THE
LIFE OF
H
P Blavatsky
1831
– 1891
How She Left Us
By
Laura M Cooper
This
account of H P Blavatsky’s last days is taken from “In Memory of Helena
Petrovna Blavatsky by Some of Her Pupils” Published 1891
It having been my
privilege to be with H. P. B. during her last illness, and at the moment of her
death, I have been asked to contribute my share to the "Memories"
which have been written for the benefit of the brother and sister Theosophists,
who being far away have not had the advantage of seeing and being with H. P. B.
constantly.
It was on Tuesday, the
21st of April, that I went to stay at Headquarters for the few days, which,
owing to the unexpected events that followed, turned into a visit of some
weeks. H. P. B. seemed in her usual state of health, and on Thursday, the 23rd,
attended the Lodge and remained chatting with the friends who surrounded her
for some time after the proceedings of the evening were over; she then
adjourned to her room where, according to their habit, members who live at
Headquarters followed to sit with her while she took her coffee before retiring
for the night. The following day, Friday, passed quietly over, giving no
warning that a fortnight from that date our beloved H. P. B. would leave us.
The next evening, Saturday, she was very bright. Dr. Mennell
called and was perfectly satisfied with her condition. My sister, Mrs.
Cooper-Oakley, and I, with one or two others, remained talking with her until
eleven o'clock, when she retired with a cheery "Good night all ",
apparently in her usual health. The next morning, however, H. P. B.'s maid came early to my room to tell me she had passed a
very restless night and had been seized with shivering attacks. I went down
shortly after, and the first glance shewed me that
she was evidently in a high state of fever. The doctor was immediately sent
for, and the day passed with H. P. B. alternately in a heavy sleep, or in a
state of restlessness. Late in the afternoon Dr. Mennell
came, pronounced the illness to be influenza; the fever was very high, her
temperature being 105. Fearing the
probable complications which might ensue owing to H. P. B.'s
chronic illness, Dr. Mennell at once took a serious
view of her case and said she must have with her, during the night, a responsible
member of the household in addition to her maid, it being of the utmost
importance that both medicine and food should be given punctually. The duty
fell on me, for the Countess Wachtmeister being
engaged in business all day could not sit up during the night, and my sister
was not permitted by Dr. Mennell to do so, owing to
the fact that in addition to being engaged in business she had recently been
very ill.
From that memorable
Sunday night, April 26th, began the succession of misfortunes, the illness of
one member of the household after another, which culminated in the passing away
of our beloved H. P. B. The hours slowly passed in alternations of restlessness
and sleep, and with the morning came little or no change for the better. H. P.
B. had her large armchair brought from her sitting room and placed by her bed,
that she might be able to gain a little ease by changing from one position to
another. Though feeling very ill she asked to be told all that was going on,
and was concerned on hearing that another member, Mr. Sturdy, had also been
taken ill with influenza; when it was suggested that Mr. Mead should bring him
to be nursed at Headquarters, she was much pleased and insisted on his being
sent for at once.
H. P. B. spent a most
suffering day, and when Dr. Mennell came early in the
evening he was distressed to find the fever was still very high ; he changed
the medicine, giving a preparation of salycene, it
being absolutely necessary to reduce the temperature, and decided to call again
about midnight to see the result; he left strict orders that before each dose
the temperature should be carefully taken, for in the event of a sudden fall
taking place it would have been dangerous to continue the medicine. Before he
came again that night a third dose fell due, but owing to the decrease in H. P.
B.'s temperature, I felt justified in not giving it,
especially as the discomforts incidental to the drug were beginning to cause
her much uneasiness. And it was a relief, when Dr. Mennell
came, to find the right course had been taken, for he was satisfied with her
condition. She passed a fairly quiet night, and on Tuesday morning the fever
had almost gone; that day and the following night all seemed going on well, for
though the weakness was very distressing, no complications had as yet appeared,
and she was able to take plenty of nourishment. Towards the end of Thursday the
30th, H. P. B. began to suffer very much from her throat, and as the hours went
by she had increasing difficulty in swallowing; her cough became very
troublesome and her breathing very laboured. On Friday morning she was no
better, and when Dr. Mennell arrived he found a quinsy had formed in the right side of the throat; hot
poultices were applied and some relief was gained. During the evening the
quinsy broke, and when Dr. Mennell came again he was
comparatively satisfied with H. P. B.'s condition.
