The Portland daily press., 1882-02-18
INSANITY.
DR.. I. II. Danas Lecture in the Y. M. G a.
Course.

LIT. L. L. DanaS Lecture IN Iue j. M " a.
Course.
DR.. Dana delivered very interesting lecture
| in the Y. NJ G. A. course last evening, Of
which the following it an abstract:
| An exact definition of insanity, one which
| includes all lunatics without also taking IN
many sane persons cannot, with existing
knowledge be formulated. 1t is sufficient Tor
our present purpose to say insanity is condl-
tion of mental unsoundness, in which the use
of the reason is lost, and the freedom OF the
will impaired. A late writer of enlinence
points out, as a fundamental element of mad
ness the inability of the individual to adapt
himself to the surrounding conditions OF his
existence and to profit by them.
Between clear sanity and insanity, many
border-line cases are found. People are SO
odd SO eccentric, so original, SO queer. Some
times such family peculiarities are cultivated
as a matter of pride. 1t is a poor plan. A. lew
generations of such culture easily leads oddlty
into plain insanity.
Let us consider for moment the sane mtnd.
The three great departments of the mind are
the intellect, the sensibility and the Will we
first know, then feel, then choose. This IS the
natural order. 1t is inclination or desire
which leads directly. to choice. The moral
sense, or conscience, comes IN just here, at the
moment of choice, as an obligation to always
choose, out of competing objects OF choice, inc
best the highest, the one which has the most
good in it. 1t is always right to choose the
the thing which has the most good in it, but
the question of good must be considered not as
relating to ourself alone, but in the broadest
sense, as re lating to others well. 1t must be,
as SO clearly pointed out by President Hopkins,
question of the highest good of "all capable
of good" The normal working of the sane
mind, then is eccentric 1t is from within out
wards. 1t goes out from self to embrace the
entire human brotherhood. The insane mind,
on the contrary, is centric in its workings.
"Insane persons are entirely wrapped up IN
self, though the self-feeling may take many
guises."
Insanity does not usually involve equally all
the faculties of the mind. Sometimes the per-
ceptive faculty is especially affected, and then
illusions prevail. Thus person may take
ball rolling upon the floor for a mouse, and act
accordingly, or may insist that the barking OF
dog is human voice with precise message
to him.
Sometimes the memory and Imagination are
specially involved and Authorizations prevail.
Thus man burdened with heavy cares and
responsibilities, while walking in the street,
hears voice from behind calling "Take carel
Take care!" and turns his head to see the
speaker or child waking at midnight sees in
the dead darkness, with all the vividness of
Hamlets ghost, the well. known form and face
of his deceased father
Sometimes, again, the faculty OF Intelligence
is directly involved. Then decisions exist.
Technically defined, a delusion is false belief
as to some fact. A fancy has taken liked
place as fact in the mind. Pure illusions
and Authorizations do not deceive the mind.
They are soon recognized as mere phantasies.
Not SO in the case of delusions. A poor man
believes himself to have become as rich as
Cresus and attempts to act accordingly. A
person believes himself the intended victim OF
o conspiracy and kills man in imaginary self
defence. Sometimes delusions are limited TO
single topic, the reasoning power remaining.
In other cases the delusions are numerous, and
the mind is incoherent.
Further examples were given.
Sometimes the emotions are primarily de-
ranged This has been styled 'moral insan-
ity," or "insanity of feeling and action The
conduct seems often without motive. A man
was arrested in New York for assaulting ladies
on the street. He would push them down, pull
off their shoes and run away. His trunks and
bureau drawers were found full OF women,s
shoes Numerous examples were given in
illustration.
We thus see how different forms of partial
insanity may occur. Insanity may also be
general, all departments of the mind being
simultaneously or successfully involved
On visiting an insane asylum the trained eye
readily separates inmates into classes. First
he divides them all into two great classes, the
maniacs and the melsncholics Then he eiimi-
mates from the maniac class the mono-maniac
(delusions confined chiefly to a single topic).
He picks out the demented gradual failure of
mental power, with increasing incoherenee)
and the congenital imbecile. He notices the
paralytic lunatics, and separates the important
class whose insanity is chiefly of feeling and
conduct.
CLASSIFICATION OF INSANITY.
(Afaudsley's.)
Ideational Insanity.
A-Melanchola.
B-Mana.
C-Monomania.
D-Dementia.
Amentia.
A-Imbecility.
Biology
General paralysis of the insane. Affective insan-
ity Tor insanity without delusions)
A-Instinctive.
B-Moral.
Probably insanity has always some underly-
ing physical basis in the brain, though there is
no one uniform constant lesion. Sometimes
there is induration, softening, adhesion, hyper
8mia, an9mia, or other morbid change winch
the unaided senses can recognize. AT other
times minuter changes of structure are detect
ed by the microscope. A recent writer OF emil
nence suggests as existing in some cases, IAN
unstable condition of nerve elements
1t would be interesting to consider the causes
of insanity and the preventive measures
to the disease but we have now only time
briefly to consider the question of the response
bility of the insane.
Under this head few general propositions:
1. Insanity does not of necessity, relieve the
subject of it either of moral or legal RESPONSE
bility in all cases. t(Examples given of partial
Insanity
2. A person is notsheld responsible when SO
insane as, at the time of a act, to be incapable
of distinguishing between right and wrong.
8. An insane person is not held responsible
when there is delusion as to the existence OF
facts, which, if real, would justify the act.
4. A person should not be held responsible
when an insane impulse to certain act is SO
strong as to deprive him of freedom of choice,
and irresistibly impel him TO do it. The diff
Guilty in such case the last is in distinguish
ing between the insane act and one resulting
from mere passion or depravity. In present
knowledge this migLtsometimesb be impos sible.
The only competent testimony could come
from experts in mental disease. The law on
this point looking to the protection of society
is conservative and wise, 1t presumes man
sane till he is proven insane.