The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-09
IS DHBS 4 LUuATIC /?
! D~ipsomaniac Wreck Two
Years Ago-Warned Now
That he Will Break
Down.

1t has Just become known that Eugene ".
Debs, the leader of the strike and President
of the American Railway Union, may not
be responsible for his acts. At any rate, the
physician who two years ago treated him
for dipsomania seems TO think that he can
not be trusted, for on Thursday night he
sent this telegram TO Debs' home in Terre
Haute:-
As your friend and physician I implore
| you to stop where you are. The condition
of your nervous system and the great strain
upon 1t makes you Irresponsible for your
own orders. Yours in friendship, SIX.
CTS r" is DIR. Thomas S. Robertson of
No. % East Twentieth street. to whom in
April, 1892, Debs came in the last stages OF
alcoholic suffering. He bore a letter OF in
PRODUCTION from Col. Robert G.. Ingersoll, a
friend and patient of DR.. Robertson. The
Doctor examined Debs and found him al
most robbed of intellect and will by his ter
rifle alcoholic excuses.
He treated Debs for neurasthenia and dip
somania, and after long and severe treat
ment be improved. Debs went back to
Terre Haute, and since then has not seen
DR.. Robertson, Dor has he written to nm
except once, when in February, 1898. he
wrote to ths physician thanking him for his
treatment-C Col. Ingersoll, who met Deos
not long ago while on a lecturing tour, also
wrote to DIT. Robertson of his patients i'm
proved condition.
DR.. Robertson, while loathe to speak OF a
former patient, said that he had sent the
telegram not only in the interest of Debs, but
believing that it would hasten the end OF the
present excitement.
1.-The continuous strain to which he is sub
| jected." said DR.. Robertson yesterday, can
not but affect his nervous system and the
soundness of his Judgment. In moments OF
excitement he is liable to be carried away by
his w enthusiasm, and his judgment OF
men and affairs necessarily must be mis-
taken"
'sWhat was his condition when he came to
| New York;
she was all broken down. replied DR..
Robinson. ""He was suffering from nervous
prostratio II as a result of excessive use OF
| stimulants. He was earnestly desirous OF
reforming, and he cheerfully submitted to
Il GT6dblII6ut. AU IuC GlQ " IA liOliuAA hO az
peared to be cured. and he returned to the
West. Some months ago received a letter
from him saying the cure had been per-
manent up to that time. Debs struck me as
| a maj of very high intelligence in his lucid
moments. He was, howeved, filed with en-
thusiasm for the cause of labor, and he had
the most optimistic views Of the future. He
- i 80 4 I.1 ~<r0rl- -, a1ifirr a
paper, and he appeared to belong to any
number of societies. Unquestionably the
man was sincere in all he said and did, but
his sansuine temperament and tie amount OF
work he put upon himself finally led to the
use of stimulants, and these taken in excess
brought on nervous prostration."
lis he a man of sound judgmentg'
"In ordinary times, yes, bnt he is likely to
be carried away by excitement and enthu-
sias,n. TIL present strike cannot but col
lapse. The sooner it is over the better it will
be for Debs. He GU hit to know himself well
enough to understand that excitement of
this kind is bad for him. I telegraphed him
in the hope that he might be made to stop
where he was.
81 do not know that he has ever had any
return of the nervous disorder for which ne
was treated here, but when he went back to
Terre Haute I cautioned him against undue
excitement as well as abstention from liquor.
/ think he told me he was an Alsatian by
descent. He was great admirer of Colonel
~Ingersoll, whom | think he knew in the
West. He used to rail against monopolies,
and declare that a time of reckoning would
soon be at hand. Edo not know that he was
ever in New York before he came to me-"
ssWhat is neurastheniag"
s.Neurasthenia may be defined as a condi-
ton of nervous debility supposed to be de-
pendent upon impairment in the functions