The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-16 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

OBSERVATIONS ON LUNACY.
IT TAUT. SLAM, KNIGHT, M.D.

This is an elaborate and though painfid, an inte-
resting treatise. It professes to analyse the origin and
progress of a deranged mind, to prescribe a mode of
cure, and, what is still more important, to prove from
long practical experience that insanity chiefly owes its
origin to some peculiar physical organization, or rather
we should. say, disorganization. Thisis a satisfactory
conclusion to arrive at ; and being founded on the
personal observations of the writer is entitled to con.
sufferable weight. Nothing, indeed, is so acutely
• agoni • .
zing to a mind of any sensibility, as the idea
that lunacy is comilitutional, that it creeps on in its
blighting influence,' front father to con';
thereiiing in
power through each successive generation, till having
reached a tremendous climax, it becomes finally ex-
tinct in the person of some devoted maniacal descen-
dant. Yet this is a prevailing notion, and has
mildewed in its early blossoming the' life of many
en individual ; 'has rendered him a joyless outcast—
turned his springing hopes to gloom,--poisoned the
pure fountain of his feelings, and finally sent him down'
unto= his grave, abandoned of God and men. To
'minds thus seared and blighted, but to wham one
little gleam of reason, like a well-spring in the desert,
yet remains, we recommend, nay, we entreat, an atten-
tive perusal of this dissertation ; it will prove to them
cautiously, yet convincingly, that insanity, so far from
being hereditary, is physical ; that it has a nervous
rather than a mental origin, and is in_ fact as purely
corporeal as rheumatism, epilepsy, ague, paralysis, or
any similar disorder. It is not our province in this neces
sarily:confined criticism to thread Mr. Knight's disserta-
tion ; enough to say, that it « makes assurance doubly
sure,"-and as if assertion (though founded on long
practice) were of itself' insufficient to produce conviction,
concludes with an account of a deranged mind penned •
by the victim himself after his final restoration to sense.
From this singularly impressive doctunent we select the
following extract, not so much to corroborate our previous
assertion, as to show the thrilling power of ii!lititginar
tion, which a deranged intellect pos4esses, and
guided by, corresponding judgment, would form the
staple of a first-rate poet. Lunacy, indeed, is at all
times grand—,-it is idiotism only that degrades human
nature. No one looks down upon the madman'; ,but
all condeacendingly cominiserate the idiot. 'r he, one
is ntjestie,,thotigh in-ruin ;:the other, simplydiegust
ing. But now for our extract, which surpasses even
the most fearful vision of -that paragon of dreaming
imaginative opium eaters, De Quincy. The victim
himself, it -mtist be premised, is describing his own
sensations (from recollection) when a lunatic

They placed the table near me; and on it placed a pillow, on
which I might recline my arm, around me sat some scholars who
seemed to jeer and to talk silently against me; to crack nuts,
and laugh, so that I really believed I, bad assumed the face of a
pig. When night approached, methought I heard a dismal howl-
ins in the mart, of soinebody boried alive; I thought this was
my body, and my spirit. howled in the air---Hu I thought! my
blood freeze& with horror and fear: I asked the cause of thicsad
clamour, "i"thevreis none, dear, none:' answered the attendant. I
called him over, and whispered in his ear something about being
removed to another apartment, he said "perhaps you are ashamed,
dear." I then thought "surely I em a pig," he took me to an-
other room, and put me to bed ; and I cannot describe what hor-
ror came upon me: I thought blood fall from heaven on my bed
—1 startled —then laid down---then startled again--I thought a
nail dropt from the Redeemer's hand--.my GOd ! how alarmed
I was !! ! I then fell into a sleep—an interval came after this, I
t
'at another moment I thought
years
eta ti tine
re
thhatalnewhaet2regedauiytsuceoreu course, and were seven or eight
time stood still, a few days Advancing, I believed ii4seelf to -be
one of the three Divine Persons of the Sacred Trinity, and I
thought I must die for man."
' hens is as much. imagination iii this impressive;
but unregulated extract as IV,o9l‘l_ set Up,two (WO
inoilern Poets' for life; Brit, Indeetiv insanity
slight characteristic feature of our modern rhymster ;
and accordingly the straight--jacket of criticism' becomes
absolutely neceStary. ki'afrect a cure -4 Word on this
- ht
subject befoie(cie cth •• .(1.
ictuue. .4 Kniit has been
hitherto so successful his treatment ot• „ 0
ma ,dmen, WC
wish lie would extend
Inr-exertions torets't for we
can assure frorri'''Ofirown e 'acailaintariee
. .
with Many of this afliidia'sect, that the 'arse almost as
much :to be pitied as tlifkrf+44l%. •