(TO THE EDITOR OF THE WEST COAST TIMES.)

West Coast Times, Issue 199, 9 May 1866, Page 2

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE WEST COAST TIMES.)

Sir, — 1 am euro your roadors will forgivo mo if I hnvo not been successful in my treatment of tho unfortunate patient whoso caso I took in hand a day or two ago. Not haying had an opportunity of personally oxnininiug ' him, I may have boon wrong in my diagnosis, but if othorwiso, it is inexplicable that tho usual remedy for his distemper should, in his caso, luvto aggravated tho symptoms. The patient wns most unmistakoably suffering from unduo mental oxcitomont, to allny which 1 administered a stitF doso of facts, seasoned with a variety of wholesome ingrcdionts. This is tho usual course pursued in such cases, and is seldom unsuccessful. Noverlholoßs, it was bo on this occasion ; tho pationt, instead of getting better, has grown worso, and now bi\t very slight hopes are entortainod of his recovering his senses. What was boforo but nervous oxcitonient, brought on by unduo elation of tho animal spirits, has, I regrot to state, under my treatment, morged into confirmed monomania. Tho great featuro in his madness is that ho imagines himself to bo funny. Probably this is because ho onco read a clmptor of " Avtomus Ward," who seems to bo his great authority. To-day ho has turned round upon mo, his medical friend, and pasted mo all ovor with bad jokes. At ono moment ho raves about 5 Bteamer which ho facetiously calls the Allbum ; tho next ho placidly tells mo that ho is an editor. Anon ho launch.o3 forth a lot of incoherent rubbish about " firing up, Atteinus Ward, gotting drunk on a watch, &o.'' It is very distressing to mo to think (hat 1 should havo boon the innocont causo of my friend's aberration. I say innocont, becauso t mado d. mistake, oxcusablo undor tho circum-stances—-I proparcd a potion for a patient without having seen him. I supposed that patient to bo nn adult, and it turns out that he is, after nil, but a small boy. Tho doso was therefore too 6trong, aud wo cannot wonder at tho poor youth beiug upsot. If thou, Mr Editor, " canst minister to a mind diseased," pray turn your {.attention to a jfouth yclept John Houghton, and you will obligo his and Yours truly, John White. Hokitika, May Bth.