, 1903-03-18
A PHYSICIANS CRIME
HELD INTERESTS OF SCIENCE
JUSTIFIED MURDER.
Fearful Length to Which Mania for
knowledge Led Prominent Portu-
,9uese Doctor-Form of Insanity Not
Unknown to the Medical World.

A strange story comes from Lisbon.
A famous doctor resides in that city
of the name of Jiminez y Caratez. His
reputation extend all over Portugal,
Spain and France. lie is a graduate
OF the Vienna school of the medical
University of Paris and before begin
ming his practice ten VI twelve years
ago, made a tour of the world, study
ing the methods used in hospitals
and interchangiEs views with the
leading practitioners of both hemi-
spheres. By the time he had returned
to mis- home his fame had preceded
him. He remained in his Office from
sunrise to sunset. and his time was
wholly occupied.
About n year ago." said Senior Del
vic, "A pale, emaciated young man
walked into the doctors Office. The
doctor, being quite busy, spent but a
few moments IN the case. He gave
him a thump here and put his a over
the lungs. He was less than a min
ute telling him that he had consump-
ton, and that his days were number
ed. There was, said the doctor, no
medicine that would prolong life. The
young man looked at him a~ppealingly.
"'I have wealth. said he. Their is
nothing money can buy that | could
procure. Can you rot do sometmng"
The great physician hesitated. He
told him that he had heard that il
one whose lungs were diseased would
subsist entirely upon watercress the
vegetable would work wonders. But
he had never seen a case so treated;
he had simply heard in a roundabout
way that the water cress would re
sist the assaults of tuberculosis.
The upshot of it was that the
young man tooK the next steamer for
southern France. There he ate moth
ing but water cress--six. eight. ten
times a day. He sat in the sunshine.
abstaired from tobacco. but occasion
ally drank a bottle OF red wine.
six months elapsed. when one day
a bright-eyed, red-cheeked, heavy
breasted young man walked into the
Doctors Office. The doctor did not
recognize him.
"'Ah, l see that you do not reTem.
Der me- he said to the physician.
"The latter confessed that he did
not.
Don't you remember the man you
sent to southern France to eat water
cress?
The great physicians eyes were
afame at once. Hurriedly he went
to his desk, withdrew a pistol and
shot the young man in the head. In
another moment the doctor had q
knife and was dissecting his victim.
He had the lungs bare almost before
the young mans breath had left him.
When the others in the waiting room
rushed in to inquire the cause OF the
shooting the doctor chased them out.
Soon the police arrived and the physi.
can was arrested.
I'm explanation of his crime the
doctor said that he wished to exam
inc the lungs of the man before life
was entirely extinct to discover, II
possible, what influence the water
cress treatment mad produced, and In
extenuation of his act he said that.
irasmuch as he had saved the mans
life. in the interest of science he had
a right to take it.
tine tragedy shook every house
hole of Lisbon, where the families OF
both the physician and the murder.
ed man were well known. 1t still
remains the chief topic Of converse.
ton. Meantime the physician is In
Jail awaiting trial"