New-York tribune., 1907-09-23
DIR. PETER NJ. WISE DEAD
HIS MEDICINE KILLS HIN.
Self-Prescr5bed Remedy for Loco
motor 4t0aia Proves Fatal.

After taking an overdose OF medicine. containing
several poisonous ingredients. which he had pre-
pared himself for disease from which ne us'o
been suffering for many years. Dr. Peter Nj WISE
Of No. oQ2 West 1870 street. ex-president OF the
State Board of Lunacy. died yesterday in the j.
Hood Wright Hospital.
Immediately after the death had been reported
TO the coroners office DR.. Lehane. coroners phF-
sican, started investigation. and from the lacs
which he learned he said that the physicians death
was purely accidental. For many years Dr. Wise
suffered from locomotor ataxia. He tried numerous
remedies, but none Of them relieved him from MS
suffering About year ago Dr. Wise prepared
prescription for himself Its ingredients consisted
of chlorai hydrate. bromide of sodium and NOR
phine
The medicine seemed to relieve the pain. but
finally II began to lose effect and Dr. WISE IN
creased the dose, On Saturday the physician was
great pain and nearly twice the usual
amount few hours later he became very III ana
was then removed TO the hospital
DR. Wise. after twenty-five years OF acn'e
service in asylum management. was appointed
Lunacy by Governor Morton. TO succeed Dr. carlos
F Macdonald. and reapponted by Governors
Black and Roosevelt
Dr. Wise was Interested in the Copper Hill
Mining Company. of New Mexico. and was di-
rector of the Santa Marta Mahogany Company.
u was while he was president of the LunaCy COM
mission under Governor Roosevelt that he was
charged with selling stock in his New Mexico
copper mines employees of state hospitals II
was charged that he had pecuniary interest IN
these sales Another charge against him at that
time was that he tried TO make money out of his
official position connection with the erection or
an artificial plant the grounds of the Long
Island State Hospital. at Flatbush Governor
Roosevelt considered pr. Wise's explanation OF
the charges against him unsatisfactory and re
moved him from office d.. Wise in a public letter
later sad unfairl.' treated by the Governor
at his hearing
He was born al Clarence. Erie Counts. =. Y. on
March : 1851 and was educated in The common
schools at Clarence Academy and the Parker
Classical Institute He graduated from the
Buffalo Medical College in 1872 and entered the D.
Louis Hospital inferno. During the small
rox epidemic of the following winter DR.. Wise was
appointed resident physician of the smallpox nos
pitaI. In 1873 he was made an assistant physician
at the Willard Asylum for the Insane. AT VII
lard, y. Y, and remained an assistant un'i l59''
when upon the resignation Of Dr. Chapin. ne was
unanimously elected to fill the vacancy. SIX years
later he accepted similar place in the ST. Law
rence State Hospital at Ogdenshurg. y. Y, which
be held until October J. 1876. when ne resigned to
become president Of the New York State Lunacy
Commission.
In 1881 DR. Wise visited the asylums Of Great
Britain and France. and upon his return puhlsheu
p Of the systems of caring for the insane IN
those countries Dr. Wise was one OF the earliest
advocates Of state care for the insane. lie dehF-
cred an address upon this subject AT the state con-
of RupeTi0tenCeDtS OF me f''l d. ''1'4''7
town in 1884. outlining the probable results mat
have since then been realized In 1885 Governor
Hill appointed him one of the members ~ a
commission to make plans for asylum in NortA-
ern New York. He was elected chairman OF te
committee on plans. and through his efforts the 81
Lawrence State Hospital was built. From 1870 L"
1926 he was professor Of mental diseases IN the
University of Vermont
DR.. Wise contributed freely TO the literature or
insanity. medical Jurisprudence and allied subjects
in about twenty-five separate journal essays He
was the author of several volumes. among them "A
work entitled Textbook for Training Schools for
Nurses" which is considered a standard authority
in medical circles. DR. Wise was a member Of the
New York State Medical Society, the American
Medico- Psychological Association, at one time It's
president. and various other medical orEauiza-
tions. also a member OF the Lotus Club
OF Albany and the Century Club OF OgdensburE.
In latter years Dr. Wise not connected with
any Office. all or his time being given to his
studies and his profession.