Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-12-04
Mental Impulses of the Insane.

Mental Impulses Of the Insane.
The Physiological Journal, of late date.
gives several singular instances OF the peculiar
impulses Of the insane, from which we extract
the following:
The Seur D, carrying on business in
the Quarter ST. Denis, Paris, had, for some
time, given unmistakeabIe evidences OF menr-
al alteration. He frequently sent goods to-.
parties without any order often went out with
out his hat; and repeatedly returned laden
with chiIdren's toys and useless purchases
sometimes treating his subordinates with great
rudeness, aud charging his head clerk, a man
above all suspicious, with dishonesty. Ma
dame D, well skilled hersefi in the trans
actions of business, paIliated, 10 the utmost or
her power, his eccentrici.ies and offensive con-
duct, which had mol, as yet, become at all
dangerous and by earnest and respectful at
tenlions induced the assistants TO bear with the
caprces OF their empIoyer-exerting all her
ingenuity, day after day, 10 conceal from their
customers the sad reality. On or about the
Sd OF May, Madame D. was awoke, an
hour after midnight, by painful sensation in
the throat; and on raising her hand to DISCO
yer the cause, aScertaiued, with terror, that
her husband, who stood before her, was all
tempting to strange her with cord, of which
he held one end, while he regarded her with
a strange, wild look. At first she thought
this horrible reality only hallucination, and
rubbed her eyes TO assure herself she was not
deceived. On the table lay an open razor and
a pistol. "COme, my best beloved, said the
husband, with a smile which made bis counle-
nance still more frighllul ''it is time 10 set
out on our Journey. They expect US, for our
nuptials are to be celebrated on high, in The
Moon. We shall leave our bodies here--lhey
will give US others; and we shall reSrme our
own after few days. Come, take away thy
hand, that may Slrangle thee, 70 cause thy
spirit TO depart! Seest thou, on high, all tbs
invited guests who pass" At the same time
he directed his wfe's attention through the
window, the curtains of which bad been drawn
aside, to some light clouds fitting across the
disc of the moon. At this critical moment Il
happy thought occurred, as it by inspiration,
to Madame D. Appearing 10 enter into
the maniac'S feelings, she calmly answered,
81 cannot, dearest, consent 10 90 On high be-
fore thee; and if we leave our bodies here,
without explanation, they will he uried in the
cemetery, or, rather, they may be opened for
examination" s'rhou art right" was The an
swer, 81 did not think of that. will Just
90 and write couple OF lines. We have no
time to lose, and thou must 90 first to put on
thy apparel Provdenually there was no
ink in the room, aud the Sieur D was
therefore complied to descend tc his office ON
the ground floor Soon as he had lett the
apartment, Madame D gently closed
and boIted the door She then opened the
easement, which looked into an inner court,
and threw, one BIZ one, several pieces of mon
ey at the opposite windows. As she had for
seen, one of these easements was soon opened
by ii neighbor, to whom she had cOnGded the
state of her husband, and 10 whom she now
hastily communicated her danger, requesting
him to call the nearest guard to her aid. The
soldiers were promptly on The spot, and for
cling their way into the house, lcund The Sieur
D proceeding TO break open the bed
room door with wrnehiDg>ircn. Il was
necessary to use stratagemto gtin possession of
this formidable weapon and secure his person,
as he had become exceedingly violent His
arms and legs were then firmly tied, and, ia
this state, he was conveyed to The guard house.
Next day he was taken 10 2 luaaiic asy~
lum.