Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-12
PRETENDING TO BE CRIPPLED.

A Glass of Ma1ingerers Who Seek to Re-
cover Damages from Railroads
OF late years q new class of malingerers
has arisen This is composed of the peo-
pie who. when any accident happens to o
railway train. steamboat or otner convey
ance owned by corporation or rich person
At which they are present as passengers.
pretend that they have been seriously
injured and forthwith bring suit agains.
the proprietors in immense sums for dam
ages. A Asmattering Of medical knowledge
is very soon acquired by these people dur
ing their examinations by their physicians.
and they are thus oftun enabled to cut a
pretty good figure bef ,re a jury do not
think 1t Is at all difficult to detect these
impostors-
1t Is rarely the care that they are 30
consistent in their detail Of alleged symp-
toms and In their conduct as to deceive q
medical man thoroughly well skilled in
his profession. Besides this. they gener,
ally overact their part in their efforts to
deceive, and. II subjected to close scrutiny
for some considerable time. or at periods
when they do not suspect that they are
watched. scarcely ever fail to show them
selves In their true colors.
Not long since ! was applied to by .
young man. who informed me that. about
Q month previously. in getting of street
railway car. he had been violently thrown
to the ground. SO that he had wrenched
his back. had become partially paralyzed
In both legs. and bad. besides. sustained
serious internal injuries In addition TO
wanting my professional advice he de
sired an examination. with a special view
of having me to testify before court in
suit for 10000 damages. which he in
tended to institute against the railway
company caused him to take of his
clothes. and found at once that there
was no emaciation On the contrary. his
body was remarkably well nourished He
complained Of pain in the upper region Of
the spine and screamed in apparent
agony when slightly touched that part
Of his body II seemed to me then that
there was an unusual degree of sensitive
ness. and not at all such as would have
been developed had he been really injured
in the way he described The grasp of
his hand was very weak. but at the same
time his muscles were large and well
formed
was satisfied even at the time that be
was making the most Of his condition. if
not actually deceiving me- | next asked
him tc walk around the room until told
him to stop. At 6rst he tottered over the
floor as II about to fall al every step and
Of great pains in his legs. AS
he continued walking. however. | kept
him in conversation. so as to divert his
mind from himself As consequence he
was thrown of his guard. as expected
he would be. so that after half dozen
turns his gait was measurably improved,
and at times was Is good as 1t ever had
been. OF course. il there had been any
real paralysis. every step he took would
have added to his lameness- Some other
Of examination with instruments
Of precision placed the fact Of his fraudu
lent pretensions beyond doubt. then
accused him Of deception. and recapitu
lated to him the points which BY his In
sufficient knowledge of the subject had |
led to his detection After numerous pro
he confessed that he bad been |
irilled by an attorney to simulate spinal |
injury with view to defrauding the rail |
way company.-Dr William A. Hammond |
N Boston Globe