of
a most careful, skillful, lear-
ned, scientific & schooled phy-
sician
Birth: 1817-04-08 Death: 1894-04-02
who has examined
mycase most carefully thoroughly
—testing the gradation of sensi-
[left Margin] my love to your family & husband. My address will always be care
of Baring Bros. & Co.
London
Ever yours,
Charles Sumner
bility by the hand—by ice—& by
boiling water. He explains my con-
dition completely. The brain is
substantially well. But there
is a slight effusion about the
brain, & also a congestion of
membranes about the brain.
Besides, there are two weak
places in the spine—one in
the neck & the other in the
small of the back, where the
blows on my head took effect
by contre-coups. He insists
upon what is called "active
treatment." The throughness of
his examination inspired me
with such confidence that I
told him at once to do what
he pleased—that I would flinch
from nothing. He has burned me
with fire six times on the
neck & back. Coals are not
roses. Since this treatment be-
gan I have had blisters in every
gradation, & all the succession
of small incidents & bruises.
Tomorrow he burns me
again. By & by, it is to be
on the head itself.
For internal remedies I am
to take strychnine! Fire
& Poison! You will see that
I am making thorough work.
Of course in my solitary days
& sleepless nights, I have ample
time to meditate on the brutal-
ity of slavery & also on the
baseness & healthlessness which
have dogged me from the beginning
of this trouble. But with re-
turning health every blister, every
smart, every torment, shall
be repaid to slavery. The
men, whether calling themselves
enemies or friends, I shall let
alone.
As soon as this fiery treatment
will permit I shall seek the
country—perhaps the baths
of Vichy, & then of Aix, which
the Dr thinks may benefit me.
But I am determined to spare
no effort for my health—trusting
I be well in Autumn. Alas! How
often I have been disappointed, and my
Dr tells me that without this treat-
ment I should never have got beyond
the chance of a most serious relapse. Give