"Golden Lion Hotel,
Marle, Aisne."
A person who visited Marle about four months ago, and who had not seen M. Wimy since the great change had been effected in his appearance, was much astonished, and made inquiries respecting the cure. Some time afterwards, this person met, at Orleans, a wealthy gentleman, about forty years of age, suffering from obesity, and told him what he had witnessed at Marle; recommending him at the same time to visit Paris, in order that he might have the advice of the doctor who had freed Wimy from his excessive fat. This gentleman wrote to Marle, before coming to Paris, and received a satisfactory answer.
He called to consult with me, saying that he wished to place himself under my care, provided that it would not interfere with his business or with his usual habits. He is postmaster at Orleans, and, previous to the building of the railroad, had a great deal of business to attend to. Having many more horses than necessary for his business at Orleans, he has opened a livery stable in Paris. He is consequently obliged to attend all the fairs and markets, in order to purchase horses and provender for his two establishments,—the one at Paris and the other at Orleans, and is almost constantly travelling between these two cities, and therefore leads a life of great activity. He weighs two hundred and twenty-two pounds, and wishes to lose fifty pounds of fat, but he cannot afford to lose a day from his business.
My reply to Mr. M. was, that so far from my treatment demanding any cessation from work, it would rather give him strength to carry it on. He began the treatment ten weeks since, and has already lost between twenty-eight and thirty pounds of fat; and, as I had promised, without causing him the loss of a single day.
It is said, that in order to be understood and believed, it is necessary to repeat the same thing over and over again. But all things must have an end; and all the cases which I might yet report, would still end in diminution of obesity. It may be said, however, that, like most medical writers, I report only favourable cases, and conceal those which are unfavourable. My answer is, that I have never treated a single case in which a favourable result has not been obtained, provided the patient has observed my directions for even eight days; and I am satisfied that if any one could be found to say that he has not been benefited, that it would be because he has not been willing to carry out the treatment for even eight days. It has no doubt frequently happened that a patient has consulted me, and has then followed my directions for two, three, or even four days, and then, for some cause, has given them up: under these circumstances it might be said that no benefit has been derived.
Many such cases have occurred. In one instance, a wealthy man, a gold-beater by trade, living in Paris, sought my advice. He followed my system for several weeks, without success. One day I said to him, "I can only explain your want of success by attributing it to excessive drinking. You live upon meat principally, it is true; but how much liquid do you imbibe daily?" His answer was,—"I cannot abstain from drinking when thirsty, and my thirst is frequent. I spend the whole day in the factory, among fifteen or twenty workmen, and the heat is necessarily great, as the nature of our manufacture demands it, and I am therefore obliged to drink a great deal." I consequently recommended him to abstain from further trial of a system which, under these circumstances, could not possibly be of any benefit.
We meet with people who make, or seem to make, a resolution to live according to a certain plan, for eight or ten days, and who, like spoiled children, forget the very next day the resolution they had made. I have met with many such cases. One would scarcely believe that a lady, reduced to despair on account of her obesity, and threatening to commit suicide unless relieved of her embonpoint, could promise that she would obey my instructions to live chiefly upon a meat diet, and to abstain from inordinate quantities of fluid, yet the very next day would resume her customary mode of living;—breakfasting upon eggs, preserves, and two or three cups of sweetened tea; and dine upon rich pastry and sweetmeats, accompanied with a full allowance of champagne. I could not have believed it possible had I not witnessed it myself.
Men generally carry out my directions more faithfully than women, being firmer and more persevering in their resolves.
I am almost angry at times with this want of perseverance in persons who boast that they have carried out my treatment without success. It would be an easy matter to shew that the want of success in such cases is entirely their own fault.
A young lady of one of the most illustrious families of France, and married to a wealthy foreign nobleman, consulted me in the month of May, 1853, in reference to her corpulence. She told me that her cousin, the Duchess of X., had derived great benefit from my treatment; and from what she had witnessed in her case, she was induced to place herself under my care. She promised to commence my system on the following day.