The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-22
EXCHANGING THEIR SOULS.
PRINCE MICH1LSKOyICH AND DR. H1R-
WOOD'S WONDERFUL CURE
The Strange Conres salon Of IA New York rhy-
sici.n \ cnse that hns Puzzled the Mcdi-
cnI Ir.trrnIly for Mmny Ienrs Fnst.

Dr. james Ilarwood, who died last week,
stood for more than twenty yenrs very near the
head Of the medical profession. His fame ex-
tended also 10 the other side OF the water. and
when travelling in Europe other celebrated ply
scians awaited themselves OF tho opportunity OF
consulting him. On ono OF his continental
tours DR.. James Harwood effected most mar
vellous cure, which soon made the rounds Of
the papers. and helped materially in establish
| ing his worldwide reputation. He succeeded
In curing the Russian Prince Michalskovch OF
an almost hopeless form OF monomanih What
made the case OF such interest 10 the medical
profession was the extraordinary and strange
means which<he Doctor had employed to effect
the cure. DIR. James HARDWOOD maintained.
verbally and in print that he had restored the
| Prince to a sound mind by means OF mesmer-
| izing him. This occurred about twenty or thirty
years ago. and mesmerism was then all the
rage. and there were many Intelligent persons
who fully believed in all the wonderful things
told OF is power Naturally the case formed
for long time "a fertile subject for discussion
in medical circles and periodicals. and after
| while. in view OF the high rcspe liability of the
pract toner AMI the testimony corroborat ng II.
the Princes strange case of insanity and DR..
James llnrwOod's wonderful cure WAS entered
AS fat into the various medical annals and
in our medical schools and colleges.
But scientific men are always somewhat skep-
| teal and to this day some members of the
medical profession continue to look with sus-
picon upon the Doctors account of the cure.
Six or seven years ago the Prince himself paid
y visit to this city. He had scarcely looked ut
his now quarters ia the hotel. when he was told
that two celebrated New York physicians. father
nnd SON. begged the favor Of an interview.
Al f.G.. Al
"A professor of medicine. and now engaged on
an elaborate work on physiology. and that he
would feel Obliged if the Prince would give him
n detailed account of his own famous case. to loo
Incorporated in the chapter on insanity. The
Prince graciously complied. and entering upon
every particular connected with his cure. he
as ribbed 1t again to the effects Of mesmerism.
The aged professor theroupon vcntured on let
ting an increduous smile fit across his face.
But the moment the Prince had seen and inter-
preted this treacherOus smile. the medical gen
tleman became aware OF having been seized by
the coat collar and deposited on the soft carpet
Of the corridor outside OF the Princes door,
where his son soon came rushing after him.
followed hy his hat and cane. There is q rumor
In medical circles that this is the reason why
the Princes curious case is not mentioned in
a recently published great American work on
| physiology.
The original account Of the marvellous cure
~ llf INSANE iTln'f - 1T JAul'S flhFWoou
first gave n. reads rs follows:
~ was ciil'~lio 81 Petersburg n examine the
cas" oi Pm Michalskovich. who WAS suffering
from aN'4r urlous mental ail"fion; found
him ravin- IN "A language wholly unknown. at
lrast Z. tnr attend ,nE pnysi.ians AMI several
After having sucrc"ded in allaying his brain
fever. | WAS in hopes of hearing Tim sumo
the use of Russian. French. or English. ia which
h" WIS in the hnblt of cOnvorslns, hut he per-
sisted in using his unintelliehe cibhcrish.
