Part 14

He always addressed strangers as contemporaries, saying, “Good God! you were alive at such a time: I knew you well; you were with me when I conquered at the plains of Marathon! or, you met me at such a place when I was singing the Iliad, as old Homer,” and so on. All this with such a fascination of look, manner, and address, that he arrests and amuses every one, especially strangers. He frequently talks with imaginary, and especially angelic beings, which he does with a manner and expression that prove he believes he beholds their actual presence.

He had a peculiarly bright and glistening eye, indicative of the secret and destructive habit so dreadfully fatal to the insane.

It appeared to me, since amidst all this strange confusion and delusion, his intellectual powers were still in existence, that if his understanding could be constantly occupied, this confused condition might in time be corrected, and his mind restored to a right state: for this purpose I undertook to make him translate a French work, while I wrote from his dictation, at the same time checking and controlling his wild starts into all these vagaries. In this manner we nearly finished an important medical work together, and he was evidently much improved by the exercise; the task was however so amazingly arduous, that in the midst of my other duties I was obliged to discontinue it, and he then relapsed into his former state.

The effect, however, was sufficiently decided to prove a fact of very great importance, and many such facts having since occurred, which further tend to confirm that many cases which are generally given over as incurable, may be cured by a well-directed exercise of the understanding, by which it is at once strengthened, and the mind drawn and excluded from the exercise of its insane feelings and hallucinations. In some cases I have made them translate a work on the nature and effects of _their secret vice_, and it has silently checked this habit, and at last restored them.

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Here I close my description of these old cases, conceiving I have given a sufficient number for the purpose I had in view, that of exhibiting a fair average picture of the state and character of the old insane. After one general abstract observation on the whole essay, I shall afterwards, and following this last case, make my next essay on the origin and nature of disease in general, and of insanity in particular: and which I shall do as preliminary to the more intimate and direct investigation of the causes and nature of insanity; and especially the direct consideration of the cause to which I have alluded in this case, because it is one of the most general and most fatal causes of insanity, and a cause, which if not removed, inevitably renders them incurable. Such was the habit of the person whose case obliged me very reluctantly to assume a defensive attitude, and refute falsehood by a statement of the truth, or otherwise I should have continued silently to proceed in the path of duty, without obtruding our own secret exertions on the notice of the public, as it may appear that I have done in this essay, as well as in those which are to follow, written, as they will be, in some measure on the same principle, for the truth should not suffer from diffidence, any more than it ought to be brought into disrepute by vain ostentation; still, I am quite certain, that I am actuated by no feelings incompatible with charity and justice.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

The concluding general observations on this Essay and its Appendix, are, that the one principal object I have had constantly in view, has been the removal of the erroneous impressions and prejudices which exist almost universally against the insane, as if they alone were all furious wild beasts or infernal demons, and which have hitherto excited and still continue to excite a spirit and conduct toward them, productive of a baneful and injurious influence.

So long as these prejudices exist in the mind, even the soothing treatment which is now so much the boast of the age, assumes a spirit and manner, perhaps as galling and injurious to the afflicted as was, undoubtedly, the heartless tyranny of former times.

I deprecate that altered tone of voice and manner which implies in every word and action, that they are considered either as children, or as beings wholly bereft of rationality.

In the system (which I have in some degree stated and explained) of receiving and treating them as visitors, even as though they were still rational, and of course observing towards them the same polite and delicate attentions as are practised in well-bred society, the same irresistible effects which precept and example always produce in every sphere, in proportion as they are exercised in sincerity and truth, will be found to be produced also on them; and hence we may easily perceive how it comes to pass that we have so much greater dependence on their attachment, good conduct, fidelity, and honour, than is generally imagined to be possible, and why, consequently, the greater liberty which is given them is seldom or never abused; and, as cause and effect increase each other, it is evident that this system, by exciting and exercising the higher feelings and moral principles of the mind, produces, (as will be seen from the tables I shall hereafter introduce) a much greater proportion of cures than has hitherto been the case. It is much more conducive to cure than the system of perfect separation and exclusion from any association. This truth is another important reason for being anxious, from the best of motives, to remove these baneful prejudices which have hitherto made a marked moral line of distinction between diseases of the brain, and other parts of the system, exclusively and absurdly making the former a proof of some shameful criminality. And though this greater degree of well-judged liberty (not indiscriminate) appears alarming to those who retain the usual worldly prejudices against the insane, it is in reality attended with much less of danger or of any thing to excite the fears of others, than most assuredly is a contrary system.

