St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-19
CRAZED BY A CORPSE.
A Brilliant Young Medical Student Has
a Horrible Experience in Dis
secting Room.
His Subject Lays an Icy Hand Upon
His Head, and the Horror Drives
Him Mad.
Strangely Restores Him Both to
Health and Reason.
BARLEY Campbell Firmly Convinced
That He is the Almighty and His
Asylum Heaven.
= Medical Students Experience.

EXDeflenCAs
Special to the Globe.
New YORK, July 1S.-The cause and
cure OF the insanity of Charles Richards,
lately patient at the insane asylum at
BIackwelPs Island, where he has been for
many months under the special care of a
specialist noted for his cleverness in the
treatment of the insane, present one Of
the strange freaks which nature so pecu-
Harly deals out once in awhile with no APP
parent reason or determination. 1t was in
the winter OF 1885, just after the beginning Of
the seasons course of lectures at the College
OF Physicians and Surgeons in Twenty
third street, that Richards was admitted as
second year student from the medical uni
versity. He had just passed his 21st birth.
day, and was i'll many respects a remarka-
bic student. 1t was along in October that
he determined to make strenuous effort to
carry of the prize for the best dissection of
the head, neck and right arm. For several
days he kept a close watch at the dead
houses and morgue for the right kind of
subject. He wanted a body which in
dicated strength and delicacy. He found
one at last. 1t was the corpse of a girl who
had been found frozen in a lumber
yard. Her age was about 90. No one
came to claim her body. and the city was
$40 richer when the bargain was made with
the morgue keepers. On the records she
went to the Potter's field. AS a matter of
fact she was carted IN a Zinc-lined basket
to the college Of physicians and surgeons.
The weather was. intensely cold. The
body had been frozen in sitting posture,
and retained this shape. The face of the
dead girl wore sort of idiotic smile. Her
left hand was cramped over the alb
domen. The right hand was raised
behind her head and held firmly there by
the cold. The keepers carried the body to
the dissecting room in the roof and placed
it on a marble slab. It was nearly II
o'clock when Richards started through the
dlmly-lighted dissecting room, where, upon
the tWenty-four slabs were as many grim
ming, distorted bodies in every stage of dis
section. 1t was not pleasant place for q
nervous man, and the sight was not
in keeping with feelings of merriment.
and Richards moved quickly to slab No.
II. There was the girl, with her frozen
smile, sitting upright. The body was
naked. 1t was slightly thawed, but was
still too hard for the knife to run easily.
The hard flesh made the work tedious and
the student advanced slowly. He was
bending low over the abdomen, engrossed
i'll his work. Above his head there was q
change. The upper part of the corpse had
thawed the most. The muscles In the right
arm, the hand of which was behind
the head, relaxed, and the weight caused
the hand to slip from behind the
head and slowly descend. Richards did
not know of the change, He had discov-
cred a rare form of tumor and bent over to
examine it. Downward came the hand,
moving little quicker all the while, until,
suddenly, the body gave little jerk and
| the icy hand fell flat upon the young mans
neck. The shock was something terrible.
He couldn't stir. His blood seemed to
freeze in his veins. He clutched the frozen
leg to keep from falling, and then he
slowly drew his head away and looked at
the corpse. The same idiotic smile was
there, but, to his excited imag-
nation. the lips seemed to move
in silent mockery. He felt as if
suffocating. He could not stand the atmos-
phere of the room any longer and rushed
mrdly into the open air in his black dissect-
ing gown. He hurried home and aroused
his uncle. He told him the story in every
detail and said that he could not get the
womans hands off his neck. His uncle
laughed at the idea, and tried to dispeI the
illusion. But in a week Richards became
insane and had to be sent to the island.
The main manifestation of his dementia
was in the exhibition of the most abject
fear. His condition became gradually
worse, and the case was looked upon
as hopeless. He had to be carefully watched
to keep him from committing suicide.
The patient during one night got up from
his cot tore up sheet and hung himself to
the door of his cell. He was found soon
afterwards by the keeper, unconscious and
nearly dead. He was at once cut down,
and efforts were made to resuScitate him.
Finally they succeeded. When the effect
of the great shock had worn off and the
young man recognized his uncle who had
been sent for and talked with him. He
seemed to be dazed, but spoke in natural
manner. He was watched closely, but it
was evident that his mind was slowly inn
proving, and hopes were entertained of
his cure. There was no trace of the
former dread which possessed him, and he
gradually grew bright and cheerful. In
month he seemed as we'll as ever, talked
freely about himself and his feelings, and
professed that his mind was blank about
the events of the months that he had been
confined. 1t was deemed safe to discharge
him from the asylum, and about a week
ago he was set free. Two days after he
got home he appeared well and happy,
though at times slightly daZed. A change
being advised, he started for Europe. 1t
is believed he will return perfectly sound in