Year: 1866




MIN, however. at the moment, that the
wound ought to be in the right side, and not
IN the lett, and in the cavity of the breast,
ana not OF the hypocondre. where he struck
nipself transverscly two inches below the
leit hypocondre. towards the internal angle
OF the abdominal cavity, without, however.
lnJurlng the parts which this cavity contains.
Whether fear checked his hand, or whether
ne intended to plunge the instrument to a
greater depth, by avoiding the hard and re-
sisting parts, 1t is not easy to determine !;
but there were observed near the wound
several scratches across his body, which
scarcely divided the skin.


Ihese extraordinary operations being con-
ciodeo. 1t was now necessary, in order to
complete the execution of the whole plan
which he had conceived, that Matthew should
exhibit himself upon the cross to the eyes of
the public; and he realized this part of it
IN the following way: The cross was laid
horizontally on the floor. its lower extremity
resting upon the parapet of the window
which was very low, then raising himself, up
by pressing upon the points of his firfgers
(for the nails did not allow him to use his
whole hand either open or closed J he made
several springs forward. until the portion of
the cross which was protruded over the par
apet, overbalancing what was within the
chamber, the whole frame, with Matthew
upon 1t, darted out of the window, and re.
mained suspended out side of the house by
the ropes which wee secured to the beam
in the inside. In this predicament the poor
fanatic stretched his hands to the extremities
OF the transverse beam which formed the
arms OF the cross, to insert the nails into the
holes which had been prepared for them
but whether it was out of his power to fix
both, or whether he was obliged to use the
right on some concluding operation, the fact
is, that when he was seen by the people
who were passing in the street, he was sus.
pended under the window, with only his
lett hand nailed to the cross, while his right
hung parallel to his body, on the outside of
the net. 1t was then eight o'clock in the
morning. As soon as he was perceived,
some humane people ran up stairs, dlsengag.
ed him from the cross, and put him to bed
A surgeon of the neighborhood was called,
who made them plunge his feet into water,
introduced tow by way of caddis into the
wound of the hypocondre, which he assured
them did not penetrate into the cavity, and
after having prescribed some cordial. in
stantly took his departure.


At this moment, DR.. Ruggieri, professor
of Clinical surgery, hearing what had taken
place, instantly repaired to the lodging of
Lovat, to witness with his own eyes fact
which appeared to exceed all belief. When
he arrived there, accompanied by the surgeon
Paganoni, Matthews feet from which there
had issued but small quantity of blood,
were still in the water-his eyes were shut
he made no reply to the questions which
were addressed to him; his pulse was con.
vulsive and respiration had become difficult
With The permission of the Director of Police,
who had come to take cognizance of what
had happened, DR.. Ruggieri caused the pa
tient to be conveyed by water to the Imperial
Clinical School established at the Hospital of
St. Luke and St. John. During the pas
sage, the only thing he said was to his broth
er Angelo, who accompanied him in the
boat, and was lamenting his extravaganza :;
which was: g Alas. / am Gerry unfortunate:"
At the hospital, an examination of his wounds
took place; and it was ascertained that the
nails had entered by the palm of the hands,
and gone out at the back. making their way
between the bones of the metacarpus, with.
out infiicfing any injury upon them that
the nail which wounded the feet had entered
first the right foot between the second and
third homes of the metatarsus towards their
pnsterior extremity ; and then the left, be-
tween the first and second of the same bones,
the latter of which it had laid bare and
grazed; and lastly, that the wound of the
hypocondre penetrated to the point of the
cavity. The patient was placed in an easy
position. He was traquh and docie; the
wounds in the extremities were treated with
emollients and sedatives. On the fifth day
they suppurated with slight redness IN
their circumference I; and on the eighth, that
of the hypocondre was perfectly healed.


The patient never spoke. Always sombre
and shut up in himself, his eyes were almost
constantly closed Interrogated several
times, relative to the motives which had
induced him to cruelty himself, he always
made this answer The pride Of man must
be mortified it must expire on the cross y
DR.. Ruggieri, thinking that he might be re-
strained by the presence of his pupils, re.
turned repeatedly to the subject when with
him alone, and he always answered in the
same terms. He was, in fact, so deeply per-
suaded that the supreme will had imposed
upon him the obligation of dying upon the
cross, that he wished to inform the tribunal
of justice of the destiny which it behooved
him to fulfill, with the view of preventing all
suspicion that his death might have been
the work of any other hands than his own
With this in prospect, and long before his
martyrdom, be committed his ideas to paper,
in style and character such as would be
expected from his education, and the disorder
of his mind


Scarcely was he able to support in his
hand the weight of a book, when he took the
prayer book and read it all day long. On
the first day of August all his wounds were
completely cured and as he felt no pain or
difficulty IN moving his hands and feet. he
expressed wish to go out of the hospital,
that he might not, as he said. eat the bread
of ideness. This request being denied him,
he passed whole day without taking any
food: and finding tLat his clothes were kept
from him, be set out one afternoon IN his
shirt. but was soon brought back by the SER
wants. The board of police gave orders that
he should 5e conveyed to the LunatIc Asy'
linn. established at St. Servolo, where ne
was nlaced on the 10Th of August, 1sO5.-
After the first eight days he became taciturn'
and refused every species of meat and drink.
T. was ;mpossible to make him swallow even
a drop of water during six successive days
Towards the morning of the seventh day' De-
ing importuned by another madman, ne con'
sented 70 take a little nourishment. ne con
timed to eat for about fifteen days, ana tnen
resumed his fast which he prolonged during
eleven.


These fasts we're repeated. and of Longer
or shorter duration the most protracted,
however, not exceeding twelve days.