I am now enabled, from nearly twenty years’ experience, to say this with confidence; and I am the more anxious to impress this on the world, in order that I may not be obliged, from too great a deference to its fears and prejudices, to abridge the exercise of this influence, so far as to lessen the happy effects of a system which theory and feeling have suggested and compelled me to pursue, and which increased knowledge and experience have confirmed and justified.

Our fears and prejudices create and realize that which would otherwise have no existence. We often blame effects of which we ourselves are the cause. This is one principal, if not the only, source of all our complaints and all our troubles. Servants, children, families, sects, parties, nations, and even the insane, are more or less good or bad in their conduct and character, in proportion as our principles and conduct towards them are under the influence of a wrong spirit or a right one.

Such are our views, and I trust it will be seen (the experimental part at least,—the theory will be explained in due course) that we have endeavoured, however imperfectly, to reduce them to practice.

Wherever natural and spiritual good exist, there we shall behold those best fruits of charity, of which the vine and fig-tree are beautifully appropriate emblems.

I trust that what I have advanced will be considered less as a personal boast than as an explanatory statement, suggested by recognised evils, and enhanced by candour and conviction. Although past conduct is the best guarantee for the future, yet it is by no means an infallible security; and it altogether ceases to be the test of any security, the moment boasting, pride, or self-confidence exclude a higher and better dependence.

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THE END.

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DEAN AND MUNDAY, PRINTERS, THREADNEEDLE-STREET.

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FOOTNOTES.

{vi} For the present I shall defer the publication of these Tables.

{xiii} Inferno, c. iii. 9.

{xv} See page 211.

{26} A Case and Observations being mislaid when printing, accounts for the error in the number of this observation.

{5} See hereafter, Divisions of Insanity.

{16} See Divisions of Insanity. See also No. 131.

{18} See No. 71, 81, 88, 105, 145, 146, 175, 208, 339, 374, 375, 376, 379, 380.

{20} See Essay on a Knowledge of the Human Mind, unfolding the universal principles of generalisation, where I shall show that these words are not mere figures of speech, but that they each express a truth which every fact in medicine demonstrates.

{22} It is worthy of remark, that these are those who are always ailing, and their complaints correspond with their faulty state of mind.

{27} See the cases mentioned in Mr. Harris’s and Mr. Balle’s affidavits,—in Allen v. Dutton.

{28} See Dr. Birkbeck’s affidavit, in Allen _versus_ Dutton.

{36} She knew me at York, when she was at the Retreat.

{55} Inferno, c. iii. 9.

{57} See No. 427.

{80} See 395 and 396.

{95} See Case No. 85.

{96} I have hitherto had but one out of 600—and he had secreted a rope, and effected his purpose, the day after his arrival by pretending to retire to a place of convenience.—I confess I would rather not state this, as it may look like boasting; but so far from this, I am sure my feelings are only those of gratitude. A suicide of a most determined character was so delicately watched, that for six months he did not ascertain that he had any loss of liberty, or was in a place of this description, but merely with kind friends of his parents.

{99a} This evil is prominently seen to result from all modes of charity that are not secret, or have not their origin or are not done in the spirit of kindness, as well as from all punishments that are too severe and unnecessarily degrading in their nature.

{99b} See case No. 6, in the Appendix.

{102} See Essay on Forbearance.

{114a} The organs {114d} of self esteem and benevolence, are well developed, cautiousness defective; indeed, the whole head agrees admirably with what I should conceive his character has been; and from what I have seen and heard characterizes the family.

{114b} He repeats, most correctly, almost the whole of Goldsmith’s Description of the taking of Quebec.—These cases were written in 1821. See Essay on Atmospheric Influence.

{114c} His friends, though rich, from caprice, only allow him a very coarse dress: in other respects, they are exceedingly attentive and kind to him.

{114d} I think, in the present state of this science, the word—organ objectionable, and merely to say, they are external forms representative of internal states of mind; at the same time, I believe most firmly, that mind can only act through organic forms created expressly for specific uses, and even though this admits that the manifestation depends on organic structure, yet it is best not to appear hasty, and on this account also, I am not satisfied that the present names and divisions, are those which time will determine, and which in nature are true.

{115} There is some partial or general defect, which renders the operations or manifestations of mind imperfect: whether this defect, and consequent imperfection in the manifestation of mind, arose in the first place from bad habits, producing disorganization, or disorganization bad habits, or from both, is not now the question. It is, however, I believe, (the evidence on which this belief is founded, will be stated hereafter,) generally the first.

{116} His head, upon the whole, is well formed, except that there is a slight degree of irregularity, one side being more developed than the other.—Cautiousness and benevolence are most prominent.—Since this was written, two members of his family have been insane.

