New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-20
INSANITY CLASSIFIED.

third OF his series OF lectures on Insanity booro the
students OF tho Bellevue Medical College. This subject
was tho Classification and Diagnosis OF Insanity Dur
ing his lecture the speaker Brought forward several
patients suffering from different forms OF mental disease
He quoted largely from prominent writers upon the sub
ject OF INSANITY and at imes expressed wdo difference
of opinion from theories that had been advanced by
them and had become almost standard beliefs.
At the outset Dr. Gray maintained that classification
should De single In ca ses where single disease Is con
cerned. In q majority Of works upon insanity, the
Classification is not only diiflse, but complicated The
first systematic classification that compiled by Dr.
Arnold a century ago. Savage had previously cast
illumination upon tho ground. Arnold made three
general divisions Of insanity Ideal notioDal, and mp
patitye The first included conditions spring
ing from sensations; the second included con-
dti0ns arising in reflections and tho third embraced
conditions originating in instinct Dr. GraSs ciasAca-
ton based LCckes theory that all IDEAS are derVe0
either from bodily Sensations or from rehecto1s Ar
nOlds ideals pbrenic incOherent, tnansca'' ana
sensl tive. His DOtOnal division no divldos into tbe
following rarts: decisive Whimsical, fancu, mpusivc.
schemlng vain or self important, hypocboncraca! ana
pathetic Tho latter he subdvides into classes incud-
ing N orous Jealous, avarciOrs msanhropc arrogant
irasciDe aoorrent suspicious bashfu timd sOrrowinp
distrossfu nosagc superstitious fanatioal and do
spondlng These last forms simply rofer 10 instructive
passion Dr. Cray stated here that all the essentai
forms OF modern included In this classioa
ton made by Arnold with only occasional change Of
words expressing tho same condition. He had thor
oughy detailed all the called emotional forms OF IN
sanity and there essential difference between
Arnods classGcatons aud those recently uado for Dr.
Naudsley.
recent work OF DR.. Carpenter was then referred to
In the lecture and surprise expressed that so able
psychologist should have adopted such views OF clas
sihcation without reservation. ami especially that he
should have allowed himself 20 be captivated with more
semblances OF physical phenomena. Dr. GraV next
spoke OF the Qualifications made by Plnel aul E'qu
rol, and especially to the ample division OF eondi
tiols "a made by FAel, into Ineanchoiia. mania
and dcmentia. The classification therein pro
posed was commented fayoraby by Morrison.
This arranged the forms Of disease according to the an
ierent states which give rso TO hemthat t. according
70 the preyatr cause This the foundation Of the
more recent ssincaOn made by DR.. 8. kle or Etn
borough All forts 40 modification NJ the simple CLASH
fcation OF Esqulrol were practical failures. "Thc
mimic divisions and subdivisions. the complicated and
confused class hcation taught by lecturers and found
detailed In books hay tended to bewilder and obscure
che UNDERSTANDING and lead the student In search OF
truthaway from Lo Investigation OF the disc Itself
TO the siuiy OF it, symptoms. and to tho consideration
Of unessenual points and shades Of difference"
Dr. Gay claimed that tie whole range Of insanity Ia
embedded in few general northumberland. per
in both and mclaucholia in their various GRADES
Of intensity tho latter IN dementia in s various de-
grees. Peryersion is common TO all states In mania
the heightened mental action IL expansive ana the de-
usions are OF the character; in melanchoa IL IL
crcumcrc aud selcenteI ID, and the d3luSiOns are
Of depressing character. The lecturer then took up the
very brief list OF causes assigned by E3quiro and said
he considered what called moral causes
very largely in the light Of symptoms. Esquroi
vas quoted cs excluding Joy and love as causes.
The caton based upon supposed division OF men
tai faculties only tends TO confuse symptoms and states
Of mind. The idea OF dividing insanity according to
the faculties as prceptlve eInotlonnI n
vanity Of the Will merely doctrine OF phrcnology
carried "a logical conclusion. snch actual lnGepend
sis OF human thought feelings and actions. 1t was I'M
sceutiiic TO speak of such condition IA an INSANE VIII
or an Insane perception or emotion WITHOUT ~
isolation Of intellect as 10 have that insane without
mind INTO pieces ard Top Of portions Of 1t az might be
done with ear, or an arm, or a leg. such
classification tends 10 common demoraDzailon.
aud disregard ami overthrow OF the foundations Of
responsibility Ii ended In this: If man di not con
troll hs emotions you could bring no reDut
ling evidence. and he would be an emotional lanahc.
III intellect might be sound enough, hut hlS VIII would
ne weak. Then he would be voluntary fanatic. This
the PRACTICAL outcrOppiug OF classification Tne
very Of this class Of physoioglSts that snch
inals Is sufficient proof OF the selfcOntradctory aud
absurd character of such ciassiiica tions. -,
Dr. Gray recalled the mind OF the students certain
points In his former lecture advising them 10 avoid
speculative theories and TO adhere closely to medicine.
All class1catons that do not rest on disease are ex
trnsc aud liable to the bias incidental schools
systems Of philosophy lass heatlon should spring
from conditions manifested disease. Physicians must
iudge presented in actual life. Eacn man Is
sick or well he departs from or maintains his ind-
ydual standard OF health The same rule applies to in
sanity There IL royal standpoint OF human balance
mast be judged Of in insanity by the departure
OF insanity in person might not be In
another as far has the Ideas +. and sSts aTs
Of physical disease which TO rest. DR.. Gray said In
regard to this: suppose some modest CHRISTIAN wo-
from her standpoint insanity might be suspected. IL
she had yeeeny given birth TO child and were sick,
you would be quite she had form OF puerperai
mania Yet 1t would he difficult TO find all these
manifestations combined In woman who had not in
sanity"
The students were advised by the lecturer to study
disease the bedside. There they wouil not esteem 1t
mind as a preparation for treatment. They would ind
il quite sufficient to diagncstleate mania. meial-
coold leave TO speculation These states char
acterizod all they would ever find in cases.
The mind OF man for tho actions OF life Is unit His
mental being ia constituted of emotional and intellectual
powers. He feels and thinks and out Of these mental
operations come acts. Dr. Gray suggested the sub
division Of mania into acute, sub-acute. chronic.
paroxysma and periodic as method Of more clearly
DESIGNATING stage characteristics OF the maniacal
state IN individuals Chronic melancholia Ia term also
properly applicable TO that have passed into fixed
conditions. DementiA the lecturer spoke OF as the
feeble condition following mania and meanchoa in the
progressive degeneration from insanity, aud ending
oitenin state resembling idiocy Epilepsy was treated
az disease OF The BRAIN Which often leads 10 the various
forms OF insanity, but rarely deyelopes melanchoa.
Classifying a basis OF mental hysiology was de-
cared to be OF value and not practical. In strict
scientific language. there is such thing physiology
the mind because at the outset none agreed to
what constitutes mind Not even that distinguished
master Of philosophy Sir William Hamilton, undertook
10 give any definition OF the essential constitution OF
mind now the office OF physiology Is to treat OF the
elements out OF which living cells proxlmate organic
Compounds and ultimate tissues are formed, together
with the of de veopment ana the regulation
Of their functions But who tell what the constit-
uept elements OF mind what the proximate COM
pounds that form idess tue combinations by which
elective alnities produce hPathy or association OF
ideas what the diffusion OF pervadins thought through
out the entire mind whs: the approximate elements OF
good memory compared with poor one. or Oss OF
past ideas Who cah even explain why glass OF
aLaao m he afa