The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-16
LEARNING FROM LUNATIcs.

INTERESTING LECTURE BY DIR. MACDONALD ON
INSANITY ILLUSTRATED By LIVING EXAM
PIES.
DR. A. Macdonald medical superin tendent Of tho
City Asylum on Wards Island, delivered the second
OF series OF clinical lectures yesterday afternoon
upon The diagnosis OF insanity before an audience OF
about $50 medical students and practitioners. The
Doctors lecture had tho accom- paniment OF living
Illustrations, some fifteen patients beng ON hand
belonging TO the type oil melancholia The
irst lecture, delivered week ago, was on tho subject
" "Mana - tho ono yesterday was on ''Meianchoa."
Dr. Macdonald said that mcnnchola was tho opposite
orm Of disease from mania and tho tendency Of It's
nctims was to depression, deusion and deception.
rho bodily health might be good wherc the case
not severe. In acute cases there is wanness
ind paiepcss Of tho 1esh Tho tendency
u these cases OF mctancboia Is to suicide.
Hc considered insanity hereditary disease
aud IN his he found that tho hereditary
iaut dscovcraole IN eighty per cent OF the whole
number Of PATIENTS in the Asylum. The patients
belong TO poor class OF people, laborers and mechan
les tho unsettlomcnt OF their minds was brought
about principally through tho poverty OF
their living indulgence in alcoholic stlmulants
and various forms OF grief rcsulsing from
loss OF work and the pressure OF hard
times Three OF 1--WE recent cases in this form OF
insanity are cured anu doctor observed that in
place OF treating insane patients as they did OF old as
criminals, they were nowadays treated medically and
along all the adjuncs Of open air exercise clean
corridors and dormilories, ventilated 10 perection
good food gentlesl possible treatment there was
ADDED medicinal treatment having IN view tho rcslora
lion OF the phys ical ana mental parts oil the patient
MADMES's SPEECHES..
The FIRST man brought In. clad IN brown denim. was
a recent case, only Two weeks in the asylum, where
old and plastcrer by trade lie SAID thai he thought
detectives were following him around tho city ana
taking hold OF mis- collar ~ 'front.' ana saying you're
q son OF a gum lie thought too, that his wife was
mixed up conspiracy against him That"
remarked the doctor. rs an inevitable thought with
patients OF this Class They are sure 70 orl1g IN
relative OF one kind the other as conspirng against
their happiness. The second man looked about
thriy-two years old and was formerly member OF
Gilmore's band In his address 10 the students he
said ho had siit from GOD that would enable him 10
learn as much in three months as any ether rooster
could learn III three years.
The next case exhibited was that OF . man who had
been IN he asylum Tor years snd forty
nve years old he chronic condiilon of
meancnolla and afraid 10 DO left alone. 10 said lie
Thought wcnes came into h room at mig ht ma kcpt
him awake. He thought also that he had been
killed, and on being asked by DR.. Macdonald how
It was he was st:i aiive, he answered .hai
vitality was left after the Calling guns had poughed
through his corporosity 10 keep him above the
glim OF tue MOON He declared vehem entity hat
the American war was against him and Instituted TO
crush out his individuality. He considered at one
time that his head u Of tar and grease put there
by the Frcemasons but Of late he had been getting
rid otit by walking up and down aud SHAKING his
INTELLECTUAL LrNATIc.
The last subject was school teacher, about forty
five years old, with bald head, long brown beard
and great git OF the CAB His deusion was that
things were given him IN his food with intent 10
poison him. He said tho seeds OF cancer were
put in The soap no used Tor washing him
sells that hydrophobia was given him IN
bread, and, his gums being soft and tender
the virus once Insinuatcd ITSELF A rice pudding
gwen him, ana German child was con
ceived in his stomach IN consequence thereof; and
then they gave him medicine in his food TO procure
abortion. rhc students burst out laughing here and
ne turned them sharply and said:-"ocntlemen, l
tell nothing but The tiuth; look at my mix legs
exhibiting H. legs with much DISPLAY. He was the most
intellectual OF all The unatics exhibited He insisted
greatly that Dickens, Thackeray, Edward Everett
Hale and other writers had singled him out for perse
cution, and that all their VIKINGS centred more or
less about his history DR.. Macdonald fingered rather
fondy over This specimen, because he WAS really
pertaining, and his lunacy had nothing IN II
10 excite pity, It seemed 10 be an instance OF
alteration which every man meets IN his daily inter-
course among friends and looNs upon as rather a
pleasant diversion from the n0noOny Of level headed
wisdom Next Saturday DR.. Macdonald, who Is to-
day the head OF the science OF human insanity, will
take his class through tho wards OF The asylum and
show them the various OF dementia within Its
walls.