Was Charles Taze Russell A Drug User, Drug Abuser, or Even An Addict?

by West70 27 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  West70

  In his lengthy address at Russell's funeral, Menta Sturgeon disclosed the following:

  "You know that our dear Brother was so considerate of the feelings of others that he never drew much on the sympathy of the friends --so considerate was he, that but few knew that he had been a physical sufferer for thirty years."

  Only a few months after Sturgeon made the above disclosure at Russell's funeral, this "different version" was published on page 57 of THE FINISHED MYSTERY book:

  "For fifty years he suffered constantly with sick headaches, due to a fall in his youth, and for twenty-five years had such distressing hemorrhoids that it was impossible for him to rest in the easiest chair; ..."

  Evidently, Charles Taze Russell lived in constant pain, or at least that is what he told some of his closest associates who were in a position to observeRussell's intimate personal habits.

  According to the account above, Russell would likely have started using "medication" regularly for his reoccurring "sick headaches" back around 1866, when he was only 14 years old.

  According to the two accounts above, Russell would likely have started using "medication" for his "distressing hemorrhoids" sometime around 1886 to 1891, when Russell would have been around 34 to 39 years old.

  WHAT TYPE OF PAINKILLERS WERE USED IN RUSSELL'S TIME?

  I am no expert on such, but from what I have occasionally read and seen on television over the years. addictive narcotic based pain medications were commonly used by the general public. I believe that government regulation of such did not occur until sometime around 1910 or so. Up until then, narcotic based painkillers were readily available from doctors, druggists, and even traveling snakeoil salesmen.

  What are the odds that someone with persistant pain for years on end in the latter 1800s never ever used narcotics based painkillers?

  What are the odds that someone with persistant pain in the latter 1800s who did use such narcotics could have done so without eventually becoming addicted to such?

  What are the odds that a narcotics using or possibly even addicted religious guru in the 1800s was able to function without having his thoughts and decisions affected by his secret demon?
• 

  West70

  During his divorce trial in 1906, Russell offered the following testimony in explanation as to why he had sometimes been alone with Rose Ball in her bedroom (back in the 1890s):

  "I don't remember the occurrence, but it is very likely it would be true that Mrs. Russell might have come in and found me by the bedside with her hand in mine. I suppose I was feeling her pulse. I don't know anything else. It would be a common occurrence; I gave medicine in the family, and not only to our family, but Mrs. Russell's sister living in the adjoining place. I used to be the family physician over there, they sent to me always for medicine. I happened to have some knowledge of medicine, but if anybody would get bad we would send for a regular physician."
• 

  stev

  West70

  Your quote left out cistitis, which is included in the quote below.

  http://www.heraldmag.org/olb/Contents/history/laodicean%20messenger.htm

  Though for fifty years he was a victim of sick headaches, for forty years a sufferer from cistitis, and for twenty-five years was afflicted with distressing hemorrhoids, to such an extent was this true, that often he could not rest comfortably in the easiest chair, yet he never "slackened his hand" nor abated his energies, neither did his purpose intermit.
• 

  Leolaia

  Morphine especially was used as a painkiller. I know, for instance, that Elizabeth Barrett Browning regularly took morphine, while her husband Robert took strichnine. But it does take its toll.

  But that was also the era of patent medicines (at least till 1906), which frequently contained all sorts of unknown drugs in the compound (along with other drugs advertised on the label). And since Russell and his followers were consumers of quack medicine and other forms of quackery, and since patent medicines were widely used during the period, it is more than plausible that Russell may have regularly used one medicine or another, and had no idea what actual drugs were in the mix.
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  Nathan Natas

  ...nor would Russell's use of such patent medicines or "cures" have been viewed as abberant at that time; it was "state-of-the-art" medicine back then.

  I expect that one hundred years from now, it is likely that there will be vacines for cancer and viral illnesses. People in the 22nd century (hello there!) will wonder why we inflicted chemotherapy and radical surgery on ourselves.
• 

  tetrapod.sapien

  if he was a drug abuser, this makes me like him even more. please don't do that... ;)

  anyway, how could a religion ever be started by a normie? the person would have to be off the wall a bit.

  ts
• 

  stev

  Russell might have had chronic illnesses and known something about medicine. But it does not follow that all people who have chronic illnesses are drug addicts, nor that people who know something medicine, whether quackery or not, are drug addicts.

  Do we know if he took any medication? If so, what? I have not seen any evidence yet. If there isn't even any evidence that he took any medication, then this is just another rumor.

  Steve
• 

  SWALKER

  Well if you need evidence, please read his stuff...it is way out there!!! I have often wondered how someone would write that stuff and not be smoking something...

  Swalker
• 

  West70

  WHERE is the "moderator alleged" RUMOR in my posts?

  My posts contain factual info backed up by excerpts from Watchtower publications.

  FACT: Charles Taze Russell suffered from age 14 until his death with "sick headaches". He also suffered with severe hemmorroids for 25, 30, and maybe 40 years depending on the source. Russellites claim he also suffered with cistitis for 40 years.

  FACT: He diagnosed minor health problems and acted as drug dispenser for his ow family and other relatives. It is a reasonable assumption then, that Russell did the same for himself, which means that he self-medicated with painkillers his entire adult life.

  FACT: In the late 1800s to early 1900s, painkillers consisted of products derived from highly addictive NARCOTICS.

  In my initial post, I included reasonable, common-sense QUESTIONS based on those FACTS.

  Asking a Russellite whether he/she believes Charles Taze Russell used or abused drugs is sorta like asking a General Motors automobile salesman if he thinks that you should buy a Ford Mustang.

  Given the above facts, if some people choose to believe that Charles Taze Russell never used narcotics to relieve his pain during all those years, then be my guest.

  Given the above facts, if some people choose to believe that Charles Taze Russell was able to self-medicate with narcotics for 50 years and never become addicted to such, then be my guest.

  Given the above facts, if some people choose to believe that Charles Taze Russell was able to self-medicate with narcotics for 50 years without the narcotics somewhere somehow influencing his theology, then be my guest.

  The FACT that narcotics based products were pretty much the only available remedies for relieving pain in Russell's day, and the fact that narcotics use was widespread amongst the general populace, does not reduce by one iota the fact that it is "very probable" that the founder of the JWs was a narc addict, and his habit likely impacted his teachings and activities.

  THIS IS NOT RUMOR SPREADING.

  It is uncovering facts, and making reasonable assumptions based on those facts. If some folks arrive at a different decision, then that's their right to do so. Just don't label other's decision(s) as RUMOR because you don't agree with their decision.
• 

  minimus

  This is the type of thread I hate. You are clearly suggesting that Russell was a "drug user, drug abuser, or Even an addict". Because he had a history of 'roids and headaches? The whole purpose of this thread is to suggest that Russell had to be a druggie. I don't particularly care for CTR but these conspiracy theories irritate me.