The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-09-30
HE TOMBS DOCTOR.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDYING
CRIMINAL NATURE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDYING
CRIMINAL NATURE
:, ,f His Patients suffer From the Ef-
ec,- q. Dissipation -victims.Sf Morphine
nd opium-PIacebo For Those Who
reign Illness
while his duties are limited officially
the care and medical treatment of the
mates Of the pombs, OF city prison,
q. J. Ward undoubtedly has one OF
most interesting fields of professional
,ctice and study. 1t extends among
h. OF patients which, taken all IN
are hardly TO be duplicated any
here else.
Tt was not 10 dilate on the valuable
[Inortunities TO science presented TO the
|tv priscn physician for the making OF
jstudv or speciality Of criminology III
S calling, however, that l visited Dr.
'Eard recently, but 70 ascertain from
i'm some Of the more interesting details
his work and experience l found
m evidently about % years old. with
8easant and kindly features When ne
boke. he expressed himself meditatively
b. 10 the point His words were well
Leiobed. and there could be no miscon-
3ruing his meaning.
"Oh. there is 20 doubt of the Tombs
teinc a fine place to make a study IN
he line Of criminOlogy, - said Dr.. Ward
hen / first broached the subject Of my
isit and alluded to the field open IN
fhis line. 1.-The material is here, and the
|uportuniites for observation are unllm-
|ted."
| In answer TO my question as to the
thvsical condition Of the prisoners at
|he Toml,s and their ailments the ply
ician replied:
About rs per cent of all that come
n here suffer from some gastric and
nervous troubles, the results Of dlsslpa-
lou. Thirty five per cent of these are or
have been addicted TO the opium or
|norphine habit. After these oplate VIC
| inns have been here a short while and
Ibeir access TO their favorite drug cut
| # their sufferings become pitiable to
! degree.
I have had patients here Of this
! as, he continued, Ito whom L had
= administer as high as 80 grains OF
|norphine in one day 10 save their lives
Ehis dose would be sufficient TO klll
|.bout five ordinary persons not accus-
omed to the drug
That victims TO the opium and NOR
khine habits should furnish as many as
B. out Of every 100 CT ninals landing
T. the city prison. when the police and
|sber authorities Of the city are pro-
aiming that the open sale or use OF
drugs has been entirely suppressed
f. stamped o1t. somewhat surprised
(ne. and | asked Dr.. Ward whence this
artic1lar class Of prisoners came from.
The alcoholic patients ara prin-
ipally from the upper section oil the
II. but the morphine or opium VIC
ms. as a rule. ali come from the lower
art Of the city," he replied. lone OF
he most pitiable subjects of the opium
abit that came here was George Appo,
he green goods operator, who is the son
Z Ouinbo Apo. the Chinese murderer.
A7zso testified before the Lexow com
mittee against McNaIly, the king Of
the green goods men. Apo had not
'een IN the Tombs without his opium
tor over few days when the want oi
che drug began 90 assert itself on IN:
entire system. His noans and groans al
might fairly kept awake and annoyed
all the prisoners in the other cells Oh
the same corridor.
One curious feature, from a medical
about the Tombs prisoners
Is tilst they almost Immediately become
seized with the impression that they
are suffering from all sorts Of ailments
and want treatment They ruminat'
over their old complaints and shout fol
the doctor. whereas if they were a
home they would never think of need
ing medical attendance.
With the habituai criminal or IRE
uezters" and ''revolvers. 4" as they ar
allied, this is not the case. These know
the regulations Of the prison and under
and that the least troublesome way t'
get along is to cause as little annoyance
as possible. Ii is remarkable also to no
tice how newcomers to the city prison
quite readily become reconciled to th'
surroundings. The first day they appar
entity feel their degradation. but in 1
few days it is wonderful 20 behold
them, laughing and joking about theil
predicaments-
Equally remarkable is the way th'
newcomers, or at least those committed
for petty offenses, will take TO lionizins
and looking up to those committed fo
xhe higher grades of crime, such a
murder and bank robbery.
"A class Of people who are great a
feigning illness are those who com
down here from the workhouse OF
8lackwell's island, - said DR.. Ward fur
eher. ''As soon as / hear of thes,
complaining and find them in a norma
condition ! tell them they require n'
medicine, and if they take any 1t vii
do them more harm than good. If the
are persistent after my examination o.
advice. why. i give them a prescription
calling for placebo, which is reall,
something in the name of a medicin'
only, but in reality composed of pills o
common bread or a colored water. Thi
piacebo acts like a charm in these cases
for when / go my rounds and ask th'
plaoe5o patients how they feel after tax
ing tins medicine they declare the rem
edy excellent and want 10 know why
did not prescribe It for them before.
Zone thing that surprises me here i
the way cri.linals charged with mon
Srro1s crimes secure the sympathy o
those women who are of a benevolent O
charitable turn Of mind These crimi
mails pour alleges stories Of their fal
from grace and innocence into the ear
Of these confiding people, but IN min
cases out q ten where the prisoner j
helped and gets out he or she make
-sporT Of the credulity Of the benefactor,
concluded Dr. Ward as he stepped on
II his Office to make his rounds. New
York News