, 1874-06-01
MORBID INHpULGIl.

Before Tho Nctv York N1ctstcu-Glcg glt1
SOctcty-CrlncH CoMnstttuh by pcr.
S0aaS Who E1nd Loot 8clf-CnntrO1-
Method OF fronting SUCH PATIENTS
Tho Extent to Which They Are to lsC
Mold Accountable.
From tho ke.0 lOrk TRIBUNE, Nay o..
The Now York Molloo-Legnl Sooipty hold its
regular monthly meoting lnat evening. The
orator OF tho ovonlng was Proi. William A.
Morbid Impulse" Its principal features aro
reproduced below.
It is relstod Of tho Prince do Ta!loyrand tllut
nrpon ono occasion tho great Statesman told
ths t o nt;n,io Of his T
my ,countryman, sr, i. Wc had always
tlmes something more than friendship WIS re-
9uired to unite persons, whon tho expression OF
We had together quilted Franco to take refuge
In Now York, and fad hitherto Iiyod In perfect
harmony. Wishing TO incroaeo our lttlo capital,
Ind froighted ship halt sharen with him to
for our departure, bnr ,waisel for o favorable
wind with tho ercntcst impationce. This stuto
pf uncertainty hooMed to bonr poor .. to n nloBt
extraordinary degree. Incapable Of remaining
quiet, he roanod tho city with fovorisla activity
which, for tho moment, excited my surpriso for
ho was always remarkable for his coofnoBs und
p'acidity. Ono day ho ontored tho room nppa-
rontly under great excitement, although lo
madc great efforts to restrain himself. I
was writing letters to Europe Leaning over my
shoulder, ho mid with forced enioty sWhy
do you loso tno In writing these lc.tolB7 I'hey
will never reach their destination. Como with
nc md lot us nuke q round Of tho Battery.
The wind may become favorable; perhsps .wo
arc noaror our departure than We think. Wo
threaded tho wo1l-pooplcl streets and reached
the Battery. Ho had Offered n,o his nrn,, mud
hurried on ut 1t lo wore in haste to reach 1t.
When re were OIL tho grounds, i. hasteucd sill
-t~Z y
loudly and rapidly, aud admired, in ouergesio
terms, tla bcautles Of the scouo, Suddenly We
stopped in the midst Of his incoherent talk. I
bud disengagcd my arm from his and stood
ii:.y firmly M before hin. ilScd ny syea npon,
aud ashNmal. d. aaid I, tyour ilten-
tion is 10 kill mo; you mean to throw mo from
this height into tho eea. Douy it, monster, If
you tlere!' Tho insane man lookod ut mo in-
tontly with hls, haggard oyos for moment;
him. aud his cyes foil. He mutterel some iico-
hcrent words und ondeavorea to puss Inc, bur I
spread my arn1B aild prevented linn. Casting
wild look around, l'o threw hinrclf on my neck
my friend! Tho thought has hanntel mo day
aud night like IN informal la,ne. It was for tha
brought you here. Sec. you are not foot
from tho prccipico. Another instant the
hnd abandoned him; his oyes woro full OF
expression;. a white foam covered ls parchcd
tips-tho crisis had paced. I conducted hin,
home. Some days of rest, bleeding, and dict
ing entirely cured him, and, what il the most
singular circumstance of all, We uorer alterrArl
referred to tho occurrence"
This csso is sufficient to show what constitutes
morbid impuiso. It luay DO defined as condi-
tlon in Which tho anoctcd individual ia iulpelleu
consciously to commit M act which ia contrary
20 LIS natural roason ind ngninst lsiB normal III
clinatious. It is necessary not to ooniound this
state with others which, III eoue respects, 1t lc-
eonboB, but Which arc, nevertheless, quite dig
tinct from it. Thus, tho person who, under the
influence Of delllitm commits act OF violence
against another or himself, is not the subject ct
morbid impulse, for ho nets III accordance with
his renson, perverted thought ,nny DO. A n,an.
for instance, acquires tho iloa that Bome one Of
bis relatives or friends is seeking an opportunity
to poison him. The diliriu,n gIows with every
Ills mind With terrible powor. He lies in wait
For his supposed coomy and murders him. Such
IN act is not what understand as being the re-
suit Of morbid impulse. It is q doea growing
put Of intellectual processes logical i'll character
but based upon false premises. Or, person
may imagine that invisible dorils are endoavor-
Ing to destroy him, and, to eEcnpe from his tor
Inenters, ho commits suicitle. In such a case he
reasons from his supposed state Of facts, and
chooses an alternative which, under the cir
cumstnnccB, lie believes to bo protcra-
bio to continual existence. Neither aro
the unconscious nets Of certain episortics
ihe result of morbid impulse, though iii como
rospocts they boar great degroe Of resemblance
question. Tho cloront Of Inconsistencies iH
sufficient to distinguish tlonl.
! WAC consulted in tho caso OF young lady,
m inmate Of . fashionable school in this city,
who, Immediately before each monthly poriod
was attacked with paroxys,nb of groat mud un-
controlable excitement. during which nho ut
tompted to destroy every object within her
reach. III ono Of thoso, Which had occurred
just before I saw her. sho had broken
ooc afGs and seynr ynobo 1or en se
meats before sho could be restrained, Que
evening che entered my conaulting-room with
her governesu, AMI almost before could speak
10 ler the fit seized her. Her faco anl neck be-
head to foot and, as was unable to pravont
her. abe Grnspel bronco dagges.liko paper
knife that lay on my table mid attempted to
thrust it into hor breast. Fortunately it struck
on the steol support Of Lor eorsot,- aud before
Bho could repeat the net caught llor urm and
look tho weapon from her. In fcw moments aLe
wss calm, snd had no recollection OF what she
bud done, Tho attack was clearly opileptio in
sharacter, aud shortly aftorwnrd her seizures as
lumed tho singular form OF the grand mai.
In true morbid impulse, the individual who is
Its subject In perfectly anare Of the i.,congruous
act ho is about to commit but perpotrates it bo-
CAUSE lie il compelled thcreto by e. forco which
ho feo1s himself powerlcss to reaist. IIe nets
manifcats agitation aud exotomont. J[o does
not for moment loso con1ciousnoss, and when
li'u impulse Las been acted upon, or his pur-
poso changed by auy-for the instant
moro powerful ca'lss ho rocollocts dis
tinctly al! the circumstances OF tho occagion. It
frequently happens that the patient struggles
agaiast tho impulse which ho cx-
perencen, evou when on the very point of yield
lug Or f!e takes such measures Of prevention as
are sufficient for the purpose, or the impulse dis
appears spontaneously, or as . consequence OF
appropriate medical Treatment.
Very slight cauaea arc often sufficient to do
ttroy or OVERCOME tho morsid impulse. "Maro'
cites the case Of II. r., d distinguished chemist
md NJ amiablo lnsn, who, feeling him
telf iHpe!lod to commit murlor nnd
fearing liB inability to rosiht, voluntarily placed
himEe!f in = nlaison de sante Of tho Faubourg
bs. Antoine. Tormontcd by tho desire to kijE'
ho often Prostr,atsd himself before the altar aud
l'nplored the Almighty to deliver him from lis
not explain. When ho felt thnt l.ia viii e,a wns
sielding, he went to tho Superintendent o; TIC |
Asylum ond had lin tic lis lands together with |
o ribbon. Tllis woak band waH sufficient TO calm |