San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-15


A Glass OF Malingerers Who Seek to Re-
cover Damages from Railroads.
OF late years new class Of malingerers
has arisen This is composed Of the peo-
pie who. when any accident happens to
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 against
the proprietors in immense sums for dam
ages. A smsttering of medical knowledge
is very soon acquired by these people dur
ing their examinations by their physicians,
and they are thus often enabled to cut
pretty good figure before jury. do not
think it is at all difficult to detect these
impostors.
1t is rarely the case that they are so
consistent in their detail of alleged symp.
toms and in their conduct as to deceive
medical man thoroughly well skilled in
his profession. Besides this, they gener-
ally overact their part in their efforts to
deceive. and. if 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
a month previously. in getting off 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 had. 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 $4,000 damages. which he in,
tended to institute against the railway
company caused him to take off his
clothes. and | found at once that there
was no emaciation. On the contrary. his
body was remarkably we'll 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. 1t 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 he
was making the most of his condition. if
not actually deceivlng me. | next asked
him tc walk around the room until told
him to stop At first he tottered over the
floor as if about &c fall at every step and
complained 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 a dozen
turns his gait was measurably improved,
and at times was as good as it ever had
been. Of course, if there had been any
real paralysis. every step he took would
have added to his lameness Some other
methods of examination with instruments
of precision placed the fact of his fraudu
lent pretenslons 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
testatlons he confessed that he had been
drilled by al attorney to simulate spinal
injury with view to defraudIng the rail
way company.-Dr William A Hammond
in Boston Globe