, 1874-06-01

| UCtHNQH LnD ycHtS 1000 Hill 4COk KlllGu kN0tSf-
ofght po1notis with poiaon, besides mailing
eight unsuccessful attempts. In nona
OF 1er murders was my cauao al-
logged or tiacoyorod. 1Ior Victims woro her
n,aatcrs and mBtressoa, hor fellow-ncrvants,
allo displayed tho utmost tenderness anil caro-.
Tho poa Of lnonomania wna sct mp In lsor do
fcnso, Lits no ov!dollco OF insanity was brought
forward by hor counsel, savo tho want Of motive
for her crln,os. She was found guilty by tho
jury aftor short delihoration, nrtl was III duo
ti,ne executed. Hor last words on tho Hcnffoll
were devoted to accusing woman as hor insti-
gator and accomplico whose nnmo WAS not oyon
1uontlonod during tho trial, and WHO, upon in
whole lilo Ind been Of tho most exemplary cAar-
| aoter.
| Tho caso OF Dumollarl, likewise drawn from
tho 1nrlaprldoneo Of France, tlaongl, other conn-
tries nro not deficient In similar iilstnncos-also
illustrates tho force OF habt. This man, pcns-
ant Of n low order of intellect had ponchant
for numbering sorvant-girls, whom ho rrotond-
od to hire md thon conducting them to unfso-
! 1ored. and nlne others baroly esoapod. lndocd
| 1t Is probable that many moro than those wero
| murdered, for on searching hia promises 1,250
articles Of woman's apparel werc found,
ono eala at tlo tlme. Du,nollard ought to havo
had cen'ctery OF bin own. Aud yet thero waa
no Bnch motive for his crimes as would ado
Quately account for them. lie did not sell tho
! clothing aud other things Of litt1o value which
ho obtained from Lis Victims. Indood. 1t wns
shown that llo had buried anl otherwise do
stroycd many Of thom, and tho rost wcro. AZ l
lnvo saia, hidden in out.of-tho-way places abont
Ills dwelling. There was no evidence to ul,ow
mariefoi e d. aud Eo vas 5 found not gritty s Of
tia accusations to this cffcct. Ho ap-
pcnra to havo been wholly actuated
by, morbid impulse and tho force Of
hnbts habit which hal become a portion OF his
fyain11 tnirr hiH II Affoli1HI him f,1nna.
uro to indulge. Insanity uas urged in Ills de-
fenae. but ho was found guilty and executed.
Many other casos might DO brought forward,
some of thom Of recent occurrence and belong
my memoir with o reforcnce to but ollo other,
dorer" Of . few days ago. when con-
fronted with the body Of tho murdered child,
oalcera. eyer, nir but dcn,t want 70 look at
pose I did," "How did you got tho blood or
the knife' Did YOU wash IT," "No, sir; !!
ho did tho decd 10 wae sorry for it, and hopod
his mother would not know Of it. When asked
by tho olllcor,whnt he thought ought to bc demo
with him, he ropliod--nnd his anBwer ought TO
sink deeply into tho hcarts Of all Judges, jury
men, mud -lnnkurs-" Put 7ne S0n,e,c|lerc, SO
I can't 10 such things"
Thoso casoa aro Bua1cicnt to show tho nnturo
Of morbid impulse. There arc hundreds of
others which might llayo brought forward
with many Of which you aro doubtless familiar,
but preferred to cito O few striking instances
III ILLUSTRATION which nro not commonly quoted
A fow additional points relative to morbid im-
pnIse, aud especially i'll regard to ita psyclical
caune, roqstire some notice. Tho first Of thonl
Is suggestive. The action OF this principle IL
well shown in tho following caso:
i young man, a momber Of a highly rearccta-
bio family. consulted mo for what he called in
eanity. It apnoared tint fow weeks Previous
ly, whlo walking down Broadway no had been
struck with tile appearance Of u lady III front Of
llm who wore yery. rich black silk tlreas. Sud
don1y tho impulse seized him to ruin this drcHa
by throwing eulphnrio Hcid on it. lle therefore
stopped ut au apothecnryB Bhop md purchased
small vial Of oil of yisriol fastening hia pacc,
he soon overlook tho lady, aud. walking by hor
his vial over Acr drcEs without being perceived.
He derived go much satisfaction from this net
that lie resolved to repeat it ut onco. Ho thoro-
fore procured another supply Of yitriol, and
aroilud her, lie poured the coatonts Of tic vial
over her dress, and again escaped detection.
1Io then went home. and, reaeotny upon what
he had done, determined to, persoyers iu
LIN as Il hpfqs''ss eahss G tram. "st & d 1e' and Put Ss
concluded to abandon tho idea. Indeed, lie was
SO disturbed at what he had already done that Ae
wrote out an advertisement for tho newspapers,
IN which lie requested tho ladies' whose dresses
mel, giving their residences, so TINT ho might
recompongo them for tho loases no had CAUSED
them to sustain. But on hiB way to tile
newspaper oilIces, he again felt tue impulse
to throw yitriol on It, md neain ho pur-
chased supply and repeated tho act Of tho day
before. ne now began to consider moro fully
than ho had yet done the nature and consequences
Of hiR conduct, anil the ne1s morning canao to me
for advice. He stated vory frankly bis entire
conviction TINT Ills acts wore in the highest do
gree immoral and degrading, but expressed to
ME his utterr inability to refrain. IA hand
aome dress" lie said, "acta upon mo very
on in infuriated bull. I must attack It !;
tho bull uncs his borne, while I use yitriol,"
Upon tho most careful examination, could dis
cover no evidence Of disease anywhere except in
the ono point OF waketulncBs with which ho had
suffered moro or loss for sovcral months past
I therefore prescribed tho bromide OF calcium
for him, and insisted on hia removing himself
from further temptation by taking a eca voyage
Oh . smiling vessel npon which thcro wore no
women passengers. He ut unce Expressed hib
acqu,eEcence in my views. ITo went to eea OH 4
fishing schooner, and returned in three or four
months perfectly froe from hiH morbid impulse.
The influence Of haoi: in foBtosing morbid
10 exceedingly powerful, md has already boon
incidentally noticed in tho proeont memoir
When a living being performs all net unier tho
operation Of certain Impressions which aro re-
OF similar act II like influences are brought to
bear Oh the orsanlaln. Every time tho net Is
performed the disposition to repeat 1t becomes
stronger, until et lust the ha6it fs 60 firmly
established that tho net is accomplished
without tho reception ottmpressions similar to
those which originally gayo rise to it, but en-
tlrely through the forco Of tho newly acquired
power, This disposition to repetition is not
limited to phyeica acts; it prevnils in regard to
sl'nost every function Of tho body and mind, to
ina md rf