Wichita eagle., 1888-04-07
JOHN RAMSAY, N. D.

udpe, DS pdrQOl0Q IL say tnAS my opinions
upon diseases of the mind now carry consid-
cradle weight among members of the profess
sion.
1t is only week or two since was called
to large asylum for the ipsane in northern
Ohio 10 examine a case which bafied the
skill Of the local doctors after disposing of
that matter, took an unprofessional stroll
through the institution IN company with my
old friend the superintendent.
The asylum over which now made tour
OF inspection was most beautiful building,
resembling in its appointments the homes Of
the wealthy and opulsnt We wandered
through room after room, and along success
sive halls and corridors, where men and
women in every stage Of insanity passed the
time in various harmless amusements, or
we're restlessly confined in the care Of ward
ers and nurses. OF all the rnisfortunes to
which humanity is heir, this loss Of reason
is, to my mind, the saddest by far, and
though might DO expected to have grown
hardened by long years of familiarity with
all phases of weak intellect, l never cease to
feel devoutly thankful for that greatest Of all
benefits conferred upon men by benefcent
creator-a sound brain.
We had passed through the greater part Of
ing that portion Of the building set apart for
the residence Of the experimenting physician
my friend, Dr. Habershon Taking from
his pocket key. DR.. Habershon inserted it
In the keyhole of q door Before turning it
be looked at me in a strange manner and
said: ''If you were not an old med, Hartly,
and as familiar with strange eases Is am
myself, should warn you to keep your coun-
ND hsofy M
here. And l speak anyhow, SO as to DO on
ths safe side" So saying, be turned the hey
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, wierd, wild and oft times
blood curdling sights, never felt so startled
in all my lie as did at that moment. The
room was not by any means dark, for it was
well lighted by large window running all
along one side, but placed above the reach of
man, even though Re should stand upon a
chair; yet at the further end of the room l
noticed o Students lamp burning over
plain pine v pod 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. Laberyhon
40 years, gazing intently upon the skull
What startled me so severely was the fact
that when he'd last seen that rnen-more
than fifteen years since-I had seen him in
exactly such position, with precisely SINH
lar surroundings. And yet, what a differ
ence! Then he hnd Just graduated at the
head Of his class from our college, and was
looked upon q. one Of the most promising
young physicians in the country-noH, he
was helpless maniec
Ramsay" I involuntsrily queried, only
partially believing my own eyesight. Haber-
shon nodded. "Y on need not speak to him;
he won't reply. 1t is Just 6 o'clock. He will
sit at that table gazing at the old skull IN
I'll day break, and then he will throw himself
upon his bed and sleep until noon That's
the way he used to do, YOU know, and / hui
NOR him all / can. Poor old Ramsay; owe
him q good deal, you know, Hartly. You
remember su about it.n
Yes, I remember the story, although I
had almost forgotten it."
Ramsay. Habershon and myself were all
students together in Philadelphia. We were
in the same classes in college and jointly oc-
cupej the same suite of rooms. Further
more We were all making a speciality of
studying the human brain, and the only
point wherein we materially differed from
each other was that Ramsay knew moro than
we two fellows together
True, Ramsay was, in regard to his theo-
ries and speculations, what many people would
call ''crank"-but then, successful cranks
are esteemed to be geniuses, and certainly
Ramsay was, in my Judgment, quite as near
the one as the other.
We three fellows all fitted in the same
social set, and although both Ramsay aud
Habsrshon knew good and beautiful girls by
the score, the fates decraed that they should
fall in love with the same young lady. And
yet, strange enough, they never displayed
bad feeling toward each other, nor ever
sought TO make the lady's position an un-
pleasant one on account of their rivalry. 1t
seemed TO me, an onlooker, as though there
was a tacit understanding between them,
that no undue influence should be brought
into play, but that, knowing how both loved
and admired her, the objec: of their adulira-
ton and esteem should be left quietly to
choose between them.
Grace Thorneycroft was a most beautiful
and estimable girl, and, though / have been
an old bachelor all my days, L do not wonder
that any man should have sought her for his
wife
One DAY Grace, with her father. mother
and brother. were down at Atlantic City,
where They all took a ssilhoat and went out.
A sudden squat overta6ing them, the frail
pleasure boat was upset and Grace was the
only member Of tie party who escaped with
her life. She was picked up IN a fsinting
condition and tenderiy cared for. but when
restored, physically, it ~as found that her
mind was shattered-shs was insane. All
that wealth, combined with skill, could do
was done for Grace, but it awaited nothing,
and physicians and friends at last gave up
the case as hopeless. Habershon was him
self almost crazy with grief and could not
bear 10 so near the poor girl. AS for Ram
Say, be shut himself up in his den-a small,
barely furnished room where he was in the
habit of pursuing his studies and expert
ments. There was determined expression
on the fellows face. and when l looked in on
him (Which was seldom he was always busy
with his papers and books-souletimes en-
gagged in Gissectiag the brains OF dogs and
other animals, snd once examining human
brain.
He seldom spoke or even so much as re-
marked my presence, though once he said in
an excited tone: Il shall cure her, Hartly-it
shall be done at any cost
So for days and weeks he sat over that bare
pine table gazing at the skull in front of him
ever and anon rapidly penciiing diagrams
Of the human brain ana Of the nervous sys-
tenn.
Late one evening was sitting with Haber-
shon when there came a rap at the door and
Ramsay entered. lie WIS very quiet, but
knowing him as well as did could tell
he had something beyond the ordinary ON
his mind
.sBoys," he said. 81 think have found what