The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-11
DIR. BRADLEY'S CURE.
The Scientific Victim of Cocaine Now In His
Right Mind.


| Chicago Mail.
DR.. Bradley the cocaine enthusiast, who was
sent to the Washingtonian Home something
| over week ago by Judge Pendergast, has
| almost entirely recovered from the malign in
| fuence OF that mysterious drug. He is allowed
| the freedom OF the institution, and walks about
| with the other inmates and talks as nationally as
| any man. He takes great interest in the reform
| atory work of the home, especially the daily
| lectures. and discusses reforms measures and
| methods freely. The subject of his mania is not
preached however, in any of the conversations
| in which he is a participant.
II think it better not to excite him on that
point" said Superintendent Wilkinson to re-
porter for the Mail. His case is peculiar one
but we have never considered him insane. He
| thought that in cocaine he had found something
which would make him great in his profession.
and in order to have full and complete knowl-
edge or the power of the drug, began to expert
ment on himself. He did not wish to subject
anyone else to this risk, and, in his zeal to push
| his investigation to the furthest point, he
| did the matter He acknowledges that point
| himself. but he does not relinquish his claim
that cocaine is great and good thing in the way
ne proposes using it. He says he knows as
much as any living about the drug, and,
| In the hight OF his present experience. we can't
deny that he does. His idea is this: That cocaine
| injected into or applied to the body completely
suspends sensibility at that particular point
without having any general effect or influence
| the brain or system. Therefore if in his prac-
| tIce he desires to amputate a patients finger
leg. he lnJects or applies this drug just above the
| point of amputation and the operation is re-
| lieved of the excruciating pain which now
attends such operations, at thesame time leaving
| the patientin full possession Of his faculties. If
| this be true tits certainly admirable element
| in surgery, and we can't dispute it,
| since Bradleys injuries were not from these
| experiments primarily, but from his wholesale
consumption of the drug internally. Early in
his experience with it he found that it had an ex
hlarating and stimulating effect on him when
taken in this way. He commenced on the TWEEN
tieth part of grain in August last. This dose
he took at intervals of three hours. He felt him
self overworked, mentally aud physically and
he took this to keep him up. Gradually he in
creased the dose until he took grain and half
at time. or thirty times much as he COM
menced on. This was also taken every three
| hours. He is man of strong nervous tempera
When he came here we continued the
injections for a few days in weakened
doses. but gave him a substitution of
warm water instead of the drug after the first
| few injections. He did not know the difference
and the warm water had the same pacifying eff
! feet that the drug had. think. therefore. that
| it is wholly matter of imagination. He would
beg for the stimulant at first, and his whole sys
| tenn would be In a tremOr. An injection of
warm water, which he thought was cocaine
would quiet him Immediately, and he would re-
| mark that the pain was all gone. We have dis
continued even these now, and he requires moth
ing. We shall keep him here until the expira-
ton of the thirty days presume he will then
resume his professional practice Whether he
will again begin eating the drug it is impossible
to say We do not think now that he will.
That. however, is wholly matter of conject-
ure."