News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
SOME SOLDIER TRICKS.
Making Believe they were Deaf, and Stick
ing TO the Story.

A recent report on malingering in
the police, saws the est. James Ga
zette," recalls many a strange story of
gone. Some very curious cases of the
kind are reported in books dealing with
the medical history of the wars in the
early part of the century. Amongst
these stories is one that is told of an
Irish recruit, who, on joining the East
India Company's service, alleged that
he had almost totally lost the sense of
hearing; and the evidence of his com
rades went to support his assertion. He
was admitted into the hospital and put
upon spoon diet. For nine days the
doctor passed his bed without seeming
to notice him. On the tenth day he
felt the deaf soldiers pulse and made
signs to him to put out his tongue He
then asked the hospital sergeant what
diet he gave the man. ''Spoon diet, :"
replied the sergeant. The doctor ap-
peared to be very angry at this, and Or
dered the ''poor fellow" Immediately a
beef-steak and pint of porter. Sur
prised into indiscretion by gratitude,
the patient exclaimed, "Heaven bless
your honor! you are the best gentleman
have seen for many a day." In
well-known work on medical jurispru-
dence a similar case is recorded. An
around hun that he was completely
deaf. His medical attendant prescribed
for him daily extra wine and other lux
uries, but privately ordered that none
was to be supplied. The consequence
was that while the patient was nominal
ly living extremely well, he was really
suffering from hunger At last the sur
geon remarked that he could not under
stand why the patient seemed to be
losing flesh on such diet. This proved
too much; the deaf man exclaimed to
the nurse, ''You know l have never
had any of those good things!"
A oper-atfeeted one morning to be
deaf and dumb. Various means were
resorted to in order TO make him &C
knowledge that he possessed the power
OF hearing, but without success. Firing
a pistol close to his ear had no effect.
After keeping him a long time in the
regimental hospital he was sent to an
intirmary; whence he was discharged,
not as a malingerer, but as an incurable,
mended to be discharged altogether;
and he was accordingly sent to Dublin
to pass the INVADING Board for pen
pension. During the first days march
he got intoxicated, and broke into
speech. His escort brought him back
to the regiment next day; but before he
arrived his deafness had returned.
Tried by coUrt-martial, he was sentenced
to receive eight hundred lashes; but as
he still held out, it was deemed advisa-
bic to send him to the general hospital
at Dubl n for inspection before the SEN
tence was carried into effect. Here va
rious experiments were tried on him.
He was informed that if he would re-
turn to his duty the sentence of cOrpor-
al punishment would be remitted-
promise which produced no result. Up
on admission into the hospital he was
for some time accommodated in a ward
in company with several other patients,
but was afterwards confined In a solita-
ry cell, with no other sustenance than a
small allowance of bread and water.
The orderly who attended to him was
instructed on no account to speak to
him. In this manner things went on
for nearly three months, when one |
the pretended deaf mute accos-
ted the orderly with ''Good morning to
you, James" When the imposter was
questioned as to how he had recovered |
his faculties he said he had had dream
and when he awoke he found that he
could both hear and speak again. He |
was not punished, and for some time
lid his duty well: but eventually he de-
serted, carrying away good deal of
property that was not his.