The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-04-01
Examination or Drs. ReaIc, griffith
and Withers. Auditor Taylor, and
Others.
THE CASE CONTINUED UNTIL TO-DAY

Colonel Mayo's family physician, was first
examined. Said he had seen Colonel Mayo
this morning that his present mental condi-
ton is one Of aberration-iusanity; it is not
as good as it was yesterday; it is more pro-
noIluced from the fact that his physical con-
dition is improved. His mental condltlon
is rather dcteriorated.
Mr.. Royal: Do you regard Colonel Mayo
as radically insane?
Answer. fear so. ..
O. How far back has his insanity dated, so
far as you know? ~...
A. | saw him about two weeks ago, at
which time he was laboring under some
hallucination. I thought, perhaps, at that
time that he had been drinking LOO much
some error 10 his habits. Looked upon 1t as
n case of deliriunl- tren1ens. My mind is now
disabused of that impression.
Dir. Wise: How long have you been Col
onel Mayo's physician?
Answer. Three years, think, sir.
O. Did you notice any insanity in Colonel
Mayo's condition prior to three weeks ago !
A. Nothing, sir. His mind was always
we'll balanced before.
O. How long was he confined at that
time?
A. -Four or five weeks, think, sir.
O. What was your treatment at that
time?
A. treated him for loss Of rest, under
the impression that there was some error OF
habit. He was treated by opiates.
@. What is the proper treatment for one
who is in state Of 7ndnta-o.potu or deI,'1un,'
sremens produced BY excessive drink!
A. Opiates would be the best treatment
for a person who had INDUCED too freely
and then stopped drinking suddenly.
@. At the end of the five days treatment
what was Colonel Mayo's condition.?
A. He got up, walked about, and he was
better, physically and mentally. Saw him
no more as patient until last Saturday.
O. Do you know anything OF Colone
| Mayo's habits as 10 drinkingf
4. Ibaye been very intimate with Colone
| Mayo, but he did not drink to excess that
know of. saw him almost daily.
o. Between the time when you attended
him before and last Saturday, have you
known of Colonel Mayo's habits?
| A. bave not seen him ia that time unless
| it was when called to see his child.
| 0. Suppose the case of a person who had
INDUCED to a great extent in drinking-more
than gentlemen usually do-do understand
YOU TO say that his condition could be ac-
counted for as it was then three weeks ago
A. II he bad been drinking to excess three
weeks ago his condition then could be &C.
counted for by that fact-that is, from the
symptoms. l then treated it as insanity pro-
duced by mdRta-Gpotu.
The CourS: What were those symptoms
A. Talking incoherently, deranged vision,
seeing objects that did not exist, and sleep
lessness. These symptoms about cover the
case.
Mr.. Wise: What are the symptoms which
medical writers give you of mania-a-potu
A. They are varied. The symptoms vary
with the constitution of different men. The
symptoms Of Colonel Mayo would have man.
iiested themselves to persons if he were
abroad.
The Court: Did these symptoms cease
when you ceased to treat him?
A. Yes, sir.
MIR. Wise: What were the symptoms last
Saturday?
A. Last Saturday he was laboring under
congestion Of the brain. If man had beer
for three or four days under state OF men
tai excitement. and had lost rest during thai
time, and had been drinking to excess, il
would have. produced precisely the same eff
fects as the symptoms Of Colonel Mayo OF
Saturday morning. The question ther
arises whether those were causes or effects
upon that question / can't answer.
@. Supposing these were the causes, arr
YOU enabled by your science to tell in The
present condition of Colonel Mayo whether
they were causes or etectSI
| A. Reasoning from what have seen since
Saturday, and bis present condition, the ef
fects were the effect of his previous menta
condition, and not the cause of his condi
tion. At the time ! ceased my treatmen
three weeks ago had no idea that he wa
nermanently insane. If q man had beer
drinking excessively for q long time which
produced high state OF mental excitement
and his habit OF drinking increased, l SCI
nothing in Colonel Mayo'S condition which
could not be accounted for from suct
causes.
Mir. Wise: Are you able to say now
after YOUR examination Of Colonel Mayo OF
Saturday. that Colonel Mayo was not a com
petcnt witness on the Monday and Tuesday
before!
A. am unable to say.
Q. At the time you ceased to treat Colone
Mayo, three weeks ago, did you or not tner
regard him as competent 10 give testimony
of facts, or perform any other mental occu
patton!
A | did. From all that can learn since
from his friends be has been drinking much
less since his attack and these statements 0
his friends have disabused my mind OF tn
first impression. Ii these statements are no
true nv impressions are not disabused.
DR., FREDERICK GRIFFITH
was next sworn. Said he had known Col
onel Mayo for years. mat witness Is
practitioner of medicine when at home-l:
at present member of the General Assem-
hlv. Had seaid with Colonel Mayo con
stantly since Saturday, except durlnS snort
intervals !; that his brain Is now In q yer!
sensitive condition: talks at Times Will
great clearness; and then, Wlthout an! ap
parent immediate cause, speaks inconeren1ly,
and seems evidently that bis nina Is 10 az
enfeeDled condition; sleeps very sounaiy
without the use OF opium. Ills pnysta
condition is improved. On 10th Oh Fep
ruary intended to 60 and see Colonel Mayo
and just as he WAS about 10 start the serpan'
girl came and asked witness to come up
quickly, that Colonel Mayo was sick; went
and found him in about the same condition
which he was on Saturday-the symptoms
not quite SO violent as on the day before.
Renamed with him until he was considered
eonvalescent, which Was on Thursday night
the 10Th, when witness left for Westmore-
land, and soon ascertained that he was in
bis Office on Friday, which was the next
day. Returned to Richmond on the 7th Of
March, aud found that Colonel Mayo had
been sick again. We took walk and wit
ness told him that he ought to be very par
t|cular. not TO expose himself to the excitement
OF q crowd. The reason why be did 50 was