St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-03-21
ST. cSuhnsburp (aledonian.
st. bloomsbury. VT. Friday. Mar. FL. 1873.
(COncIrdcd from FIRST pdgc.)

mad house | should sham sane. Soon
er or later their vigilance over me
would be relaxed. Then | should muir
der my keeper, and 90 straight for that
innocent girl
"'Thcn leave the country.
".Well. that would save her: hut.
Doctor, one life is as dear to its holder
as another If don't kill her, shall
kill some one else.
"'My dear fellow | replied. in as
light Il tone as | could assume, these
fancies are durable. Put yourself under
skilled medical treatment. You are all
to bits, physically. Get sound i'll body.
and you'll get all right i'll your mind.
.s'On the contrary, am all to bits.
as YOU say. mentally, and my body sit-
fers through my mind. Medical treat
ment | have consulted every prac-
toner of note here and in Europe. Some
think I'm fooling them. some look wise,
and talk as YOU do about ''trcatmcnt.
All have failed. Doctors are of no use
to me.
"'Theu may ask why YOU have
come here ?
SOTO ask your advice as friend he
answered, drawing his chair nearer to
me ; and lowering his voice. TO ask
you one question as Il friend and God
fearing man. and to which pray you
TO give me Il plain yes or no.
$50 on.
"'Feeling a. feel. shall be justi-
fed before God in taking my own life /?
Will it be deadly sin for me to do fer
myself what would do to "A mad dog ?
Il repeat his words almost as he
spoke them. ! cannot give you the
fainteSt idea of the solemn dcliheration
with which he put this awful question
For some moments could not say a
word. Then started up and told him
that | would not answer him yes or no
that il was not fair to ask me to take
such a responsibility. Then he rose
too, and said that he must resolve it
for himself, and | saw plai&ly which
way it would 60. Give me till to-moi-
row to think it out | said. OBTAINING
him.
"'Tom"rrow may Toe too late. he re
piled. The fit may come upon me to-
night for all know
"'Comc home with me; I'm not
afraid. IOu won't hurt me-. said
So would try very hard not to do 50
but know myself. | cannot trust
myself. Don't you trust me-
'''l cU trust You; but I'll do more.
You are not armed, | suppose ?"
"'No,' he replied with shuddci.
mot now.
"'Tll take care yOu shall not be. and
III carry my Dcrrimger in my pocket.
On the first indication of homicldal MAJ
mia give you my word I'll shoot and
I'll shoot straight said this to sat
isfy him, poor fellow, In his weak
state | could have lain him down like a
child. 1t did satisfy him. and we went
home together led him to talk of our
old soldering days, and gradually got
him back tn his wound. | made him
describe the first sensations of pain in
his head, and repeat all that his differ
ent medical advisers had said. | hap
pened to have strong preparation of
hasheesh by me. gave him dose.
and whilst under its influence care
fully examined his head. Now the
head, you must know. does not fatten
or waste away in proportion to other
parts of the body. Still his had hecome
mere skin and bone aud this state per
haps, gave me an advantage over 9th
ers who had made the same rXamna-
ton. At last felt, or thought | felt. Il
faint twltchng-a sort of abnormal
pulsatiOn-ahou two inches above the
left ear. 1t might be merely nervous.
but 1t might be caused by The bail.
81 then set my mind to work, and
thought the whole case over steadily.
In the first place was that impulse to
take human life. of which my poor
friend had spoken. realty uncomfortable.
For example, suppose that one day he
did take pistol '"n pWIpOSe,' and go to
that young ladNs gardcn-would he
shoot her? To suppose that the insan,
mind never changes its purpose. or turns
from the full completion of its purpose
is to say i'll other words that the insane
mind is stronger than the >;Ile mind. II
man with freshly broken leg were
to tell You he WAS going to run Il foot
race. You would not believe him. be.
cause your common Scnse revoltS against
the idea of his running with leg dis
abled. But if one with his brain dis
ahled declares that he is going to Iu
something dependent upon the action
of his mind. common SENSE does not al
ways argue 50 we'll.
''ln the second place. did my poor
friend, with his impaired means of judg
ment, belierc that the impulse was I'M.
controllable Because if he did III,
end would he the same. 80 far aS he wa.
concerned. He would sacrifice his owl
life to protect that of others. though
they were i'll no actual danger
''ln the third place. might not thi
story of the impulse he Il mere pretenc,
to excuse the commission of suicide
Now there are no forms of madness
more obscure i'll their origin, more diff
fcult to detect. more persistent. an,
more fatal than SuiriIIl maIia and 81
there have been numerous cases il
which persons who have de>troye,
themselves have carefully prepared evi
dence tending to show that their dealt
was accidental, why should there no
be one III which the fatal act was to III
$50 far as poSsihle) justified
''ln the fourth place. granting tina
there was either real homicidal manii
or fanced homicidal mania tending t,
suicidal. or simply the latter-was Their
possibility of cure
''As the three first questions reste,
for their solution on one set of facts
and the deductions to he drawn there
from, considered them together.
victim of suicidal mania rarely. if evcl
speaks of suicide. When man say
he is going t" drown himself. You ma
generally direct him to the ears whic
will take him to the river side with tn
fullest conviction that he will not break
fast with crabs. If. in an exceptions
case. suicide is mentioned. it will eithe
be treated lightly. as AN act that is nt
crime, OF the patient will he yer
earnest in his assurances that he woul
never commit it. Remembering m
poor friends manner. noticed that h
nl-a nf t.,l h..