Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-20
Health of Eminent Iowa Physi.
elan Fails and Hospital Treat
ment Deemed Necessary
SUFFERS FROM ACUTE MANIA
Pleads PitifuIIy With Board to Be Al.
lowed to Remain - Excitement I'm
der Use of Cocaine, Used in Treat
ment for Diabetes Is Responsible for
His Breakdown.

One of the saddest cases that ever
came before the local board of insan-
ity for action, was that of Dr. Hiram
Lands Getz, one of the most eminent
physicians and surgeons of Iowa, and
ex-president of the International As
ISOLATION of. Railway Physicians and
Surgeons, which was heard by the
board this morning. DR.. Getz wassuffer-
ing from acute mania, and was in such
a condition that the members of his
family feared for their safety. Dr.
Getz was ordered committed to the
state hospital at Independence for
treatment, and Sheriff Hutson and
Deputy Nicholson left with him at
1890, just an hour and a half after
his arrest at his office on East Main
street.
DR.. Getz has been suffering for about
year with diabetes mellitus, disease
which he, as a physician, knew only
too we'll to be incurable. Last fall
he took long vacation, and was some
what benefited, but this winter has
been gradually growing worse, and re-
illness had made him very irritable,
and to relieve the effects of the doses
of opium, which is used in the treat
ment of diabetes, he had been sub
stituting small quantities of cocaine.
This treatment had caused undue ex-
element, with which he labored most
of the time, and acute mania has fin
ally been the result. While suffering
from the attacks DR.. Getz would
threaten the lives of members of his
family, so that all have feared that at
any time he might harm them. He
was known to have on his person at
all times a loaded revolver, and the
sheriff's officers went warned to effect
his arrest.
DIR. Getz was evidently aware that
steps might be taken to send him to
hospital and when he left for his Of
fice at about 9 this morning, carried
his revolver in his pocket. DR.. N. w.
Getz, his son, filed an information
charging insanity shortly before 8, and
Sheriff Hutson and Deputy Nicholson
started for the Getz home Accom-
panying them were Clerk of Courts H.
C. Lounsberry, DR.. w. S. Devine, mem
bers of the commission, Henry stone,
who had been deputized as member
in the absence of F. l.. Meeker, and
Agent F. B. Garvin, Of the Northwest
ern, friend of the family. DR.. Getz
was seen coming up the street as the
party approached his office, so all went
into the office and awaited his ar
rival. Sheriff Hutson took the pre-
caution to disarm the patient. DR.. Getz
realized what was about to be done,
and appealed to DR.. Devine. as
brother physician, not to send him to
the hospital He explained all of the
symptoms Of his disease, just how he
was treating it, and how the effects
might be expected under the treatment.
DR.. Devine says that these statements
were all correct, and showed that the
doctor was in his right mind. DR.. De-
vine, and the other members OF the
board, and Mr.. Garvin tried to calm
the patient, reason with him and tell
him that it would be better for him to
receive treatment at the hospital He
would listen to none of them, and pitt
fully appealed to DR.. Devine mot to
disgrace him before the public by
sending him to an insane asylum" It
was a sight that would make strong
men weep, but from all indications
there was but one duty before the
commissioners, and that was to sign
the commitment ordering treatment at
the hospital.
Case is Most PitifuI.
DR.. Getz's case is most pitiful, es-
pecially when it is considered that only
men in professional standing and in
tellect and in every way brilliant. He
could not reconcile himself to the fact
that anything so serious as diabetes
could possibly strike him, altho he
knew the symptoms, knew the tests,
and knew that death would be finally
in store for him. This preyed upon
his mind, and the use of the drug, to
combat the disease, assisted in pro-
ducing the mania. 1t is not believed
that the attacks will be of any dura-
ton, under proper treatment, but this
is hard to foretell at this time.
DR.. Getz is probably as we'll known
as any physician and surgeon in the
state. He was former postmaster.
member of the school board, and has
held numerous offices of public trust.
AS chief surgeon of the Iowa Central
railway he became a member of the
International Association of Railway
Physicians and Surgeons, and was
elected as the head of that great body.
He is, at the present time, district
surgeon of both the Northwestern and
Great Western railways.
The many friends of the doctor will
regret to learn that his illness has re-
suited in so serious a phase, and the
sympathy Of the entire city and the
doctors friends thruout the state and
country, will go out to the wife and
family.
Marshall County Pensions.
Pension Attorney Robert Denbow
of Albion, is in receipt of the following
allowances of pensions for veterans
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