The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-05-08

1ilSlll DtlOIG III llC OillSS Ol AiA. SSloSs
 that the witness had spent four days at different times in preparation of the case.
 That in forming his opinion as to soundness of mind he took into consid- eration the fact that Dr. Hoadley exc
 cuted will in which his sister was un-
 mentioned, but that he did not give
 any weight to the fact that in the same
 will he made substantial provisions for
 the children of this same sister. Dr.
 Stearns testified that he drew a dis tinction between an abnormal condi-
 ton of the mind and an unsound con- dition of mind; that by the former he
 meant that the brain was effected by
 poison, the active influence of which had passed by, but that the condition
 of the brain was left as one easily re- sponsive to the temptation of using the drug again; while by unsound con- dition of mind he meant 8 state of the brain in which there was large meas ure of imperfect mental action.
 Witness testified that it was charac- | teristic of the use of opium that the
 person so addicted rarely had either permant hallucinations or delusions; | that the use of opium to excess does not necessarily produce insanity; that
 some people can take much larger | dose of the drug than others. Fifteen grains was the largest dose Of morphlhe | the witness knew of having been taken by anybody and the patient survive; | that to an ordinary man in normal con
 dition of health five grains would be a | fatal dose.
 pr. Stearns knew that a moderate
 use of opium was indulged in by large
 number of people who habitually used | it every day without any noticeable
 bad results. The witness thought that | the fact that a man could recognize
 that he had delusions and hallucina~
 tions, and that they were imaginary,
 and that he could so distinguish them
 was merely slight evidence of sound
 ness of mind.
 l On being asked whether he consider | ed the fact of Dr. Hoadleys own knowl-
 edge that he went voluntarily to an
 asylum was an indication of insanity,
 he declared that he thought the fact | that he recognized that he was indulg-
 ing in excess in the use of the drug and went to an institution to put himself
 under treatment was an indication of
 unsound mind.
 Dr. Stearns stated that he was una- l ble to define the word narcotic" that | that all intoxicating liquors were mar | cotics as we'll as morphine. That ap- l pie cider in so far as it contained all l cohol was a narcotic. He should not
 consider that coffee or tea came within
 that category He testified that he had | frequently had narcotic patients at his
 institution at Hartford, and had seven | ty or eighty patients of that descrip-
 tion in the last six years. On arrival,
 he designated most of these patients
 on his records as insane, that he dis | charged most of them, from 50 to 70
 per cent, as recovered. What are the
 usual criteria, doctor, upon which you discharge a patient as recovered, was
 asked by Judge Stoddard, The witness
 answered.: Prom personal obserVa-
 tion, when I notice that patients for a | long period of time are able to conduct | themselves in normal manner, I dis charge them as recovered, and make no | distinction in discharging them as re-
 covered between morphine and alco-
 holic patients The witness testified
 that he considered those patients suf- fering with acute mania at the time | of their arrival, and having delusions | and hallucinations at the time of the
 most pronounced type, have the best
 chance of final recovery. By being
 asked whether if a patient upon ar rival at the institution, had delusions
 of such a pronounced and aggravated | type, which lasted for long period
 thereafter there appeared no indication l of deIusions of any sort whatever.
 whether if then the patient returned l to social life and satisfied his friends
 and intimates in the daily conduct and
 association of his life, that he was | perfectly rational, whether if then if
 from the present standpiont of medical
 science, he would not be considered as
 recovered. Dr. Stearns answered: "l think I should make that case in my
 report as recovered and so consider it. 7"