Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-08-16
0YerfaXed BRAINS.

The lamCntable suicide of Admiral FitzrOy brings
US face to face with the depressing fact that mod
ern civilization is q brilliant but relentless despot
to whom, in some shape other, our foremost men
are called upon to render up their lives The evil
dence given at the inquest brings out the pitiable
story with only too great clearness Atsixty years
of age, while still preserving the external appear
ance Of 4 man ten years younger, he who had saved
so many lives from the perils Of the deep, was
brought to that pass Of profound mental wretched-
ness and depression that selfnhiCted death seemed
the only haven of relief from the sheer misery of
being. 1t is, perhaps, not unworthy Of note, that
Admiral FitzrOy was Il near relative of the famous
Lord Castlereagh, who committed suicide IN very
similar manner. 1t may be that there is a ten
dency to this form of insanity in the family since it
is we'll known that such predispOsition may Turk
in the blood, reveal itself from time TO time in
repeated acts of self-murder But it is more prob
able that, in Admiral Fitzroys as in Lord Castle
reaghs case the origin Of the suicidal madness is to
be traced to Observation-Disclosures resulting from
work. The prime minister gave way under the toll
and responsibility Of guiding such country o
England through Of the most difficult crises of
her hstory-a task rendered the more difficult by
the unpopularity of his acts among the masses of
the people. The scientific man has been worn out
by the weight of continual cares resulting from his
post rs meteorological officer Of the board Of trade
Both succumbed to demands which they had prob
ably not the physical strength to answer beyond a
certain point. In the case of Admiral Fitzroy we
see laid OuL before us on the inquest all the steps
by which the melancholy result was reached. He
had been a handsome man, with fine, vigorous
presence, genial manner, and an amiable despo-
sition With the accumulating pressure Of his
work-which it should be recollected, involved
calculations Of the utmost nicely, whereupon the
safety of many lives dependable became depress-
cd in spirits, peculiar IN manner, reduced in person.
He acquired that terrible inability to sleep which
is one of the most dreadful of those means by which
nature avenges the abuse Of the mental powers
and he was forced to take opium at night-at one
time to an extent which threatened serious Conse-
quences. The right side Of the heart became weak
in its action; the brain showed symptoms Of par
alysis; his medical attendant dreaded the advent
of insanity, and warned him that he must refrain
from work; his servants noticed that he gave
strange and inappropriate answers to questions
his friends remarked that he could not make up his
mind on any subject, which he admitted TO be the
case; he had noises in the ears and twitchings of
the hands. His intimate friend Captain Maury,
told him that he wanted dynamic force meaning
nervous power. In other words, the subtle organi-
cation Of nerves and brain was worn out, or per-
haps We should rather say, plunged into state Of
abnormal and terrible excitement In which the per
ceptiOns became confused, and nothing remained
clear but the pain and hopelessness of life. Then
the desperate hand was raised against its own OK
isenee, and read the termination of the story In
the verdict Of " Temporary Insanity London
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