The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-22

was, in fact. no possibility ~ drnyng the case
Prince Mi"hnlskovch was n we'll known chnrac-
ter. and h ia prolonged sickness and llnal mono
mnnin Ol believing himS' II simple carriage
maker were authenticated facts. Also the
THIS nrt sans sudden and wonderful giit Oi
'vnEu - WIS att It'd To 10y several eminent
physicians who had examined and treated him
in the early stages oi his insanity =.
several years ago. when the DotOr was
SUI residing in this city. hc WIS urged 10y col
league to rome forward with the real facts oithc
cns". and thereby save the honor oi the pro,
fcssion AZ well IA hsown The DONur acccdcd
IN 40 TAR 10 the demand that he deposited with
friend fun account OF the case. TAX ing solemn
promise that the same should not be published
before the Prince and he himself were both
dead and buried. This confession Is now laid
before the world and though rat irr stranE' ana
unexpected. yet II cannot he said of the Doctor
That the course he pursued was entirely unjus-
The medical world will not he very much sur
priscd when they read tina, ! acknowledge the
strangers cure of the Prince ana the artisan 70
nave been deception. and that knew II M the
time to have been such. because the whole scene
was OF my own dryising. From the first have
always felt confident that the better clnss OF
physicians would not fail TO perceive that my
making use OF \ magician to cure an insane
man WIS one ~ those tricks TO which physi.
clhn mas sometimes to resort in the treatment OF
inc insane. especially of thOs" who are lahoring
under gross scli-decepton. But the great
cfedulty of the masses took the by surprise.
IN fortnight all the papers MAJ copied tnr
nonsrnsica account Of the Princes cure, and
was at once rsieged with thousands OF letters
BODY met wanted me- 10 tell HIM ia" story over
again. could not do otherwise than give the
same version OF the case TO all lnuul rcrs. Tor
in curns Of insanity efr' ted by deception Il Is
oi tnv utmost imporianr" that the patient
does never discover that his physician only
deceived him. Here is a cnse in point; A
merchant once imagined that he had watch in
MS head, and that the n"ver-ceHs ng ticking
uirventrd him from IN ing ind sleeping.
,Nn.h pla'rd III an asylum, ne was told thni ho
hnd To submit to the very dangerous operai on
was choroformed = deep cut was made into a
safe spot. and when he Awok" small-blopd-
stained mechanism wns shown ana given him.
with tn" assurann that u hud iern taken gu, 81
his hend. He believed II. and WIS cured. He
resumed his commercial pursuits and nude IA
great fortune.
" But now comes the terrible sequel One day
after ten or twenty years. he mel IN the street
the physician who hat cured him oi ms IN
sanity. The doctor. attempting To Joke with
him about his former monOmania. said laugh
inxly; What aiunny fancy that WIS oi yours
10 think that you ratrir1 "A watch IN your brain.
Don't you now sonetmes laugh at yourself
WHEN you rerollect ~
" The merrhnni looked ut him in surprise
Then you did not cut II out Of my headl /
thought so. | always thought so. nrv'r he
lievcd it, l heard it tick all The time Ju.t the
ticks Don't you hear it TICK 7 Tick, tick tick 7
The man was insane again. Nothing eQuld
cure nlm now. for nobody could deceive him
-" determined to manage my own case better.
resolved 10 tell my secret to nobody in order
10 hr sure that nobody would tell IL again. II a
sngle word of Il had at any tiulr crept out IL
would have reached the Prince 10y some means
cdsnce S of the cass y the tn sS carraee
maker and whenever I could drew tho
a'icnt on Of medical men away from my trick
with the magician TO the raj and w"ll-authent
Gated fact Of III. wonderful similarity and
simulianuusn - II the insanity .of the art san
and the Prince. 1t cannot b" denied that tic
chs" Is on" of the most wonderful occurrences
IN medic al prn-ticr. and ! shall proceed o. pro-
sent 1t, shorn OF everything lut what uciually
Prince Nichalskovirh'a nurse was n beautiful
plavi"'low. and shared his tuition until he
was about fourteen years OF nge. Th"n the
Prince went on his travels. and his foster
brother returned with his mother 10 the district
Of Mingr'ln. IN Russian Grorgiu. where he
learned the trade of carriage maker The
Irlnre loved hls nurse And his io-i"r-hrothrr
! dearly. ANA %" spent many u season In tho
Irans-Chu ts-ian mouutains in orier To be-.
