Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-09-19
SATURDAY SEPT. 10 1896.
THE TOMBS DOCTOR,
tsllN VT--Tr Trtlii.ld
HIS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDYING
'''''' CRIMINAL NATURE.


.i..,.ti ...l.ii i...s ----------tfn 300 e.aal
Mos OF Hb Patients .suner From the Ell
y. fssts ~ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or Morphine
AAd Opiuaa-PlaOebo For Those who
FelgR Tifiiess- p.
While his duties are limited officially
TO the care and medical treatment of the
inmates of the Tombs. or city prison.
DR.. o. J. Ward undoubtedly has one of
the ostinterestipg fields Of professional
pracfioe and study. 1t extends among a
Glass Of patients which. taken all in
AL. are hardly to be duplicated any
where else, i...i b. f.-.l..l- -.
1t was net to diiate on tho valuable
opportunities to science presented to the
city prison physician for tho making of
a study or speciality Of criminology in
his calling, however, that ] visited DR..
Weird, recently. bnt to ascertain from
him some Of the more interesting details
Of his. work and experience. found
him evidently about so years old, with
pleasant and kindly features. When he
spoke, ne expressed himself meditativeN
and to the point, His words were well
weighed and there could be no rniscon-
sttuing his meaning ...... %. .....to.., -.
,,a"Oh, there is no doubt Of the Tombs
being n hne place to make a study in
the line OF orimiDology, +" said DR.. Ward
when first broached the subject of my
visit and alluded to tho field open in
this line THE material is here, and the
opportunities forobservation are unlim-
tied "
In answer to my question as to the
physical condition of the prisoners at
the Tombs and their ailments the ply
stefan replied:
About 20 per cent of all that come
IN here suffer from some gastric and
nervous troubles, the results Of dissipa-
ton Thirty-ive per cent of these are or
have been addicted to the opium or
morphine habit. After these opiate vic
Tins have been here short while and
their access to their favOrite drug cut
on their sufferings become pitiable to
. degree.
Il have had patients here Of this
class. he continued, ito whom I had
70 administer as high as 80 grains of
morphine in one day TO save their lives
This dose would be sufficient TO kill
about Eve ordinary persons not accus-
toned TO the drug
That victims to the opium and NOR
phine habits should furnish as many as
80 ont Of every 100 criminals landing
In the city prison. when the police and
other authorities of the city are pro-
claiming that the open sale or use of
these drugs has been entirely suppressed
on stamped out, somewhat surprised
me. and I asked DR.. Ward whence this
particular class Of prisoners came from.
THE alcoholic patients are prin-
@paliy from the upper section of the
oty, but tho morphine or opium VIC
Tins. as n rule, all come from the lower
part Of the city," he replied. lone of
the most pitiable subjects of the opium
habit that came here was George Apo.
the green goods operator, who is the son
Of Quimbo Apo. the Chinese murderer.
Apo testified before the Lexow COM
mtttee q nnst McNally, the king Of
the green goods men. Apo had not
been IA the Tombs without his opium
fe< over q Few dare when the want of
the drug began TO assert itsolf % MS
entire system. His means and groans at
night fairly kept awake and ANNOYED
all the prisoners in the other cells on
the same corridor.
One curious feature, from a medical
standpoint, about the Tombs prisoners
IL that they almost Immediately become
setzed with the impression that they
are suffering from all sorts of ailments
and want treatment. They rulninate
over their old complaints and shout for
the doctor, whereas if they were at
home they would never think of need
ing medical attendance.
With the habitual criminal or ere
peaters" and ''revolvers, as they a~e
called. this is not the case. These know
the regulations of the prison and under
stand that the least troublesome way TO
get along is to cause as little ANNOYANCE
as possible. 1t is remarkable also to no.
toe how newcomers to the CITY prison
quite reacily become reconciled to The
surroundings. The first day they appar-
emily feel their degradation, but in q |
few days it is. wonderful to behold |
them, laughing and joking about their
predicaments
Equally remarkable is the way the
newcomers, or at least those committed
for petty offenses, Will take to lionizing
and looking up to those committed for
the higher grades of crime, such as
murder and bank robbery.
"a class Of people who are great at
feigning illness are those who come
down here from the workhouse ON
Blackwell's island, said DR.. Ward fur
Their. AS soon as 1 hear Of these
complaining and find them in normal
condition ! tell them they require no
medicine, and if they take any it will |
do them more harm than good. If they
are persistent after my examination or
advice, why, give them a prescription
calling for placebo, which is really
something in the name of a medicine
only, but in reality composed of pills of
common bread or a colored water. This
piacebo acts like a charm in these cases.
for when I go my rounds and ask the
placebo patients how they feel after tax
ing this medicine they declare the rem
edy excellent and want to know WHY I
did not prescribe it for them before.
One thing that surprises me here is
the way criminals charged with mon.
strous crimes secure the sympathy of
those women who are of a benevolent or
charitable turn of mind. These crimi-
mails pour alleged stories of their fall
nom grace and innocence into the ears
OF these confiding people, bat in nine
eases out OF ten where the prisoner is
helped and gets out he or she makes
sport OF the credulity of the benefactor, "
concluded DR.. Ward as he stepped out
OF his Office to make his rounds. New
York News