The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-02-16
Fate Of John Ramsay, M. D.
BY W. II. s. ATKINSON.

am physician. have made life
long study of the human Drain, and
may, perhaps, be pardoncd ii l say that
my opinions upon diseases OF the mind
now carry considerable weight among
members of the profession.
1t is only week or two since l was
called to large asylum for the insane in
Northern Ohio to examine case which
baffied the skill of the local doctors.
After disposing of that matter I took an
unprofessional stroll through the insti-
tuition in company with my old friend
the superintendent.
The asylum over which l now made
tour Of inspection WIS a most beautiful
building, resembling in its appoint
ments the homes of the wealthy and
opulent. We wandered through room
after room and along successive halls
and corridors where mon and women in
every stage of insanity passed the time
in various harmless amusements, Or were
restlcssly confined in the care of ward
ers and nurses. Of all the misfortunes
to which humanity is heir, this loss OF
reason is, to my mind, the saddcst by
far; and, though might be expected to
have grown hardened by long years 0;
familiarity with all phases of weak in
tellect, never cease to feel dcvoutly
thankful for that greatest of all benefits
conferred upon men by benefcent Gre
ator--a sound brain.
We had passed through tho greater
part of tho enormous institution and
were approaching that portion of the
building set apart for the residence Of
the experimenting physician--my
friend, DR.. Habcrshon. Taking from
his pocket key, Dr.. Habershon in-
serted it in the keyholc of door, Be.
fore turning it, he looked at me in
strange manner and said: "If you
were not an old med, Hartly, AMI as
familiar with strange cases as l am my
self, should warn you to keep your
countenance and betray no surprise on
entering here. And l speak, anyhow,
so as to be on the safe side" So say
ing he turned the key in the lock and
opened the door. We quietly entered a
very neat but plainly furnished room,
and ! confess that, although l have
witnessed queer, weird, wild and, Oft
times blood-curdling sights, never felt
so startled in all my life as did at that
moment. The room was not by any
means dark, for it was well lighted by
large window running all along ono
side, but placed above the reach of
man, even though he should stand upon
chair; yet at the farther end of the
room noticed a students lamp burning
over a plain pine-wood table, upon
which rested human skull and some
Writing paper. Seated at this table,
pencil in hand, was man about the
same age as myself and Dr. Habershon
Gao years. gazing intcntly upon the
skull. What startled me so severely
was the fact that when l had last seen
that man more than fifteen years since
l had seen him in exactly
such position, with precisely similar
surroundings. And yet, what a diff
fcrcnccl Thea he had ju't graduated
at the head of his class from our col
lege, and was looked upon as ono of the
most promising young physicians in the
he was helpless maniacl
"Ramsayl" l invoiuntarily queried,
only partially believing my own eye
sight. Habershon nodded. "You need
not speak to him; he wol't r.ply. 1t is !
Just 6 O'Clock. He will sit at that table |
gazing at the old skull until daybreak |