Thibodaux Minerva

In the annals of medical jurisprudence a more perplexing and extraordinary case than that of Dr. Beale has probably never occurred. Let us briefly recapitulate the leading facts.

Dr. Beale is a highly respectable Dentist in the city of Philadelphia—a married man, with a large family, and has ever borne an unblemished reputation. Some months ago Miss Mudge—a young lady of spotless character and excellent family—called at Dr. Beale's to have a tooth extracted. The operation was performed while Miss Mudge was laboring under the influence of chloroform. At its termination she arose, went away very quietly, stopped on her way home, and ate ice-cream, finally reached her house, and then informed her parents that Dr. Beale had taken advantage of the lethargic condition produced by the chloroform, to commit the foulest of outrages upon her person. The accused was arrested, and in due season brought to trial, and convicted upon the exclusive testimony of Miss Mudge, whose evidence was a clear, consistent and connected narrative. The counter testimony established the uniform good character of the accused, his high standing, extensive practice, position as a married man, and all the collateral circumstances which would tend to throw improbability upon the charge.

Dr. Beale was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of years, he meanwhile in the most affecting manner protesting his utter innocence of the foul deed imputed to him.

The sequel to this singular drama is most surprising. First, the wife of the condemned addresses a petition to the Executive of Pennsylvania, setting forth her absolute belief in the innocence of her husband, and entire confidence in his morality, rectitude and honor. Next, the public at large are so completely convinced that Dr. Beale was more sinned against than sinning, that they sign by thousands a petition to Gov. Bigler praying for the pardon of the prisoner. Third, Mr. Throckmorton, who was engaged to Miss Mudge at the time of the alleged crime, and who has since married her, publicly declares that the charge must have originated in error, and that Dr. Beale is guiltless. These several occurrences are of a nature to shake the confidence of the community in the justness of the verdict, but as we shall see, medical experience and observation have been evoked which show almost indisputably that Dr. Beale has been the victim of an hallucination on the part of Miss Mudge, which however strange, is far more frequent than the unprofessional might imagine.

Meetings of physicians and dentists have been held in New York and Philadelphia, convened for the express purpose of bringing the lights of medicine to bear upon the obscure question involved in the case of Dr. Beale. At these assemblages almost every professional gentleman had one or more cases to relate, occurring in his own practice, illustrative of the dreams and delusions which take firm possession of the minds of individuals—especially women in whom the nervous element largely predominates—when subjected to the power of anaesthetic agents. The incidents narrated are scarcely of a character to warrant their detailed publication. Let it suffice, that in many instances young ladies, accompanied by their parents, having had ether or chloroform administered prior to a dental operation, have manifested erotic feelings, and when recovering from the influence of the drug, have been with great difficulty persuaded that the operator did not take improper liberties with them. One young lady, though in the presence of her father, who repeatedly assured her of her error, loudly accused the dentist of taking advantage of her situation to kiss her; another was so fully convinced that she had been insulted and outraged during her somnolence, that, though the operator was the family dentist, and continued for many years to enjoy the confidence and patronage of her parents, she could never bear to look upon him again. A third, a married lady, was delirious during the period of etherization, and imagining that her husband was present, addressed him with the utmost tenderness, calling him by endearing names, and caressing him fondly. On recovering, she seemed conscious of what had passed, thanked the dentist for his kindness, and left the office. Soon afterwards she began to recall her dreams, and became greatly distressed, supposing she had passed the whole time alone with the dentist, which was not the case, and believing firmly and truly that all her hallucinations were realities; that she had actually passed though these scenes with the dentist, she divulged all to her husband and friends. They were of course incensed, lodged an accusation against the operator, and were on the point of having him arrested, when eminent medical counsel was consulted, an interview with the dentist had, and such circumstantial evidence adduced, as to prove that the whole was an utter delusion on the part of the lady.

We might cite a dozen similar exemplifications of the effect of chloroform in creating the strongest impressions, and in provoking the animal propensities, but the illustrations given are quite sufficient to satisfy any thoughtful mind that the guilt of Dr. Beale is more than doubtful. It is a terrible thing for the reputation of a gentleman to be utterly blasted: his professional prospects overthrown; himself torn from his family, and immured in a dungeon for years upon a charge which the highest medical authority declares to be in all probability unfounded. The injury suffered by Dr. Beale is to a certain extent irreparable. He has been disgraced by an accusation of felony, dragged before a criminal court, subjected to the indignity of trial, conviction, sentence and imprisonment, his feelings and those of his helpless family utterly wounded and lacerated. All this, though inevitable, would not be deplorable in the event of well ascertained guilt, for sin must carry its punishment, and part of the retribution of the law consists in that deep seated shame and infamy which are the concomitants of a public trial. But how lamentable must it be, when we reflect that Dr. Beale is almost unequivocally innocent, and has only been condemned through the unskillfulness or ignorance of his counsel, in omitting to bring forward these results of medical experience in the administration of chloroform. Let us trust that a prompt and unconditional pardon will in some measure expiate the cruel wrong he has suffered, and reinstate him in the position previously occupied by him as a virtuous and honorable citizen.

N. O. Bee.