, 1873-03-09

insane mind never changes its purpose, or tur1,e
from the fell completion OF its purpose, is tc
say in other words that the insane mind Is
stronger than the aano mind. II Q man with q
freshly broken leg we're to tell you l!o was going
to run foot rnco you wonld not be-
love him, because your common sense
royolts against the idea OF nus running
with q leg disabled, Buf X one with bis ord'7
disabled declares that he ls going to 90 some
thing dependent upon the action OF his mind
common sense does not always argue so "en'
-" IN the second place. did my poor 3nena, VIII
his impaired means OF Judgment, oetteee tnas
me impulse u Was nncontronanle! LecauSe Il ne
did the end would be the same, so tar as ne was
concerned He you'd sacElt1ce =, his own 1fo to
pfotect tnat OF otnefS' tnougn tney were In no
actnal danger:
;, IN me thiIa pace, mleh1 not TINS Story OF
tne Impulse pe mere pretense to excuse the
Of madness more Obscure in their origin, moro
dltncuis to detect, more peraistent, and more
fatal than SUICIDAL mania; and as there have
been numerous coses IN which persons who have
destroyed themselves have carefully prepared
evidence tending to show that their death was
accidental, why should there not bo one in which
the fatal act VAS to be (so far as possbe) justi-
fed?
I'm the fourth place, granting that there was
either real homicidal mania or fancied homlcidal
mania tonding to suicidal, or simply The latter
was there possibility Of cure?
''As tho three first questions rested for their
solution on one set Of facts, and the deductions
to be drawn therefrom, ! considered them to-
gether. A victim Of suicidal mania rarely il ever
speaks Of suicide. When man says he is going
to drown himself you may generally direct him
to the cars which will take him to the river sido
with the fullest conviction that he will not brea-
fast With the crabs. L, in an exceptional case:
suicide is mentioned, it will either be treated
viii be very earnest in his assurances thst he
would never commit it. Remembering ny poor
friends manner. noticed that he spoke Of tn:1-
ing his own life witrmuch more emotion than
he eyinced when he told me- of the impulse TO
shed the blood Of others. His words IL must
baye human Ife-if I had had pistol with mo
shonld haye shot her-some day soon I shall
take pistol on purpose and shoot her-I should
murder nv keeper md go straight for that
innocent gir1. were spoken cs calmly O. though
Ia snid. & owe fiye dol1ars-I must 20 and nav
them. !" and at the same time with tone Of deep
comnaiserat;on for the nradestined victims.
Thav Were to die for no fault Of their own, but
thoy we're doomed to deatt-if ho lived. When,
lives at the sacrifice Of his own, his manner
ever treated self-dostruction with the horror.
the consciouaness Of its wickodness, and the
religious doubts as to it's being parioned under
any circumstancea. with which he considered It.
He had never once spoken OF murder as crime
- Alter a long and careful consideration I
came to the following conclusions:
HHe is not 1aborir1r under suicidal mania
"His impulse is real, and viii hare fatal
s. Confinement in an asylum would have no
curative effect.
s.Then took down nv books bearing upon
the anatomy Of tha hnman head.
-
"The next morning 1 addressed him thus:
won1d u ba iu.tted shef befoie God m undar the -
pulse YOU have told me Of, in taking your own
fifo to save that OF another, you must answer me-
several auestions.'
i ".Goa a on he said.
"sWhen you consulted those doctors did you
tall them iii that Won haye told me2'
"sNo, I did not dare. r said that I had
horrible thoughts and cravings, but without
entering into details as to what they were.
Once went 90 far a. TO sn7 feared I was be-
coming dangerous, m us a; and the fool smiled
az Good Did thoy aver sneak Of searching
FIR that hall p
"'Yes, they said it might be the cause of my
suaerings. snpposing it had lodged near the
brain. mt that no nne would take fbe resnonsi-
bilitV Of searchine for it-so to sneak~in the
lark
1tT.toy vere riebt-the operation might kill
ron and the hall he mt fonnd after all
:. BE looked Nd. aud The duu detected look
hat had becoms habitual nassed from hia fare.
1tA And avan II II uaro fonnd want IN sita
,xtraction might cause yonr death ali t;,e same
sHe laid his hand On nv arun. anil tried to
JDaak. bnt hD CO1l8 mt.
Still it would give YOU chanco-fuet a |
.hance Of mora than iife.' His ernsn tiehtcnad.
could feel his heart beating. sAnd submittinp
o such an OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES hopeless thouph Il
not be quite suicids.'
.sHe fell on his knees and sobbed like q child.
You'll do it ? he cried, God Almighty bless |
on! You'll do it?'
::
."Wel1." said my friend, lighting q fresh cigar,
to make nv story shorf, did it. with the |
ssstanco Of 9 young surgeon whose nerve I |
ould trust NE found that miserable piece OF |
cad near where had suspected it to be. It was
ust case of touch and 70, Had nv Knife |
fayered twice the bredth of its own eage-had
he assistant been unsteady with the forceps-it
;ould have been fatal don't want to sppear
ain OF my SUCCESS, 60 I'll say no more than this
he recorered."
:. And hasn't killed anybody"
" No, and doeen't want to-"
"By Joye! wouldn't be too sure OF that.
nd so the girl he wanted to murder married tho
[aior?"
ssshe did,
"Then if wero her husband I'd take precious
God caro- that your interesting patient didn't
7me into the same State with her.
=: Nv dear fellow. IL ron vera her husband !
NIL a. or.,t,r 10 bor 6,uhon5 doa.