Oth"rw ~ he was quiet and inonensve. His
department toward his numerous seris aud
servants was, IN fact. wondrousy gentle and
ways 90 them the most iraseble temper. AMI
treated them hahtually trutally and rruey lie
began ~ show also an aNtrnnrtll nary uraf.rrnra
for course clothing AMI frugal meals Onr day
he showed a dos r. TO leave the palace. | in
stru tod hi- attendants 10 glv" him n much
lli"riy ~ possible and 10 follow him only nj "A
distance. In the evening thrs" men reported
that IN. Prime had been nj work all day IA the
tho shop and. without saying a word had taken
hammer ami Ratchet and ass st,"i the workmen
| IN making a carriage. The wheelwrl2ht said
that he had let the Prince have his way because
he saw at once that he was a very skilled laborer
Earlv in the morning the Prince was at work
again in the wheelwrights shop and continued
thcrr uatil evening In a week or two 4 became
mania Of being nothing hut simple carriage
maker. trlrd NJ first 10 prevent nm from
h.- ulni only the mor". | con '.nded e. let him
~ nn. trusting that something would occur
which would lead his mind back into its proper
was very nearnxlng a day FOR my return TO
New lork, ana about 10 decide that the Prince
was an n turatle lunntlc. when MY eyes fell on
a paragraph IN medlcal journal speak sing OF
the ras" Qi an insane lourn"yman IN I. Ms. who
| imagined himself to bee a powerful and wealthy
Prin 80. | read the account through a second
iimr feel NJ peculiarly impressed ~ the ingu-
lar rOinc.d,u 49, That tins Door f. low WIS "A mr.
rlHEe maker by trade ami that, while he had
never been h"nrd 10 speak anything but an oh.
cure Georgian dialect 81 Mngrclia. and had
always been known as "A low and ignorant
peasant. he WAS now h'urd IN his rayln-s to
MAKE fluent and cultured US. of Russian.
German fr"n n. ana English. II WAS TINS un-
| rNp"'i"i talklng IN foreign languages which
hhd rHusrd THIS Journey man chsc 10 max" the
M ihht L MS "NWhy the same cas-" AZ that ~
l'r Noe Mi 'haskoylrh. only inverted. The
lrn'r wanted t. ue wh""lwrsli; the wheel;
Mt~lt wanted 20 he IT NE; IN" one hti
sNrn mp talking in civilized languages. and
iakrd glht-rsn; the other had gwen NJ :
other tongues Naturally enough took at on 20
the Nc 'ssary steps u have the man removed
| from the TIN Is to the st. Petersburg insane
lis yium. | VISITED him there. and found that the
.e'rres ronden'e between his case and that ~ the
Prince WIS most surprisinS. After consulting
the family of Prince Michaskoyich | had the
fellow taken To the palace with all the pomp and
ceremony booming q Prince, Just out Of sheer
He COMPOUNDED everybody. He took possession
of the Princes private nparmenis as II he had
parents. relatives. and friends Of the Prince 10y
name, used the wardrobe. and ordered the
self. The grace OF his manners and the elegan 20
with which he expressed himself In various
languages, were dhlDu4hHluk ana Nitnhl
he had the build the hands. and the features OF
n rough art san. ! put him 10 another test.
confronted him with the verltablc Prince in the
carriage factory. He spoke TO the Prince
pHtronzingly. even somewhat familiarly. but
sun preserving always certain distance. and
showing at Tunes Nnmlstnkable haughtiness.
He did not seem 20 notice the fact that tho
Prince gave him no answer in return TO any
ulnE he said
" Thus another week or two passed. by. and |
had made no progress in the case OF the Prince,
except that instead Of one insane man ! had
"a an ar liza nfllI lt
OF abandoning the Prince. when one day a
serdy look ng Individual paid me visit and
offered 10 cure the Prince instantly if gudran-
terd that he should be pnid well for his ser
wees. A thousand rOuhrs was his price.
made the bargain with him, but put ia thecon-
ditlon TINT Was " be present ut every step Of
IN operation.
al the appointed time had the Prince and
the artisan IN the pnlace. The mysterl-
Gus stranger made me- order them to sit
side 10y side ms closely as possible. Then he
passed his hands over their faces moving them
continually to and fro. as If mormer2iug the
two men. who soon fell into state OF the most
. complete unconsclouSnrss which | have ever
witnessed. TherrupOn he stripped them OF