, 1862-05-29

SeQllent punishment, SOmetnleS cOOVefLs Lne
Eeigned into the r, al malady, and the cunning
knave into the downright fool or the raving ma
MAC.
The last case Of pretended mental disease we
shall mention is that nf 4 very violent and dan.
gerOus man who for long time complained Of
"poisOn in his fOOd." He still continued to par
take Of it, however. When he ate, he devoured
his food ravenouSly, like vol or a bear; and
no sooner was it all clear of, than he began his
complaints again, as il IN agony. After while
the crisis came, and he gave out that they had
:" done him at ast"--that he was "dead, and
past the reach Of his enemies" The man, all
this while, looked very pallid and miserable, and
it was not improbable that his mind might be
giving way. He was medically treated, and
placed with other prisoners in q cOnValeScent
rOnm. Here he had more air and exercise. Be-
ing now more vOraciouS, he had more food. He
continued TO look cadavcrOus-like, but evidently
incrtaSd ia bulk. He affirmed constantly still
" that he was dead" and saw, and heard, and
felt such terrible things; that his companions, il
they only knew ImlG would not mock him.
They were however, not convinced that the man
Was "dead" for, to their cost, they felt at times
that he was alive and 10 good stomach, since, if
one of them happe, ed to turn his back at meal.
time for moment, his bread or his meat tan-
iSheIl which was devOurpd by the dead man"
II accused, hOGevrr, he declared that it was al
his, and showed such a bold front that the
wr"ng,d invalid, knowing his desperate char.
acIer, had to succumb. Thus, with the help Of
iuI ratiOns and occasional extras Of thus kind,
the dead" man recovered his strength, and was
removed, though still pertnaciouSly pers sting
that he had been poisoned and put to death by
the doctor.
The subsequent history Of this man showed
Ia, e
when fully fed, desperate, cruel, and murderous
For All attack on the lite Of an officer, he is now
undergoing punishment for the term Of bis natu.
raj life, aud there is need Of every possible pre-
,aution, or he will be The death Of some one yet
Two casrs Of simulated bodily disease may
be added IN conclusion. Tbe one IL that Of
pig dealer. He complained Of exquisite pains
IRON the rheuInatics, and was medically treat.
ed; but he prOf,ssed to grow worse and worse,
and to be wholly incapable, at last, Of msVing
or even standing. He was suspected Of malin-
gering, or shamming disease, aud was ordered
to labor like others. Not moving from his bed,
two or three turnkeys were ordered to dress
the man and Set him on his legs. He screamed
pteOusly ali the while from his terrible pain"
aud his cries might be heard all over the place.
The officers, however, carried out their orders,
aud set him on his Zee bat he fsll heaSilyi aad
to all appearance most naturally, on the pave
ment, aud there he lay screaming still more dis.
tressingly. The Circumstance was reported,
and il was decided that nothing further should
be attempted Il that time. He proIessed still to
grow worse, and after various expedients moral
and physical, had been used, he was removed
to an invalid prison as a doubtful case. In that
prison he declared himself better in his upper
limbs, but wholly pOwerless in the legs. He
walked on his knees for twelve months and
was never once known, though narrowly watched,
TO stand upright. It was concluded at last, that
the man was not shamning, or that he had
brought some unacconntable disease upon him
self Yet, when the time Of his liberation came,
he became suddenly cured and went about as be-
fore, pig-dealing, and, We fear, pig'steang, too.
The other case was that Of u well-educated
and once respectable man, who successfully
counterfeited paralysis. Nothing could be m.lre
like the real thing than his performances. His
eyes failed, and he was supplied with the largest
type and suitable spectacleS He could not
walk to the chapel, although "greatly desiring
to be there !" and when he penned his letters,
he wrOte in very large hand, as IL he could not
otherwise see his own writing There was q
great .eal in the mans history to excite COM
passion, and some seinblance Of hardship in his
long sentence. He, too, when the time came for
him 10 receive hiS discharge, at once maxwell
lOusIy recovered the use Of his limbs and eyes,
and is it is said, using both extensively for Pur
poses Of imposition upon the benevolent public.