The improvement,
however, was not of long duration; a bad night followed, and in the morning it
became apparent there was a second formation in the throat. This proved to be
an abscess on the bronchial tube. A wretched day and night succeeded and the
morning of Sunday, May 3rd, found H. P. B. very ill indeed, for the pain of
swallowing made it very difficult for her to take the necessary amount of
nourishment, and her weakness increased in consequence. Monday and Tuesday
passed in much the same manner; the abscess disappeared, but the bronchial
tubes being much affected, the difficulty in breathing still continued, and
almost constant fanning had to be kept up to relieve the dreadful oppression
from which she was suffering. How bravely she struggled against her illness
only those who were with her can realise. On
Wednesday, the 6th May, she partially dressed and walked into the sitting-room,
remained there for her luncheon, resting for some time on the sofa; in the
evening Dr. Mennell found her going on fairly well,
all fever had entirely left her, but the great weakness and the difficulty in
breathing caused him considerable anxiety. Several times H.P.B. told Dr. Mennell she felt she was dying, and that she could not keep
up the struggle much longer; but he, knowing the illnesses she had previously
conquered, did not give up hope; indeed, I may say this feeling was shared
throughout the house, for though we realized how seriously ill H.P.B. was, we
could not believe she would leave us.
One bad symptom was that
from the first days of her illness, H. P. B. lost all desire for smoking her
cigarettes, and though, when the fever left her, she tried to begin again it
gave her no pleasure and she finally threw up the attempt. It had always been
her custom to roll a few cigarettes for Dr. Mennell
when he called, and all through her illness she never failed to have some
ready; sometimes in the course of the morning, with many a pause, she would
succeed in rolling one or two, and later when she became too weak to roll the
cigarettes herself either Mr. Mead or Mr. Wright was called for that purpose.
That Wednesday night was the turning point in her illness; about midnight a
change for the worse took place and for an hour or two it seemed as if H.P.B.
must go; she had no perceptible pulse, and it seemed almost impossible for her
to get breath.
After a time the attack
passed off; she became a little easier, and for the time the danger passed.
Very early on Thursday morning Mr. Wright went for Dr. Mennell,
who returned with him and remained for some time to watch the effect of the
medicine he gave - during the day H.P.B. rallied and about three in the
afternoon dressed, and with very little assistance walked into the sitting
room; when there she asked for her large armchair to be brought her and while
it was being placed in its old position near her writing table, she stood
merely leaning slightly against the table. The chair was turned facing into the
room and when H.P.B. was sitting in it she had her card table with the cards
drawn in front of her, and she tried to "make a patience" ;
notwithstanding all these brave efforts it was quite apparent that she was suffering
intensely, and that nothing but her powerful will could have sustained her in
the struggle; the intense difficulty in breathing had brought a strained
pathetic expression into H.P.B.'s dear face most
pitiful to see, and it seemed to show even more when she attempted any return
to her old habits. Dr. Mennell came shortly after 5
o'clock and was much surprised to find her sitting up, and he congratulated her
and praised her courage; she said, "I do my best, Doctor"
; her voice was hardly above a whisper and the effort to speak was
exhausting, as her breath was very short, but she was less deaf and liked to
hear conversation. She handed Dr. Mennell a cigarette
she had managed with difficulty to prepare for him; it was the last she ever
made. After a little time Dr. Mennell asked H.P.B. if
she would mind seeing his partner Dr. Miller, and allowing him to listen to her
chest ; she consented, he came in at once, and the examination took place; a
consultation was held, and then Dr. Mennell called
Mrs. Oakley and myself to hear Dr. Miller's opinion. He considered H.P.B.'s condition very serious, owing to the bronchitis
from which she was suffering and her extreme weakness; he advised a
tablespoonful of brandy every two hours, the quantity to be increased if necessary.
This change in the treatment was at once made, and it seemed to produce a good
effect. Shortly after Dr. Mennell left H.P.B.
returned to her bedroom and her chair was once again placed beside her bed; she
was very tired, but asked as usual after the other invalids, particularly
wishing to know if there was a good Lodge Meeting. The night that followed, her
last with us, was a very suffering one; owing to the increased difficulty in
breathing H.P.B. could not rest in any position; every remedy was tried without
avail, and finally she was obliged to remain seated in her chair propped with
pillows.
The cough almost ceased,
owing to her great exhaustion, though she had taken both medicine and stimulant
with regularity. About
LAURA M COOPER
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