Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-06-18


lates this case queries whether the cheat
would have gone forward had precipice
instead of a river been before him No
doubt these may be called exceptional in
stances of fortitude, as the great major
ity of malingerS are made OF
more commonplace stuff. A mere hint from
navy surgeon that an equivOcal complaint
would be benefited by transference to an
African climate, or the application of the
actual cautery, has been the means of eff
fecting miraculously rapid cure. A
French physician, after watching a spu-
rious epileptic fit for some time, put his
hand on the heart of the cheat, and turn
ing to the attendants, said, "It is all over
with him; carry him to the dead house,
Immediate resuscitation was the result,
and the man never had another attack. A
Shetland clergyman was greatly annoyed
at the weekly occurrence ola kind Of con-
tagious commissions which attacked many
of his congregation in church. At length
the good man hit on plan which put
speedy termination to the inf1iction. He
announced from the pulpit that he learned
that no treatment was so efficacious as an
immediate ducking in cold water; and as
his kirk was fortunately contiguous to a
fresh-water lake, the proper hydropathic
treatment could always be secured. 1t is
most unfortunate coincidence for the
malingerer that the means which would
be the most beneficial in the treatment Of
the real disease are often the most distaste-
full to him.
The difficulties and discomforts to be
endured in this department Of art in at
tanning the desired object, no doubt en-
nance the enjoyment of it in those few
cases in which success at last crowns
their labors. A convict sentenced to
seven years penal servitude kept his right
knee bent so as not to touch the ground
with his foot during all that period, and on
account of his infrmity, was exempt from
the usual kinds Of convict labor, and en-
ployed at work which he could do in
sitting posture When being discharged
at the expiry of his period of involuntary
service, he coolly observed to an official:
Il will try to put down my leg: it may be
Of use to me now" He was as good as
| walked off with a firm step! With some,
the temptation to give an airing to the
little secret which they have been
obliged to keep so long close, and which
has stood them in such good part, is
| wholly irresistible. Without this f1aunt-
| ing OF their imposture in the face of their
victims, some rascals would deem their
triumph only half achieved A trooper
who pretended he had lost, the use of his
right arm, after resisting for length of
time the most testing hospital discipline
at last succeeded in procuring his dis
charge. When he was leaving the regi-
ment, and fairly seated on the top of the
coach, he waved the paralytic arm, in
triumph, and cheered at the success of his
stratagem. An Irish soldier reported I'M
| fit for service from loss Of power of the
lower limbs, arranged for more dramatic
avoWal of his deceit. Having obtained
his discharge, he caused himself to be
taken on field-day in a cart to the Phoenix
! Park, Dublin, in front of his regiment,
which was drawn up in line. He had the
cart driven under a tree, on which he
hung his clutches, jumped suddenly with
agility out Of the cart, sprung three times
from the ground before the faces of his
astonished comrades, then turned, his
back to the regiment, and after series of
| expressive gestures, which we cannot par
ticularly describe, scampered off at full
| speed In a case Of deception once prac-
tised in New York court of sessions,
there seems to have been no pre-arrange-
ment of the denouement which occurred
A man who had been for some time in
prison awaiting his trial for perjury, had
a paralytic seizure a few days before the
period fixed for the trial. ana one of his
sides was thus rendered completely power
less. In this helpless condition he was
carried on bed from prison into court
During the trial he became so faint that a
recess was granted to enable him to re-
cover, the prosecuting attorney kindly
lending his assistance in conveying him
out OF court. The sight of an infirm
fellow-being trembling on the brink of the
grave had visible influence on the court
and the jury. The evidence however, was
conclusive, and the jury convicted him
The court, in view of his speedily being
called to higher tribunal, instead OF
sentencing him to the State prison, simply
imposed a small fine, which his brother
citude, promptly paid The next day the
prosecuting attorney met the fellow, ap
parently in good health, on the street
The latter laughingly told him that he
had recovered and dropping his arm, anC
contracting his leg, hoped of, leaving
the learned counsel to his own reflections
It is, however, rare thing nowadays
, for clinical artist to attain his end anc
enjoy the full fruition Of his labors. Ii
most cases he has no other reward thar
the pleasure received from the exercise O.
art. This aesthetic satisfaction would neeC
to be great to enable him to bear even thu
ordinary prosaic hardships and discom
forts of his lot. But in addition to these
he is sometimes overtaken by a species O.
poetical justice in the shape of penalty
paid in kind. The feigned disease, il
fact, occasionally becomes a real one
Montaigne mentions some curious in
stances of this occurring within his owl
experience. tits chiefly in Stimulating tn
class of nervous diseases that the DANCE
lies of this avenging Nemesis. The con
tinued repetition Of the manifestations O
the affection seems eventually to make al
ineradicable impression on the nervou
centers. Two French sailors taken pris
oners by the English in the wars of tn
First Napoleon, successfully feigned in
sanity for six months, and at the end O
that period got the reward of their cleve
deception by recovering their liberty; blu
it was at the expense Of their reason
, which was really gone. The mean
adopted to stimulate one disease hav
sometimes produced another of NOR
serious kind Soldiers have so persistent
! ly kept up state of irritation in fact
tious sore as to bring on disease whic
required amputation of the limb. Other