The New York herald., 1870-04-27
FIFTEENTH DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
Exa aiiBurion Of itnesses-Testimony Of DR.
Vance Resumed.

Vance Resumed.
DR.. vance's examination resumed-Mr. Gerry
showed witness plates illustrative OF brain disease,
and he said that a plate marked "Plate III resem-
bed symptoms that he had observed through the
ophthaioscope when he examined the prisoner.
Crossexamned by the District Attorney-The first
thing said the prisoner after the Introduction OF
to have a long conversation with him;' 1 was with
him three hours this was on the sth OF March;
spoke to him Ia continuous conversations, and l
went there to form an idea as TO his nationality or
irrationaty cannot remember all the subjects but
h.o can Ior recall gooa i, many OF Them
conclusion as TO his then condition OF
mind and TINT at that he perfectly rational and
perfectly coherent; discovered no delrium; l don't
regard the two words hallucnation and derium as
synonymous; on the second occasion DR.. Wehle was
with me- and he participated In what was said: at
the time OF these several examinations l don't
know mat any notice OF it mad been given to
the District Attorney; the physician of the
particular form OF insanity that he was
laboring under must have been In my opinion an
attack of acute mania; by mania mean perversion
OF understanding on all kinds of subjects during the
mania, accompanied by mental excitement; have
seen maniacs who were undoubtedly insane who
were quite natural on many subjects; there is insanity
without mental excitement; don't believe that any
in healthy conditions can have a pulse Of 1874;
deiuson is Indicated mostly by conversations acute
mania is simply this condition Of mind coming on
suddenly, induced by congestion OF the brain or
poisoning of the blood; the latter may be caused by
alcohol OPIUM befladonna or other spirits; certain
forms OF epilepsy and number OF other causes are
the cons aquence OF acute mania; this man was near
aboring under epileptic mania; In these cases OF
acute mania man does not talk nationally; he
answered me nationally on the subjects spoke To
him about at the second conversation; In the third
conversation went over the same ground that did
IN he first; he answered SUI stanttay the same; his
conversations were without hallucinaiion, and
have doubt he entirely rational in all three OF
these conversations; can point to any fact cir-
cumstance In my conversation testified 10 here that
shows the existence Of acute mania at that time,
witt 10 nvprt tha tn9f ima
the testimony OF the lawyer, Mr.. Billings was one of
these; don't recoect the whole Of 1t; recollect The
snos Mnsn asa ~ % rsmars p0s Of Scrasua ria se"
the stars, and his appearance, his haggard
appearance, the claichng III his hands, and mum.
bei OF symptoms spoken Of by his Witness the ts!n. ts.
e As AA Hs Of his words
1 ,hIs sta ,a q, p W. wete 'nu Prnci
to pronounce opinion that acute Inanla may come
tn at any time at the time he was In front Of the
nam Mani ''N @' 'N - = 'i's D''''' A'D''
O. You have seen the muscles Of mems faces twitch
when they we're not insauef A. Yes
O. Flequently9 A. Yes
O. You have seen distortion OF the eye twitching
Of the .ace trembling OF the Up clipping Of werds
q. Men perfectly sane talk to themselves and
muter on The street, A. Yes.
Q. These things are not indications OF insanity :
A. No but These men may have been Insane without
my knowledge.
o. save any occurrences in tile course OF the cvi-
0hnce on WHICH you rave DaSed your opinions Win
reference TO his supposed insanity. A. might refer
to Mt. N0nes' testimony, where he said lie would
commit suicide.
q. Is the fact that he threatened TO commit suicide
an evidence OF insanity in your mindi A. No. not OF
Itself alone; but If man who holds good position
in society threatens to commit suicide would say
that was very strong proof that he was not in s
right mind-that Is II supposed he seriously con.
templated II.
Q. Now, If person threatens two or three times o
week to commit suicide and he all the time thinks
better OF 1t and does not do IT, you would begin to
thing he was humbug7 A. Yes, but certain condl-
tons might modify my opinion.
Q. What other fact stated in conversation as de.
tailed by witnesses would lead you TO think that the
prisoner insane? A. The facts as stated In the
conversation detailed by the witness Shay. who
testified that at the first Mcfarland performed
his business well, and that after some time
he COULD not perform them--thar legal docu.
mepis would be read to him, duties witch as a
lawyer he must have perfectly understood, and aC
the end he would not know what hal been read 10
him, but would ask what 1t was all about; that, with
the Others is very strong fact to 60 upon In FORM
ing an opinion Of his insanity
z Supposng man engaged in the government
employ all the time, working every day moro or
less and sill threatening suicide day after day and
never committing II, you woaid not give much crc-
dence to him, or Imagine him insanea A. would
not place any reliance on that tact.
O. Cannot an Illusion exist In the miad without