The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-27
the ORD coMmoDoRE,s AILMENTS.
DIR. Gray Giving his Opinion 60 what Goa
stitutes Mental soundness.

In the Vanderbilt will case yesterday tho
cross examination by Mr.. Lord Of Dr. james p.
GRAY. Superintendent Of the Asylum for the
Insane at Utica. WIS continued. Long hypo-
thetiral questions and questions made up OF ex-
tracts from his published writings. we're pro-
pounded to the witness from IL o'clock In the
morning until o'clock in tho afternoon. nm
hour after the usunl time Of adjournment The
proponents counsel objected to almost every
question. on the ground Of irrolevancy A grent
mtny were excluded great many were admit
tod absolutely and a great many were admitted
because the counsel for the prepayment consld-
cred. according TO their own expression that
answers would require less time thut the state
ments Of objections. At Que time Mr.. Lord.
being called upon to explain tho bearing Of a
question. said that he proposed to prove by the
published writings Of DR.. Gray thnt the Com.
modorc couldn't have had all the Hllings that
tho autopsy hal fixed upon him without under
going nm impairment Of tho mind. &" | shall
prove" said Mr. Lord. bringing his nst vio-
!rnty down upon the table. that 1t IL abso-
judge Comstock said that. contrary to tho
course pursued IN all trstamrntaiy c,ses there
toiore. tho counsel Of tho other aide had gone
direct TO the kidneys and hlnddrr in order to
eS'nhllsh mental lmpnirment 70 establish the
fact that tho Commodore WIS insane required
he prrs,m,n,on ma mann h IN me
ordinary manner and which were comprOhen-
eihlc to ord nary minds.
Tho Surrogate suggested the difficulty OF
manufacturing an insane person out of an
Mr. lord replied that he had long been en-
gagged in the tnsk of showing tho Commodore
rs he had not ordinarily been Understood. He
Ind been showing him with the proponent
pouring evil counsel into his ear for twenty
years. until all the other children Of tho Com
moigre had come to hate the prepayment. He
had thrown of the lustrous environment which
his hundred millions had cast about the Com
moiore, and exhibited linn in his inner circle.
Altcr Tue dlVcrslon Ut. Gray answered the
question upon which IL all somehow arose. The
question had been whether n passion. OF wealth
OF lame or whatever. might not develop into in
sanity. The witness now answered that man
could not indulge a passion To tho point of in
sanity; that insanity couldn't occur without "A
lesion Of the brain; that II man couldn't dictate
his own delGsi' n. and that a desire couldn't
become n lunncy.
Mr.. Clinton said that no man ever attained to
inence without AN absorbing desire to sue
coed. The other side called that insanity.
The witness went on to say that he recognized
| the fact that reason might be- only partially de-
throned some called that state monomana.
some partial insanity. He called It insanity.
INSANITY was oitent;mes moro intense where
the brain WAS only partially affected than where
| II WAS wholly upset For that reason he did not
use the term partial insanity. llo never knew
case where insanity existed in regard to only
one thing.
Dir. Lord inquired II the witness did not have
patient under his charge In Utica who con-
vrrsed rightly upon all subjects until asked
who No. was. and who then said that he wis the
Almighty. and quoted the prophets to show that
he was that august beingp'
DIR. Gray replied that the patient in question
had also other decisions, He believed that he
WAS the superintendent Of tho asylum. IA bank
director tho President OF tho United States.
and tho Great | Am" He also believed that
his wife was an even more elevated and power
iul being than himself
The Surrogate-wnich OF itself you do not
consider AN especial evidence OF lunacy. Doctor
The Witness-NO. sir.
pr. Gray also said that intense hatred did not
indicate insanity. even when that hatred wus
coupled with AL the ailments that had been
shown forth in the autopsy.