Connecticut western news., 1888-02-22
Fate of John Ramsay, M. D.
BY W. Fl. s. ATKINSON.

l am physician. l have made life long study of the human brain, and may, perhaps, bs pardoned if say that my opinions upon diseases of the mind now carry considerable weight among members of the profession.
 It is only a week or two since was called to large asylum for the insane in Northern Ohio to examine case which baffled 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 now made tour of inspection WIS a most beautiful building, resembling in its appoint ments the homes of tho wealthy and opulcnt. We wandered through room after room and along successive halls and corridors where men and women ia every stage of insanity passed the time in various harmless amuscments, or were restlessly confined in tho care of ward CTS and nurses. Of all the misf ortunes 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 O.: familiarity with all phases of weak in tellect, l never cease to feel devoutly thankful for that greatest of all benefits conferred upon men by a beneficent Gre ator-a sound brain.
 We had passed through the greater part of the enormous institution and were approaching that portion of the building set apart for the residence of tho experimenting physician-my friend, Dr. Habershon. Taking from his pocket key, Dr. Habershon in serted it in the keyhole of door. Be- fore turning it, he looked at me in a strange manner and said: elf you were not an old med, Hartly, anl as familiar with strange cases as I am my self, should warn you to keep your countenance and betray no surprise on entering here. And I 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 I have witnessed queer, weird, wild and, oft times blood -curdling sights, I never felt SO startled in all my life as did at that moment. The room was not by any means dark, for it was we'll lighted by large window running all along one side, but placed above the reach of s man, even though he should stand upon a chair; yet at tho farther end of the room noticed 6 students lamp burning over plain pinewood table, upon which rested human skull and some wliting paper. Seated at this table, pencil in hand, was man about tht same age as myself and Dr. Habershor | (4O years) gazing intently upon th' skull. What startled me so severely was the fact that when I had last seer that man more than fifteen years since I had seen him ill exactl. such position, with precisely simila surroundings. And yet, what diff ference! Then he had just graduated at the head of his class from our col lege, and was looked upon as one of tn, most promising young physicians in tn
 country-now, he was a helpless maniac
 'Ramsaya" l involuntarily qucried only partially believing my own eye sight. Habershon nodded. ''You neet not speak to him; he won't rtpl,. It i
 just 6 clock. He will sit at that tabl gazing at the old skull until daybreal