Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-03-04
RELIGION AND LUNACY.
nv HUGH MILLER THOMPSON.

Some time since we saw, in Phil.
adelphia paper, an account of an un-
fortunate case Of insanity. A Metho.
dist preacher and his wife had been
attending camp.meeting, held, "a il
was said, in the interests of Perfeo-
tioDism "a new ism" among the
Melhodists). aud had been greatly
excited during the prolonged exer-
cises. They came into Philadelphia,
and both went rsving mad in the
omnibus, the woman throwing her
false teeth out of the window, aud
both shouting and gestiouIating wild
ly. In that conGlJiou the two unfor-
Inmates wandered about the city, an
til picked up and cared for by the
police. 1t was stated that the gen.
tleman had been, for many years, a
uSeful preacher and missionary in bis
denomination. He and his wife are
now. probably, lunatics for life.
1t is delicate subject, and one
which the physicians have been rath-
err chary of handIing,-this subject OF
insaHity from religious excitement.
In the tables in the INTERPOLATION tn
the United States census for 1860 in
the v.lume on population, setting
as de the causes OF i'll health and to-
temperance, religious excitement ia
given "a the most prevalent cause OF
insanity; and between religious ex-
element and intempersnce a. csnses
the difference is very slight. In five
asyiums for the insane. tabulated on
page SO, the insane from intemper-
ance are eight hundred and twelve,
and those from religious excitement,
seven hundred and forty.
1t thus appears from the official
data, colecl ed by the officers Of the
United States. and published by
authority, that one of the most pre-
vailing causes of lunacy in this coun-
try is excitement caused by certain
type Of religion. This fact is so strik
ing, that the report goes on to dilate
upon the matter, though with c0nsid
cradle trepidation. II gives four
principal methods by which the re-
ligious sentiment 8 excited into in
sanity.
First. By those extraordinary
and spasmodic Efforts which occur 10
all sections OF the country, WHICH are
not restricted TO any one sect or de-
nomination, and are doubtless con-
ceived in spirit of benevolen 90 yet
in which. 10 say no.hingo of the aharac-
ter of the exercises, tie excl tenn lent,
both mental and corporeal, is long
continued, and necessarily produces
nervous exhaustion, the condition
most favorable for 40 attack of in-
sanity"
That is to say, the frst and most
prolific cause OF insanity from d seased
actioa OF the religious emotions, il
the revival so called. The two csser
mentioned above are directly 10 point,
The camp meeting, whatever else il
did, drove those two unhappy people
mad
In speaking Of the physical demon.
stra,iOus which attend revivals, and
are generally @ nsidered as evidences
of the depth aud th 'roughaess of "the
work" the report says;
at is probably hot generally
known that many of the physical de-
monsIrations. such rs spa~ms. convul
sions, and trances-phenonena which
sometimes occur in religious assem-
blies of Christians, and are often at.
trihuted to super natural source
are perhaps still more frequent among
pdganS
In congregations of Howling Der
wishes, one of the minor denomina.
tions II MOhammt danism. they ar,
quite common and we have the au
thority of the converted Brahmin
GaRgooid, for the assertion that they
are not inirequeDt among the Budd.
hists of his native country.
There are, upon the records o
our hospitals, cases, the circumstan
oes OF which had they occurred il
Central Africa or Now 2 ,aland. ant
been known IN this country. woulC
have awakened many an expression
of sorrow and pity tor the supersti
ton aud fanAticism of The benightes
hesthen."
All this, of course, though no
generally known, is nevertheless
very we'll known, aud has been ion,
known, and deal besides OF th. SAM,
kind, by educated men Tue very
same concentrations, COMMISSIONS
frances, eager shoutipgs, fret EieC
fcrvor, and the rest, are found 10 81
for@s of religion nov. ~ they may b,
found in sli forms of religion pasi
They existed among the sncien,s il
the worship of Bacchns and Cybele
In the mad orgies of the Bona Dea
and 10 the "mourning tor Tammuz.
They exit amORg Mohsmme
! Buddbists, and Brahmin-, ~ we'll a
AMONG the wild Indian aud the psLiy