Daily national Democrat., 1860-12-08
Is Insanity Contagious Z


Several members of a family affected v ith
insanity, says VI. Bailarger, and whose symp-
toms are the same, are occasionally brought
] to asylums on the same day lu questioning
one Of these patients, we may anticipate on
what point the other is insane as if we
make some inquiries we probably learn that
both patients were not affected at the same
time, but that one had teen affected some
months previous to, and had communicated
the disease 10y degrees to the other Thus,
NJ. Baillarger has known delrium transit
from mother to daughter, and from mother to
SON
Mime. p. and her daughter were admitted
to La SaIpetriere at the same time Both
were mutually convinced that their food was
poisoned that they were followed on the
street and that aquafortis DC, were thrown
upon them, which eXhaled poisonous fumes
around them.
The second example is still more curious
Nine. y, remarkably intelligent woman,
much respected by her two sons, the elder Of
whom was twenty years ofage, became seized
with singular madness. She imagined that
she was somnambulist, and that often dur
ing the night her husband made her give
consultations, Of which she had no recolec-
ton on waking. She supposed he gained in
this way large sums, and was constantly de-
manding this money from him.
Without enlargirg on all the reasons she
advanced in support Of such notion, it will
be sufficient to say, that by degrees she i'm
parted her IDEAS TO her eldest son, although
he did not live with her, saw her almost
every day, as, on quitting his work he wa.
obliged to pass part of the night at home.
The accusations of his mother excited him.
He had some very violent discussions with
his father, and even went to the authorities
to inform against him. Insanity then be-
came so evident, that the patient, who had
just been enlisted, was rejected on account of
mental alienation.
This young man the girl P. both recoy-
cred.
Both have explained how the absolute con-
fdence which they had in their mother exer-
cised something like fascination over them
They declared that, far from suspecting any
defect in their reasoning faculties, they
were, on the contrary, led away by their
conviction.
NJ. X. has acknowledged that, under the in.
tluence OF the constant quarrels arising from
unsupported insanity Of his mother by work
or want of sleep, his mind was agitated, and
that he was then impressed with the ideas
WHICH ne HOH elUtcu, rs constituting MS IN
sanity.
There are at present in La Salpetrere two
sisters, who were brought on the same dav
with exactly the same symptoms of insanity
The elder Is a widow. the younger is mar
ried. The former imagined that her brother
in-law wished to poison her. and She per-
suaded her sister, who lived with her, into
the same belief To guard against the effects
of the poison, the patient set to drinking
brandy and it was from this time their in
sanity became more and more pronounced.
The younger. who was under the care Of VI
BaiilHrger, admitted that up to this time her
husband had been very kind to her; and that
during the eight cars they had been mar
ried she had no cause to complain of him
but she is not the less convinced that he has
made more than thousand attempts to
poison her.
In another instance, NJ. Ballarger has
known the husband to become insane under
the influence and by the effect Of the annoy
ance which his wife inflicted on him. What
is very strange in this case is, that the wo-
man, no doubt of a superior intelligence to
her husband. had driven him mad by com
municating to him the idea upon which she
WAS herself insane, and actually had him sent
as a lunatc to the Hospiee de Bicetre, while
she herself remained at large.
Facts of this nature are somewhat rare,
but they explain certain interesting questions
in psychocg gical medicine