The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-10-14
A BROKEN N-DOWN man.
GY WILLIAM A. HAMMOND, N. 0.
uAD lad a busy day. and was look

7 HAD Lad a busy day, and was look
ing forward with pleasure to the
lose of my hours for consultation, when
Il distinguished journalist WAS an
nouncct--Ouc " hom had long known.
and who had done All excellent piece OF
work in showing how easy it was to
iucarceratc a perfectly sane man in a
lunatic asylum. His visits were always
a pleasure TO ure. so directed him to be
ut once shown in. lie entered laughing.
you have not yet got me into your
clutches" he said, though if | con-
tinue much longer in Washington as
newspaper correspondent l fear some
one of your long-named monstrosities
will fas,en on what brain may have
left. want you TO let Inc bring brpk-
ru-down man to see you. He is worm
out financially, socially, mentally, phys
!cally, and every other way.
He cannot pay you cent, and prob
ably he will not even thank you for any
services you may render him. On the
contrary. he may do you an injury if he
can get good chance, solely for the
purpose of working evil. He used to be
Il prince among men. Now he is an en-
xumbrance on the public. His friends,
all but me, have long since abandoned
him to his vicious inclination for NOR
phia."
/ knew something OF the depths of
degradation to which opium could bring
a man or woman. knew that it abol-
ished the moral sense, so that stealing,
lying and hypocrisy are prncticed with
perfect equanimity by persons who have
formed the habit Of using it; but a
wreck so complete as JL-A described
was, even in my experience, unusual.
told hia, 1 would dv "iiao .ouid fui Ills
so-caled friend" and appointed three
o'clock the next day for the consulta-
ton. This was out of my Office hours.
for l wished to have plenty of time for
the study of the case, and perhaps for
initiating cure. | waited in my con-
sultinG-room the next day till quarter
past three. and then, as j and his
.disrcputablc friend did not appear, ]
went to the Army medical lForary and
was deep in number of French and
German medical journals when heard
J-'s voice at my SHOULDER.
"Your man told me you were here"
ne said, 80 hurried over to catch you.
or course. the scamp disappointed me.
but am inclined TO think that this time
itwasn not his fault; for if he is not sham
ming-and he is quite capable of that
lie is probably dying. want you to go
with me at once. have got him in a
room adjoining ny Office
Nov" said. W hen we were seated in
the carriage, "trll me something more
about this man
II have known him." answered j,
after moments reflection. for about
a year. lie was practicing medicine in
New York when we first met, and
seemed to be occupying an excellent po-
sition. knew that he had some of the
best people for his patients, and that
he was man of wealth. He spent u
great deal of money in experiments and
in charity. | was doing special work
for the Reformcr at the time, and often
met him, dressed in shabby clothes,
prowling about the slums of New York
in search of objects of benevolence, or
for material for work on sociology
II at he was writing.
He came TO see me first" went
on, I'm consequence of my successful
attempt, in connection with my jour
ualistic work, to get myself shut up in
luUatic asylum as 4 dangerous mad
;nan, in order that | might ascertain the
aruth or fslsity Of reports respecting
cruelty to patients. That experiment
seemed TO rouse the most intense inter
a.si. lie often mentioned the fact that
Tuany persons slammed insanity, or
feigned other diseases, for the purpose
of accomplishing some end, or simply
from an impulse to deceive.
g "'Of course know all about the malin
gcrinG of prisoners, soldiers, sailors and
others to avoid duty, or to escape pun
ishmeut; but he carried his views far
beyond that, and enunciated so many
original notions that found him not
only entertaining but instructive. He
a,ypeared to enjoy my society, and con-
sequently we were very much together.
Ie has written a good deal, and his
books and monographs are somewhat
known. Surely. you must have heard
Of DR.. Lanville?"
1"Dr. Lanville!" exclaimed. "You
don't mean to tell Inc that your broken
own friend is DR.. Lanyille"
"Yes, do; but he has changed his
name and has dropped the doctor. Well,
TO 60 on. When was ordered here he
was greatly distressed, and announced
his intention of following me, not only
in order to be with me, but, as he said,
to work up some SUBJECTS he was study
iuz and "a anil hirnael& o& fhn liheainn