Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-04-13
INSANE PEOPLE.
Comparatively FyE P-tsoas Uno are Thor
SAT Sane.
\ PATIENT VI IIoW TIE DOCTDI: Dg.
NOT CARE TO SEE AGAIN.

generally received opinion that folly
and reason are separated by strictly
drawn mathematical lire is, according
TO Dir. Bail. quite erroneous. There
is a broad frontier, he says. between
sanity and insanity. which is peopled
by millions Of inhabitants. Damasip-
pus. III Horace, laid down the doc
trinc that all men are mad -"Insanu
ct tn. stultique prope omnes." DR.
Ball without going quite SO far as this.
tAolds that the number of persons per
iectly reasonable on ali points
throughout the entire period of their
existence form but Il minority oi
mankind. The world ahounI, with
people. he tell, us. whom a strict
scientific diagnosis would condemn IL,
mad or more or less "touchrl;" vc, a
no time of their life would il be per
mlselbIc to put Them under restraint.
Su"h rroul" are To be seen or"upyiu~
honorably and successfully every
position IL life and society; W. brush
against them when W. take our daily
walks abroad; We seq thein i'll the
mirror which rctlrct., ourselves.
DIR. Ball hav.nr stated the thesis of
his discourse, proceeds to Il cla9-lir;;-
tlon OF these sane ma,impn. and as
Signs he first place in he order of
merit ttrom what point Of view hc
docs not specify 10. those who suffer
from unrcaaonabl" and i'll most cases
irresistible impulses. Naturally
enough, the lecturer referred to the
cas-" of DIR. johnson and the curious
impulse which prompted him to touch
each post as h" walked along the
streets an impulse 80 strong that if
he accidentally passed one by with
ont the usual trlbut" uf Il touch. ne
felt irresistibly compelled to return
and repair the omission. Thc over
powcrlng impulse to laugh un occa
slons of peculiar SolcmnIty is one of
winch even the most s"rious persons
have experienced \ still more nIor
bid impulse Is that which sometimes
urges pious people to indulge in
blasph"mous or profane language.
A great English divine. Bishop BIT
lcr, was tempted all his life long bv
this temptation. which he only mas
! tered ly strong and sustained ef
forts of the Will The impulse some
times HsSlVmcS suicidal form.
Dr. Ball MAS recently y consulted by
Il young man who was engaged to be
married, but who found it impossible
To visit his intended bride because it
would involve journey of some
length in Il railway carriage. and he
could never enter one without feeling
a desire to Jump out rs soon as the
train was i'll motion. lie WAS advised
to accustom himself gradually to this
mode of travelling by taking short
journeys on the suburban line, but he
could never set beyond Autruil: there
he had to leave the carriage fer fear
of accident. lIumicidal impulse is
likewise met with. Thouviot's case is
ono OF the oftcnest quotcd. For
years this unpleasant person was tor
tured with burning desire to kill
some woman or other. but he never
felt the slightest wish to take the life
of a man. He battlcd with the i'm
pulse for years, bat at length it got
the better of him. One day he mur
dered a young girl, a perfect stranger
to HIM. whom unf0rtunate chance
threw in his way in tho kitchen of Il
restaurant. DIR. Bali was consulted
some time ago by Il painter of consid
cradle talent who was a prey to these
murdcrous impulses He had mar
ried early in life. his family WIS large
and his cares aud anXictic' in proper
tion. At about eight and Thirty. with
ont physical ailncnt of any kind or
any special unfavUrab,c turn in his
affairs. his mind began to he affected.
Ii he saw mirror he experienced Il
desire to smash 1t; near Il window he
felt Il temptation to jump out: he
never got IL bank note in his hand
that he did not feel inclined to tear
it III pieces. These morbid prompt
ings presently assumed Il more
formidable shape; he began to be as
sailed with temptation to strangle
his children. His little daughter was
dying of Group, and he spent night
after night by her bedside nursing
her with the utmost tenderness.
Yet" SAID he to the physician, 'at
the moment when | was praying.
with tears i'll my eyes, that the chiid's
life might be spared, L was tormentod
1 hN,.,,l L., ,1n-,,.., -,
of the cradle and throw her into the
fire. Even now," he added, las
speak to you, | feel most intense
desire to strangle You; but L check
myself" The Doctor never saw this
patient again; Il circumstance which
be has perhaps no reason to regret.
for as he was IL man of powerful
build be would have been an exceed
ingly ugly customer" had his sang
llinary impulses proved beyond his
control. But up to that time. as the
Doctor remarks. he had kept them
successfully in check His nearest
friends did not even suspect that he
was subject to them. He filled all
the duties of life in Il correct and OK
empiary manner. No doctor could
have certified to his being insane.
Yet assurcdlv he was Oh the border
land of insanity.
All during my stay III Chicago and
st. Loui, | never saw the sun, and
it WAS six hours after we left St
Louis before | caught a glimpse of
real sunlight When | saw the sun
light l clappcd my hands with JOY
AMI when ! saw the cotton near
Memphis | WAS in ecstacics like Il
child | went up the river in boat
and We got ont on the land and |
picked eonc cotton and will send it
to my friends in England Mrs.
Langtry 10 an Atlanta interviewer
In the dozen years since Dickens
died over i.0d000O copies of his books
have been sold in Great Britain, and
he is the author of whom the elder
Bennett once asked: Who is Dick
ems? Nothing but a reporter, and