Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-06-12
NO. "a.

pulse came upon him TO ruin the dress with
sulphuric acid, and accordingly ho ran in
to drug store, purchased the acid, and
without observation effected his purpose.
lie derived such pleasure from yielding to
the impulse that he resolved to continue his
course, and 50 he purchased more sulphur
ic acid and ruined second dress. He
then resolved to continue this pursuit, but
Il nights rest brought better state OF
mind, and he was so sorry for what he bad
done that he actually wrote an advertise
ment and sent it TO the newspapers, with
the view of finding the ladies whose dress.
cs he had destroyed, so that he might in
domnilv them. On his way 10 the newspa-
per ctlico, however, he saw handsome
dress, the impulse at once seized him, and
lie yielded to it without hesitation. Thus,
whenever he saw handsome dress, he
could not resist the impulse TO destroy it
with sulphuric acid. Prof Hammond ad-
vised him TO take sea voyage in vessel
in which there was no woman passenger.
lie complied with his advice, went to sea
in fishing schooner, and returned perfect
ly cured. The desire OF person TO throw
himself from great height on which he
might be standing, and the morbid impulse
stimulated by the presence Of suitable
weapon TO commit deed of violence, were
duly referred TO. The yielding to a morbid
impulse through the influence of imitation,
was fully illustrated. Among other cases,
Prof. Hammond mentioned that some
years ago man hanged himself in the Ho-
| tel des Invalides, Paris. No suicide had
| taken place there for three years. but in a
short time afterwards five persons hanged
| themselves from the very same beam. AZ
another instance, he said that when he was
| a medical student in the University of New
| York he had a companion student who
| used 10 dis~ect along with him. lie was of
/ cheerful disposition, and gave no evidence
| of morbid Impulse. However, he was, one
morning, found dead, having divided the
/ fcmIial artery. Il was quite an unusual
mode OF suicide; no other had probably
/ ever occurred in the State of New York. but
in n week aiterward there were two similar
suicides. In the first case. they had suicide
from suggestion, and alterward from im-
tation. For this reason Prof. Hammond
advocated less public execution of crimi-
nails and slaughter of animals. Morbid
impulses arising from the force Of habit
often continued long time when the origi-
nal cause had passed away. In illustration
Of this theory he stated the case Of a lady
who had disposition to throw every val
liable article into the fire. In the first
place she burned an old slipper, and de-
rived peculiar pleasure from the contor-
tions through which the leather went
through the process of burning. The next
day the impulse was renewed, and, yield
ing to it, she burned felt hat, hut without
any pleasure, inasmuch as the hat did not
go through the same coptortioGs as the
slipper. The third day she burned a
Praver-book, and soon she burned shawls,
bonuets. and every article of value within
her reach. The REGULARITY, however, was
that she took no pleasure in seeing them
burn. as in The first instance, and her inn
pulse being satisfied on throwing them into
the fire. she walked 10 another part Of the
room. She was nevertheless, entirely
cured by subiecling herself to such re-
straint as could be used in her own house.
The dread of dishonOr, shame and igno-
mny, the speaker said, was frequently
more potent than that of death to check
morbid impulses, and on this point he in
stanced the fact that Napoleon had success
fully checked a suicidal epidemic in the
French army by appealing to this feeling.
Restraint Prof Hammond advocated as the
: primary remedy for this evil, and, after a
brief review of the legal aspects Of the
question, concluded his paper.