Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-22


49, more, the Siossa
c'ty-distrct and the
Cronstadt military
circuit-under the dictatorship of the
ezars all responsible life preserver," the
minister of the imperial body. Gen. Tsche-
rewin. his majesty in the hands of the
mailman. Prof Sacharjin! 1t is all the fault
Of the nihilist pest
Thus the politicians of the coffee house
and the lar room are arguing and the
worst of il Is the facts in the case are true,
though the proSnosis may be defective The
immense territory above described is actu-
ally under military law since August 6;
when the troika of the Grand Duchess
Xenia and her newly welded husband, AL
exander Michailoyitch, was wrecked by
dynamite mile SO from Peterhof, the
cars residence II was a case of mistaken
identity. of course-the conspirators were
laying for his majesty
The car, previous 10 this has been ailing
In consequence of third attack of infiu-
enza, misnamed "a mild catarrh" by the
Court Circular. for some time. His i'll
ness made him morose and suspicious Fear
OF assassination deferred him from taking
necessary physical exercise. Result: He
mas grown enormously in bulk ever since
his return from Denmark last fall.
The Peterhof plot realized Alexander's
worst apprehensiOns of the nihilistic evil;
his nervousness grew intolerable acted on
his digestion. his kidneys. The doctors d.
agnosed his case Brlght's disease &C
companied by dropsy. To alleviate their pa
tents excruciating pains they dosed him
with narcotics. And one fine morning a
week ago, when Alexander awoke from
Test induced by opiates, he was a raving
maniac.
The terrible idea had taken possession of
his mental faculties that the medicine ad-
ministered TO him was slow poison, and
that his physicians, nay even his relatives,
were in league with the constitutional enc
my.
Called in snchnrjin.
In her anxiety. her utter helplessness,
the czarina, or czaritza, as her Russian
title reads, resolved upon a heroic measure.
She called in the eccentric Moscow savant
Prof. Sacharjin. who has once before res
cued the car from the brink of the grave
and In whom his majesty trusts Infinitely
oppoItUne hour. Alexander recognized him.
hailed him one not in the conspiracy"
and promised to submit to his treatment.
So Sacharjin is now in complete charge of
the imperial person. He does with him
whatever he thinks fit to do.
"A mad man curing another" say the
memters of the court, and add: IF he
does no good-he cannot do HARM anyhow :"
Ii looks. indeed, as If the car was DOOM
fd-he who only two years ago was consid-
cred the healthiest and strongest man on
moyai to a chalet in the Beloweschki for
est. an estate In the wilderness, so to
speak, a wilderness enllvened only by divi-
sions OF gendarmes and regiments Of Co.'S
sacks from Old Russia. Before he left ST.
petersburg, however. wet cupping" was
resorted to; that is. a large quantity of
blood was taken from his majesty's right
arm The blood drawn proved the presence
OF an unusual quantity of water and of
waxy degeneration.
The professor diagnosed the cars mental
condition as morbid emotional depression"
Alexander's insane delusion, the result of
the weakening of his body and brain by
Influenza, and fear of conspirators cannot
pc dispelled by argument; "he knows what
surroundings. green uniforms and armed
men everywhere. reinforces his belief
AFTER the wet cupping the car became
extremely weak. and his journey made in
powers left to him completely. As to the
nature of the cure proposed by Prof Sach-
ar1in. those outside of the cars present
living apartment can judge only by his ply
slciahs peculiar record. Here are a few
tacts concerning the Moscow Doctors mode
or proceedings with his patients, by one of
them who escaped with his life"
His Strange Methods.
SacnarJin, says my Informant, is between
siAty-nVe and seventy years Of age, and
Ior 'hirty-five years held the post of pro-
lessor In the university at Moscow. His
SCHOOLS He never was a writer of anv
account, but devotes himself almost on
tirely to his practice. In which he snassad
fortune of five million roubles No mater
VINO his patient IS the doctor insists I,non
tne iohowlng rules and regulations to
De observed in the houses he visits: All
dogs must be sent away. the electrical bells
must not be used; all doors must be opane1
throughout the house. On entering Sachar
jim drops his overcoat In the haIl bis
III
and hat in the next apartment and his
1rock coat In the chamber adjoining that
where the patient lies. The family and
attendants of the sick person are reouested
to keep silent and answer questions oplv
yes or no" my
Sacharjin conducts his Investigations Of
the PHYSICAL and mental condition of the
patient without losing a word afterwards
rests>awhile and then gives his diagnosis
In writing to the house physician who
must accept 1t without remonstrance or
get out. lie must also consent to carry
out SacharJin's orders for medicine etc.
TO the letter.
Does he prescribe freely?" asked.
"Saeharjin boasts that he has never writ
ten a prescription in his life" answered
my informant. He leaves that duty to
his assistants. His principal Characteristic
Is that he Is opposed to all genera!izing.
and treats every patient separately, in
dividuaIly. Moreover he never finishes his
diagnosis until he knows all about III.
mental and corporal condition of a sufferer
curing the past ten years or longer"
Sacharjin labored over the cZar for two
or three days before he made known his
decision. acting most of the time in a half
crazy fashion and making unheard-of de-
mands upon the poor empress. who COM
piled with his requests. fearing to offend
the great man. One OF the doctors prin-
cipleS IS Rest before you are tired" Fol-
lowing cut this. his own recipe. Sacharjin
sits down after walking from one end of a
room to another and cannot be prevailed
upon To move for some time. In the same
manner he interrupts his investigations of
the patient constantly, either to lie down
and smoke or call for some refreshments.
AS the car was half dead when the pro-
fessOr arrived. the latter's mode of pro-
ceedinS was asgravatinSly slow and tetli-
Gus and called forth protests without num-
Der. but also without success His final
Judgment, il Is said, was delivered in such
brusquc aud abrupt style as to brighten the
cZarina nearly out of her wits. When, at
that occasion, his ma jeStys body physician
dared to differ from Sacharjil, the Moscow
savant Hew into a rage and threatened TO
abandon the case instantly. After acting
In this eccentric and rude style for several
hours. Sacharjin finally announced that he
would undertake the. emperCrs cure only If
he was left entirely to himself with an as
sistant pledged to carry out his (Sachar-
jin's) every order instantly and without