Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-22
THE TOMBS DOCTOR.
HIS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDYING
CRIMINAL NATURE. :
Most of his Patients Suder From the IF.
fects of :ssii.ation-victims Of Morphine
and Opium-Placebo For Those Who
Feign Illness.


Feign Illness.
While his duties are limited officially
to the care and medical treatment of the
inmates of the Tombs, or city prison,
DIR. o. J. Ward undoubtedly has one Of
the most interesting fields of professional
practice and study. 1t extends among a
class of patients which, taken all in
all, are hardly to be duplicated any
| where else.
1t was not to dilate on the valuable
opportunities to science presented to the
city prison phy stefan for the making Of
| study or speciality Of criminology in
his calling, however, that / visited DIR.
Ward recently, but to ascertain from
him come Of the more interesting details
Of his work and experience. / found
him evidently about 30 years old, with
pleasant and kindly features When he
spoke, he expressed himself meGiitatively
| and to the point. His words We're we'll
weighed, and there could be no miscon-
STRUNG his meaning.
"Oh, there is no doubt Of the Tombs
being a fine place to make u study in
the line of criminology, said DR.. Ward
when first preached tho subject of INV
visit and alluded to tine field open in
this line. 1.-The material is here, and the
opportunities for observation are unlim-
ited.'
In answer to my question as to the
physical condition of the prisoners at
no he
stefan replied:
About 75 per cent of all that come
in here suffer from some gastric and
nervous troubles, the results Of dissipa-
ton. Thirtyfive per cent of these are or
have been addicted to the opium or
morphine habit. After these opiate VIC
TINS have been here u short while and
their access TO their favorite drug cut
Off their sufferings become pitiable to
q degree.
Il have had patients here of this
class, he continued, Ito whom 1 had
to administer as high as 30 grains of
morphine in one day to save their lives
This dose would be sufficient to kill
about five ordinary persons not accus-
toned to the drug"
That victims to the opium and NOR
phine habits should furnish as MANY as
80 out 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
or stamped out, somewhat surprised
me, and asked DR.. Ward whence this
particular class Of prisoners came from.
The alcoholic patients are prin-
cipaliy from the upper section of the
city, but the morphine or opium VIC
TINS, as rulc, 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 Quiinbo Apo. the Chinese murderer.
Apo testified before the Lexow COM
mittee against McNally, the king Of
the green goods men. Apo had not
been III the Tombs without his opium
for over few days when the want of
the drug began to assert itself on his
entire system. His means and creams ut
night fairly kept awake and ANNOYED
all the prisoners i'll the other cells OH
the same corridor
One curious feature, from n medical
standpoint, about the Tombs prisoners
Is that they almost Immediately become
seized with the impression that they
are suffering from all sorts of ailments
and want treatment. They ruminate
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 are
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.
tlce how newcomers to the city prison
quite readily become reconciled to the
surroundings. The first day thew appar-
emily feel their degradation, but in q
few days 1t 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.
- class of people who are great at
feigning illness are those who come
down here from the workhouse on
Blackwell's island, 3" said Dr. Ward fur
ther. AS soon as l hear of these
complaining and find them in a 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, 1 give them prescription
calling for placebo, which is really
something IN the name of q medicine
only, but III reality composed of pills of
: common bread OR colored water. This
piacebo acts like charm in these cases,
Tor when 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