The evening times., 1899-07-12

New York, July 12.-Marie Sanche, twen-
ty-five years old, victim of cigarette
smoking, was taken from the home of his
father, a welI-known physician living in
Fifth Avenue. to Bellevue Hospital early
yesterday morning. that he might be kept
from taking his own life. He was placed
in the pavilion for the insane.
By the vigilance of night watchman in
Fifth Avenue he had been prevented from
throwing himself from a window on the
third floor of his home. He made ready
ttree times to jump from the window ledge
before the watchman could awaken the
young mans father. Calling to the young
man. whom he knew. the watchman sue
ceeded in diverting his attention from the
suicidal attempt until DR.. Sanche had been
told of what he was doing
The father then forced open the door of
his sons room and succeeded in drawing
him back into the room, but SO great was
the strength of the normally frafl young
man that 1t was not until the watchman
and policeman had gone to the fathers
assistance that he was overpowered While
awaiting the arrival of an ambulance from
Bellevue Hospital the young man broke
away from the three men, and, plunging
into the window, was badly cut on the
arms and hands by broken glass before
his captors regained the mastery.
DR.. Sanche was nearly heartbroken yes
terday that the secret of his sons condi-
ton as result OF excessive cigarette
smoking should at last be known after his
strenuous efforts during five years to guard
IT, During the long intervals Of sanity his
son. he said, had done everything possible
to break the power of the nicotine, and a
score or times his efforts had seemed about
TO succeed, but invariably at the crisis the
poison would gain temporary mastery
and the young mans reason would give
way During these periods he would
imagine himself the perpetrator of every
conceivable crime and would become prey
10 remorse that would lead him to attempt
suicide.
In my many years of practice" said DR..
Sanche, when seen at his home, Il have
been instrumental in the healing of many,
but IL seems fated that my own son l can
not cure.
Cigarettes gained their hold on him
when he was little boy away at school
That was fifteen years ago. iceir power
over him began TO show itself years ago.
He smoked from 500 to $50 cigarettes day.
Then We went to work together TO break
the habit. One by one and day by day the
allowance OF cigarettes was lessened, until
at one time he smoked but two a day.
That lasted ten days. Then the craving
came back with irresistible force.
''Paroxysms of insanity would over
come him, and, caping from me- he would
get at whatever cost the cigarettes he
craved. As the years went on it took only
100 cigarettes to produce the effect on his
system that formerly had required five
times the number. He begged me to con-
fine him during the spells when he no
=
reasons l feared TO do it.
when under the cigarette spell he would
exercise more than normal strength and
ingenuity TO escape from his home.
Il have spent more than hundred nights
riding through :. streets of the city in
search OF my boy said DR.. Sanche.
Nearly always l have found him before
daylight.
Once he had pleaded with railroad men
to be taken away with them, and when l
found him he was more than thousand
miles from home. He had given them no
ciew TO the fact that he was lot in his
normal senses.
During his absences from home he con-
tracted the habit OF taking morphine To
relieve the craving for nicotine He has
tried several times 10 end his agony by
taking deadly doses of the drug. l have
always reached him in time.
oEe OF lne eleSlS Oh tue uTuS mas Oee1
to produce abnormal wakesulness. l have
heard him walking the floor of his room
during three days and nights. Then he
would sleep. Melancholia, in which he
sought death, always followed his awaken
ing.
Lately he has seemed to realize when
not under the spell of the cigarettes and
morphine, that it might be necessary to
send him to hospital, and he has repeat
edly said he would prefer death to that.
When | returned home shortly before mid
night last night l had been absent for a
week searching for some quiet place where
we could go together, and make one su-
preme effort to oyerrun his enemy. He
did not know why l was away, but when
he saw me he seemed to know by intuition
why ! had been absent, and, although the
influence OF the drugs had been at its
height for two days. he seemed to regain
his normal senses instantly. He asked to
be left alone in his room, and said he felt
that he would soon be better. l left him
and heard nothing further until awakened
by the calling OF the watchman.
"One thing is sure" added Dr.. Sanche
"and that is if my son ever does regain
his health it will be but to learn OF the
publicity of his action, and that will kill
| him.
DR.. Robertson, in charge of the pavilion
| for the insane at Bellevue said last even
| ing that while he did not doubt that Ma
RE Sanche's condition had been aggra-
waited by the use of morphine, and the ex-
eessive smoking of cigarettes, it was not
so certain that they were the primary
cause of his mental condition. His pa
tient he said, was somewhat improved.
TO ABANDON RECEIVING SHIPS.