The Southern herald., 1886-01-23
CRAZED BY COCAINE.
The SAD Fate of a Chicago Physi-
clans Family.
TOrturing His Wife and Children with
Red-Hot Pokers and Surgeons Knives
"A Tale of FIendish Cruelty
His Brain Wrecked.
[Chicago Herald

himself but his entire family, consisting of
wife and five children, have been prac
tically ruined by his excesses. On Friday
carriage drove up to the Dearborn av.
enue entrance Of the Criminal Court build.
ing, and from it emerged DR.. Charles d.
Bradley, of 30 Rush street, accompanied bv
some friends, who took him before Judge
Prendergast The insane cases proper had
been disposed of and the room was almost
clear of the usual crowd of curious specta-
tors There was no jury, and the affair was
conducted as quietly as possible. It was
shown that DR.. Bradley, quite prominent
physician, had been addicted to the
use of cocaine to such an extent
as to render him practically insane
The story was told that the doctor
had, under its influence, performed experi-
ments on his family that have made them
physical wrecks. His claim was that he
could inject the hydrochlorate without pain
and remove the flesh without injury to the
patient He injected some of it into his
own arm and then with red-hot iron
burned it out without finching Some
more of it he injected into the wrist of his
three-year-old child and then with knife
cut out the flesh, the little one apparently
suffering no pain. He used the drug
promiscuously in the family, and became
himself slave to it, until in a little time
his practice fell away and his family was
reduced to want Under the influence OF
the stuff he claimed he was its discoverer,
that it would revolutionize medicine, and
that the world would recognize in him
benefactor whose name would go down to
the ages. He became a fanatic on the sub
ject-a wild dreamer. He mortgaged all he
possessed even his horse and buggy, to pur
sue his favorite study. His wife an invalid
and his children ruined in health, their con.
dition was heaftrending in the extreme.
The furniture in the house is in the hands
of the Sheriff, and absolutely nothing is
left but jar containing physiological
specimen preserved in alcohol. belonging to
the Doctor.
The scene in the courtroom was dramatic
The poor victim seemed to realize his situa-
tion, and suddenly raising his voice to a
high pitch and becoming highly excited,
called on God to help convince the Judge
and the physicians present that his theory
was right. In an agony of despair, running
up to the Court and placing his hand on the
Judges shoulder he cried: "My God AL
mighty, you will kill my wife as sure as
there is a God in Heaven ask you as a
man, Judge Prendergast, to try the cocaine,
and if am wrong then do with me as you
will"
He commenced the habit about last Nav,
and it has grown on him gradually until
its elimination in the ruin of seven peo-
pie. Three of the children were sent to st.
Vincents Hospital, and his wife and the
remaining two children to St. Joseph's.
It is considered doubtful whether any of
them will ever recover their normal con.
dition.
DIR. W. r. Brewer, who attended Brad
ley, in conversation on the subject of the
drug cocaine, said "The properties of it
as an anasthetic were only discovered
about year and half ago. 1t is a pow
erful cerebral or brain stimulant, and is the
purest and simplest we have. It is most
marvellous in its effects. Under its in
fuence the devotee becomes highly elated,
loquacious, and talks excessively His
movements are active and incessant He
is given sense of exhilaration, self-satis.
faction and a feeling of grandeur; he
thinks he owns all creation and everything
is under his control The condition of
mind it brings to him is most peculiar and
scarcely to be described This gradually
wears off, and the ultimate effect is to de-
stroy his appetite, ruin his digestion, make
him sleeplessly nervous, the result in
evitably being complete brain exhaustion,
80 that the poor creature is literally unfit
forwork of any kind But the remarkable
effect of all is the destruction of the moral
sense and the disturbance of the affections.
Bradley has quarreled with nearly all
his friends. A short time ago, while
/ was in DR.. Dudley's office, he was
present and threatened to shoot me. On
another occasion he ordered DIR. Irwin, of
the North Side, out of his house. The in.
fernal habit is becoming general very fast
Almost every medical journal pick up
contains something concerning its preva-
lence. think it will soon take the place of
morphine and opium, and" said the Doc
tor, with emphasis, ''itis the most infamous
drug Of that class that has ever been
brought before the people. 1t is the most
diabolical of any Of the narcotics and the |
most fascinating and insinuating. Its pri-
mary effects are the most delightful and |
the results the most dangerous of any OF
that nature that have ever come before the
medical profession. 1t is going to give us
more tTonble than any of the other narcot- |
les. Some time ago its expense was great |
barrier to its use, but now that it has be-
come cheaper its circle is widening with |
fearful rapidity. Opium, cannabis, Indica |
or hasheesh and morphine are no COM
parison to it in its horrible after-ef- |
fects. The nervous system suffers to
greater extent under its influence |
than any of the others. You can sleep |
morphine off in great part, but cocaine
makes food or sleep distasteful to the vic. |
tim. can not describe it better than to say
it is venomous To be sure, as a medicinal
agent it has its advantages. 1t is wonder
full relieYer in pain locally. Its function is
double; while it soothes pain locally il
stimulates the brain at the same time. An |
immense amount is now sold by the drug |
houses, both as a medical property and to
be used for the qualification or rather ruin
of devotees. 1t was used in General Grants
case to relieve the pain in his throat; it
kept him comfortable, and its judicious use
undoubtedly prolonged his life. The fact
ofejt being used in his case helped to pub
lish its effects to the world and greatly ac-
celebrated its consumption