Heber C. Kimball's Miraculous Preservation from an Accidental Morphine Overdose (1839)

In October 1839, while Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young were traveling toward England for their mission, they stopped in Terre Haute, Indiana, to stay at the home of a Dr. Modisett. During the evening, the doctor—who was in a state of severe intoxication—offered to give Kimball medication to help with his illness. Unaware of the danger, the doctor administered a full tablespoon of morphine. Shortly after taking the dose, Kimball straightened up in his chair, expressed that he felt strange, and attempted to walk to his bed, but he collapsed and fell his entire length onto the floor. Brigham Young immediately acted to save him, rolling him onto his back and placing a pillow under his head. When Young inquired about what had been administered, he discovered it was a lethal dose of morphine. Kimball soon regained enough consciousness to speak faintly, telling Young, 'Don't be scared, for I shall live.' Young nursed him through the night, assisted by the brethren who labored to keep him alive. As Kimball sweated out the poison, the brethren found him covered in perspiration that was initially thick, like honey. Throughout the night, they washed him and changed his underclothing five times. As morning approached, the profuse sweating subsided and became natural, and Kimball was effectively healed. He and his companions viewed the event as a miraculous preservation of his life, which allowed him to recover and continue his journey to England.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

We arrived at Terre Haute, and put up at the house of a Dr. Modisett. He was a man of some standing in society, but he was a drunkard. Heber was very sick, and the doctor proposed to give him some medicine. Heber told him he would take some if he would give him something that would not hurt him. The doctor said he would give him a little morphine. Heber told him he might. The doctor went to his shop, and brought a large tablespoonful of morphine, and gave it to him. A few minutes after he took it, he straightened up in his chair, and said he felt very strange and thought he would lie down; and on his making a motion to go to bed, he fell his length upon the floor. I sprang to him, rolled him over on his back, and put a pillow under his head, and began to inquire what the doctor had given him. I learned he had given him morphine. I asked him how much, and he said a tablespoonful. I told him he had killed my brother. He said he had not. I told him he had, and that if he did not do something for him immediately, I would kill him. He was very much alarmed, and began to work with Heber. Heber soon came to, and spoke faintly and said, 'Don't be scared, for I shall live.' We got him on the bed, and changed his under clothing five times, and washed him previous to changing his clothes. I found him covered with sweat, at first like thin honey. This gradually wore out towards morning, and he sweat naturally. He was healed.