near them. He WIS very active youth. fond of
hunting ana fishing. and taking delight in
me- hanical .mpuy mcniS. he spent many a day
~ the whrrwrights shop wOrhins at the side
Uniortunntely the Prince fell H. love with the
same youn9 peasant woman whom b foster
! brother was about to marry. When tho
| young ART san discovered the uniaithfulnes- u
| bis betrotied he had violent scene with the
have it. the, young woman died. suddenly aud
nneNHrIedly Her Nv, lovers iet tim equally
wright went 90 This and worked there under
nm assumed name ~ prevent the Prince from
tniin$ him asan. The Prince returned 10 -.
Petersburg. and It was soon discovered that bee
was subject To abnormal nt- Of mrlan 'holia.
His yearninc for his fostcr,brothcr coupled
with IN" unfortunate termination ~ his love ar
| fair. finally developed into the peculiar form Of
insanity already described
The young art san eoA,inuoi nj work I'm Tf'-
! is. He spoke to no ON" of ms pu-t HISTORY and
| formed no friendships among hls follow work
men. The days work done. he r'turnad at
der Of ia" day ln ~ttlct -eclu- GA. II" ann. N
sdur, to, lmagi, NJ on q ,SnI len o. %, his mwu
cons drrlng ones self 10 be- some srratanl pow
rriul person Is quite common form of mono-
! mania. AMI hon" the artisans casr would
/ hardly have attracted attention " 70 hud not
h''"n coupled " IN his surpriS ng Use of foreign
! languages H. had meyer been known tu speak
! ANYTHING tut his peasant dialect and nobody
! ~u~p" trl that Do" WIS man Of riu ALTON un !
refinement The physician who attended him
| a one" Irmnoun'"d i ems" in" si,lt marvel ol
/ N" axe The story OF TIM sudden Kilt ~ tom .urs
| travelled over the wurl and at last reached
! me- also You know how ut for the ynunA.
! Was instantly re,ogn'zcd as tue t9st"r-hrnil' r
! Oi the Prin e.. On" day he startled me- 10y in
curing for his brother PnuL | perceived at
| once TINT his reason WAS dawnlng again. and
! 10y careful treatment / succeeded in restoring
When told him Of the Princes mental ma'a-
| dy and OF the wonderful coin idence ~ his own.
the young mans affection for the Prince re-
vived. and he was full Of srdor 20 assist me in
various devices 10y which hoped 10 bring about
IA cure. IN the course Of CONVERSATION he tJld
me one day some anecdotes illustrative Of the
| toned, among other things. the Princes strong
faith in the. transmigration OF souls. and b IL
| nrm b"liet IN ih" prrlrns ions OF persons Ike
| Caxlostro or Joseph Basamo. saw at once
an opportunity for another experiment. and |
| quickly concocted the scene with the mag clan
| which | described. When the Prince came Ia
| his senses again. he listened to my account Of
| his wonderful cure by the mysterious stranger
In perfect good faith. aud when he saw his fos-
| t"r-brother. and heard him say that he had also
been cured that very moment. he was perfectly
sat SIZED. and ted again be- sane man.
The uutoriety which the Prince attained
! through the widespread accounts Of his won
| d"riul cure battered him very mnch, AMI II any
| body had lnslnuated 10 him TINT he had been
duped. he would have resented IL rs u gross ia.
suit II is rumorrd that some New York physi-
cinn WAS made to feel his wrath when he called
| on the Prince and wished him 10 understand
that he believed that had only deceived him.
! OF course. If somebody had told the Prin,. that
he had heard me- say that his cure was rfff ted
simply by a medical trick, the cons 'qn.nccs
| would have been of very serious nature"
Such IL DR.. James Harwoods confession
| Does ltJustliy hlmf
Rescued