The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-04
KING LUDWIG INSANE.
The Autopsy the Remains of Bavaria's
Mad Ruler

Mad Ruler.
New York Medical Record
Great interest attaches to the question of the
alleged madness Of the late King Louis of Ba-
varia. Many have limited that his eccentricities
were purposely exaggerated by those about him,
and that he was not in reality insane. A lead
ing English medical journal takes this view.
The full report of the autopsy which we give
below, will therefore be- read with close atten-
ton. 1t seems that on June Prof Won Gud-
den, DR.. Hagen Prof. Grathey and DR.. HUI
brich deposed under oath (1) that King Louis
was suffering from a well-advanced form OF
mental disturbance known to aliensts rs para
npa (Verruecktheit); ~ that this form of dis
ease was one OF gradual, progressive develop
ment, and was, in his Maiesty's case, then in
durable; (3) that through this disease the free
will OF thinking was completely destroyed, and
he was permanently incapacitated for governing.
Such was the unanimous opinion of the ply
sicians mentioned. The post-mortem was made
by Prof. Ruduger. in the presence of Prof.
Grashey and Drs. Kerschensteiner, Hahn. HUI
brich and Ruckert. Marked changes of various
in the skull, brain and meninges These changes
were partly abnormal developments, partly
chronic inhammations of old and recent date,
and are described as follows:
The scalp was very thick and enormously vas
cuar. The skull was disproportionately small
and asymmetrical. For example. the diagonal
diameter from the left brow to the right side of
the occiput was liz centimeters, while from the
right brow to the left occput it was l79 cent?
meters The skull was extraordinarily thin,
its thickest portion being only g mlli-
meter. The coronal and sagittal sutures
on the inner surface of the skull were completely
ossifed The longitudinal sinus too much
dilated posteriorily and narrowed anteriorily.
There were several large and small bony pro-
tuberances on both sides of the inner surface of
the frontal bone. The dura mater was in gen.
eral much thickened, especially over the frontal
bone where it was vascular and roughened.
The left petrous bone showed projection which
correspondent to a depression in the temporal
lobe The tentorium was irregularly thickened,
and on stretching appeared porous and friable.
ALI the blood vessels of the base filed with
dark fluid blood.
The brain, without the dura, weighed ], 349
grams, or about 439 ounces. The arachnoid on
both convexties of the cerebrum was thickened
and miiky-looking. At one place. about at the
junction of the left first frontal and the ascend
ing frontal. the pia and anachroid membranes
liberation. The skull over this point was almost
sides the convolutiens appeared shrunken, viz,
at the beginning of all three Of the frontal con
volutons, the mesal parts of the anterior CEN
trail convolutions, and in the region of the mid
die of the post-central assure. The brain sub
stance was vascular and soft. No microscopic
examination has yet been made.
The account thus given apparently does reveal
degenerative changes. Taken in connection with
the personal and family history. they place the
insanity of the King beyond all reasonable
DOUBT and make 1t quite unnecessary to suppose
that there was any dark conspiracy in connection
with his tragic end.