The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-15
STRANGE MONOMANIA.


Longing for Home-Attempt at starva-
tion- insane Through Homesfclkness.
From the PittsbuTg Gazette.
One of the most singular cases OF monomania
of which we have ever heard was developed In
Allegheny few days ago attended with cir
peculiar. The victim was an Irishwonan, un-
married, and on the shaly side OF thirty years
She left her home on the 'gem of the sea about
year ago and came TO America, winding up Ia
Allegheny, where several of her relations re-
sided. From the fret she expressed herself as
dissatisfied with her new residence, and was
continually expressing her laments that she had
ever left ireland. This gradually became the
thought of her mind, and she became mono
maniac, or perhaps clearly insane. She begged
to be taken back, but her friends, thinking it
was but temporary deluslon, gave no particu-
lar heed to her lamentations, and endeavored
10 make her satisfied with the change. All
their efforts failed, however, and her grief in
tensified with her monomania until she really
became i'll. A physician was called in aud pre-
scTibed for her, but she refused to take the
medicine and finally rejected all food. In this
condition she remained for twenty-five days,
go it is aveIred by her friends, without taking a
mouthful of food or a stimuant-deliberatel
attempting to commit suicide by starvation.
She never at least ate In the presence of any
one during that time, and when she was left
alone with the food in her room, evidently never
touched 1t, as the articles were not found dis
urbed nor the quantity of food diminished in
the smallest peTceptible degree.
At the end of the twenty-five days she was
helpless, and was thought to be In a dying con-
dition, but she still had the remembrance of her
Irish home, and plead to be sent back. She
seemed to understand fully her design and would
often get violent-so much so that at one time
q straight jacket had to be brought into requsi-
tion. Friday the physician in order to try an
experiment, promised to have her Sc mt back If
she would take food and medicine, and try to
recover. She made him set the time two weeks
and then Immediately seemed to be infused
with new life. With care and attention she did
recover her strength in measure, and at the
end of the two weeks was enabled to sit up and
move about at times. She then demanned that
the promise be fulfilled, and as it was not, on
the very day assigned she again refused to take
food, and commenced her former course.
The friends by this time became convinced
that nothing would save her life unless she was
returned TO Ireland, and accordingly they kept
her busy preparing for few days, until she had
gained sufficient strength to travel, and one day
last week she was accompanied to New York
from whence she shipped for her old home. She
seemed TO thoroughly understand what she
wanted, and mapped out the journey herself as
clearly as though in the most perfect mental
vigor. The friend who accompanied her to New
York says she lad recovered her reason en-
trely, and was rapidly gaining in health when
she left that port. By this time she is perhaps
within sight of the land she seems to have
loved so we'll