{117} See Table. I shall have occasion again to refer to this fact, and have, therefore, very briefly noticed it in this place. That the middling class are more torpid, is certain, whether wholly from their treatment, or partly that their minds had been of a more composed habit, or that their insanity had not arisen from violent excitements, are interesting questions to the Medical Physiologist, and Moral Philosopher,—which will be considered in another place.—See Mr. Jona. Gray’s History of York Asylum.

{119a} See Observation 12.

{119b} There is a remarkable correspondence between the kind of mind he exhibits, and the configuration of his head. It is very large and smooth, with self-esteem, love of approbation, large; firmness, full; combativeness, defective.

{121a} See Observation 12.

{121b} His head is small, particularly his forehead, where the reflective organs are defective; but individuality, combativeness, and amativeness are full; self-esteem, defective.

{122a} In this case, the organ of benevolence was exceedingly prominent, and combativeness equally defective; indeed his whole head corresponded most exactly with his character, and was a good one, except that one side was more developed than the other.

{122b} His head is well formed,—benevolence, and the organs of social feelings, particularly full, with combativeness, very defective; ideality, very full.

{123} That he has been thousands of miles in a minute; very busy relieving, saving, burying, or getting out of the way, (as he calls it,) thousands of people that have been burned in some great fire—starved in masses of ice many miles thick—or drowned in some dreadful shipwreck, &c., &c.; some of them uncles or aunts of those he is conversing with at the time, &c., &c.

{133a} Armies sustain immense fatigues during the excitement of a campaign; but when the excitement is over, a prevailing epidemic will often attack, subdue, and sometimes almost annihilate them.

{133b} In 1759, a typhus prevailed in Bethlem, and from its state at that time, we cannot wonder at this fact. Dr. Wright, of Bethlem, says, they have had this year a severe erysipelis attacking a great number.

It was observed of the plague of 1707, that persons excluded in religious retirement, escaped the disease, and so did prisoners and all others kept from the air abroad.

{134} Sydenham thought “there was some secret inexplicable alteration in the bowels of the earth.”

{135} See Dr. Hawkin’s most valuable work on Medical Statistics.

{141} Take no pleasure in the folly of an idiot, nor in the whims and fancies of a lunatic, nor in the phrensy of a drunkard; make them the object of thy love and pity, not of thy pastime: when thou, alas! beholdest them, behold how thou art indebted to Him who suffered thee not to be like them!—Retrosp. Rev. p. 185.

{142} See Observation on Dæmonology.

{143} See pages 17 and 18.

{145a} It is a principle throughout nature, that changes, and the repetition of changes give, in proportion to their repetition, a greater aptitude to their periodical recurrence.—Wine merchants say, that wine always undergoes a slight change on the annual recurrence of the original season of its fermentation.

{145b} See pages 16, 17, & 18.

{147} See Haslam on Madness, page 236.

{151} Pinel, p. 10.

{152} This was written in 1822.

{153} In seeing the patients bathe, I have been struck with the beautiful sleekness and clearness of their skins. Many of them, however, retain marks of scrofula.

{154a} See No. 30.

{154b} Since the above was written, the disease of the skin was much relieved by Ung. Hydr. Nitrat.

{155} Her head is generally good, indicating a peaceable, good-natured being. Combativeness, defective; benevolence and philoprogenitiveness, full.

{156a} His organ of destructiveness is very full, and the wound has been directly there.

{156b} Firmness is very full, and combativeness rather so.

{159} His head corresponds with his character: no combativeness, destructiveness, or caution; but self-esteem, hope, friendship, and benevolence, full.

{160} I shall hereafter make some observations on the peculiarities of character in females contra-distinguished from that of males.

{162} Pride, benevolence, hope, combativeness, and amativeness, full; caution, conscientiousness, and veneration, partly defective.

{164} Philoprogenitiveness is singularly full, so is combativeness and firmness.

{165a} He had the most immense organ of destructiveness and firmness I ever saw, and was remarkably defective in the social feelings and sentiments, but he had some benevolence.

{165b} His attendant says, he would have resisted harsh treatment to the very last effort that life would allow him.

{168} His head was an immense smooth round mass, such as is common to Epileptics, and powerful but sluggish minds.

{192} Self-esteem, love of approbation, firmness, and amativeness, are very full; caution, causality, combativeness, are next in order; veneration, rather defective.

{195} For remarks on religious controversy, see Essay on ‘Truth contrasted with Error.’

{198} This I have never used since, now sixteen years ago. It is now, under better management, wholly unnecessary, and worse than useless.