The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-22
THE NOVEMBER MAGAZINES.
UPufnnIIl,a.W


Daponte," by H. T. Tuckerman; "Anthem of
the Universe" by Charles A. Mungen; the
conclusion of the novel of "Too True" by T.
W. Parsons, NJ. D.; "Unexplored Region of
Central America" by f. G. Squier; "Three
Work Days" by J. J. Piatt; "The Founders
Of Globe City," by ]. o Culver; "With the
Nuns" by G. L. Robins; ga Day with the
Babies, !" by L. D. Nichols 'The Mountain OF
Knowledge" by G. p. Cranch; Commercial
Progress in China" by T. w. Knox; the first
of "Two Letters on Woman suffrage;" "IG" by
j. j. Piatt; ga Day of Surprises" by Virginia
Vaughan; "Whom the People will Elect, and
Why; "Life in the Argentine Republic" a
review of Sarmiento's book; "The Monthly
Chronicle" containing record of current
events, literary notices, table talk etc.
From DIR. Boards article, entitled "Who are
the Insane Y' we take the following:-
Ubgovernabe attacks Of passion, violent
temper, and unnatural cruelty are the results of
ins anity lar more frequently than Will probably
be admitted by those who have not gwen this
subject close and special attention. This class
/ of patients are all about US, and are oftenHmes
4 all the more disagreeable and dangerous from
the fact tb at in their calm moments they may
be perfectly sane, upright and kindly. Their
disease has its eXacerbations, its paroXysms f
attack, and during the intervals their bearing
may be entirely courteous, and their whole dis
position sweet and tender. Some of the greatest
and noblest men of history have been the vic
Tins of these paroxysmal attacks OF insanity,
and for that reason have been otenttmes terri
Oily msiudged They have been accused of
inconsIstency, of hypocrisy, and their strange
Zcouduct has caused many to lose all their faith
in truth, purity, or virtue.
1t may be remarked, by the way, that
This paioxysmal character is not peculiar
ITO insanity. Diseases OF the lungs, stomach,
land other organs are liable to exacer-
batlons or psrozyssms, Isl ,o Sr., OF attack Just
fthe intervals, the patient may appear to be
Howard the philanthropst, who crossed seas
| and mountains to relieve the distressed, was
brute and tyrant in his own family. Dr.. WINS
low says of bIm:-"Hls cruel treatment caused
the death of his wife. He was III the habit, for
many years, OF doing penance before her pic
ture. He had an only son whom for the slight
4 est offense he punished with terrible severity,
making him stand Tor hours in a grotto on the
garden. The son became a llnatlc as the result
of this brutal treatment" / am strongly in.
clned TO the opinion that even the extraordt-
nary beDevolence OF Howard was one of the
! symptoms OF the disease iu his brain, for in
sanity may have good as well as evil manifes-
| tatioDs, and such exceptional selfsacriice as
hiss blind, so persistent, so life enduring-is
Just as liable to proceed from morbid state as
| the directly opposite qualities OF ungovernable
rage intense hate, or cruelty. There IS a point
beyond which not only forbearance, but also
the manifestations Of benevolence, charity, self
sacrifice. devotion, spiritualty-of all the higher
and nober qualities of humanity-may cease to
| be virtues.
Very much of the cruelty that we meet with
in everyday life is the work of the partially
insane. 1 know some really good men WHO
sometimes, under peculiar circumstances act
mole like lunatics than reasonable beings. /
knew d farmer, CONSCIENTIOUS and worthy
man, who was at times attacked with paroX-
ysms of rage so violent and irresistible, that he
| would beat his oxen most numerically, and
| without proyocatiop., An acquaintance of mine
told me that his father, VINO was one of'the
! kindest of men in his family, very often whipped
| his children almost TO death, and that too,
despite the fearful appeals OF his wife, to whom
| he was most devo'eoly attached.
Much or the tyranny and despotsm OF the
/ world have been the result OF cerebral disease,
and, if justice had been done, not
confined IN asylums for the insane. Caltgula,
the beastly Roman Emperor, was certainly
lunatlc. His accession to the throne was
/ greeted with Joy by the Roman people, and he
afterwards became so popular, by the generous
and copciiatory acts of his reign, that when he
was attacked with sickness. sacrifices were
offered in the temples for his recovery. His
brain undoubtedly became diseased during
his ckDess, for from that time he became
a changed man. The remaining four years of
his reign were disgraced by some OF the most
unnatural and capricious tyranny recorded in
history He put to death a large number OF
his Senators. Every ten days he delivered
human victims to be .leySS devogred by will wild
act clearing hls account" He caused divine
honors 10 be paid to himself, in temple erected
expressly for that purpose, and under the
superiptendence of priests OF his own appoint
ment. He invited his favorite horse Inctatus
to dine at the royal table, where he was fed on
gilded oats anu drank wine from jewelled
gobets; and but for his premature death this
animal would have been raised to the c0nsulship.
In more enlightened aud liberal age Caligula
would have been deposed and sent to an insane
retreat. The Romans endured his cruelty for
four years, and then put him to death by we'll
planned and successful conspiracy. The career
OF Nero was somewhat like that OF Caligula.
In youth he was notably clever, kindly, and
amiab e. and for the first five years OF his reign
Nhe ruled with clemency and justice. He was at
this time so harassed by the attempts OF his
mother TO wrest the sceptre from his hands ,tnat
4 bis brain probably became disordered, and he
was melamorphosed into tyrant. He poisoned
his own brother at feast to which he had
invited him. His mother, Agrippina, he mur-
dered in her own bed. He relentlessly prosecuted
the Christians the plea that they had set fire to
Rome. He caused to be executed Lucan the poet
and Seneca the philosopher, and kicked his own
wife TO death. Nor was his insanity manifested
by acts OF cruelty alone. He had silly rage FOL
music and in his morbid ambition to be thought
the greatest singer of the world, he appeared on
the stage in the character of an operate
performer.
Domitian, Hellogabalus, and possibly alsc
some OF the tyrants OF Rome, must have been o
unsound mind. Domitian, like Caligula aud
Nero, began TO reign with generosity, aud undel
the pressures and worryings of government he
y developed into monster. Heliogabaus made
hhIs horse consul, appointed a senate OF woMen
forced the Romans to worship black stone
cCIds of silk and gold, in order TO put al
Z end 10 his own life whenever he saw fit. AL
n these were the freaks of .madman
Alexander the Great behaved like
Anng AE