The Arizona sentinel., 1886-01-16

sane are utterly incomprehensib.c
 Their malady, without doubt, is akin to that which affiicts the ehypochondriac, if, indeed. it be not identical with it. To understand the latter disorder slight analysis of its properties, or character istics, is necessary. The hypochondres is considered one of the most notable of the inward or organical departments of the human system. It contains on the right the liver and on the left the spleen, from which the hypochondriacal malady is derived The upper and lower parts of this region are called, from the custom of the Arabians, epi- gastrium and hypogastrium. Near this department of the body, the lungs-the organs of the voice-the source of breath-the town-clock of the body, as Melancthon calls them, perform their office. Thus the animal spirits, when depressed, find vent in heavy signs and perturbation of the heart.
 The instance is known of a mono maniac who, under the care of the elder Rush, fancied himself a painter, and resolutely refused, for long space of time, though possessing fine organs of speech, to utter a word. The doctor one day entered his apartment and found him sketching on slip of paper a beautiful rose-for he had by long practice acquired much skill in the pictorial art, and was proud of the accomplishment. A thought struck the lamented physician that he could surprise him into voice by dispraising his labors, and he resolved to try. You are painting a very hand some cabbage there, my friend" he ob- served to the monomaniac. Cabbage! My old gentleman-does that look like cabbage? Fooli-that's rose-and good one, toor' Ere long the patient was well. His train of silent thought was broken, he abandoned his colors and was restored to his home.
 Another gentleman went to the same institution in the full belief that he had been ordained by Divine Providence to end his days in that asylum by suicide. He chose his apartment and sent for Dr. Rush to come to him with all speed. When he arrived, he desired to know whether one kind of death would not be preferable to another, and which was the easiest, alleging his intention to depart this life as soon as possible. He was in no trouble; had been somewhat too studious; but was easy in his circum- stances, and his position in a social point of view was sufficiently happy His physician demonstrated with him against self-destruction, and, desirous of fhumor- ing his delusion, offered himself to cause his death. He suggested bleeding as the easiest and least painful mode of effecting the object. Placing the patient in a warm bath, therefore, he opened vein. It is well known that the mere puncture of such an artery will not cause death; since blood enough will not flow. The maniac surveyed the rush of the vital current from his arm with evident satisfaction; but as the stream decreased his delusion seemed to diminish with it. He attempted to speak, but could not. and sank gradual ly into syncope. The next week he was consigned to his family sane and well.
 Another example of monomania is furnished in the person of a wealthy Cuban, who has been passing the sum- mer in New York. He seems to have gone mad on the subject of figures, for on every topic not incumbered with nu- morals he speaks with an ease and gen. tlemanly propriety which would aston ish every one. But speak respecting time or space or numbers and his intel lect is off in tangent among squares and cycles, planets, billions, trillions, sextants and terms, negative, positive and mean. He has wasted a fortune in printing wild, incomprehensible hand bills in support of his system and is still journeying over the country boring the people with his harmless theories Brooklyn Eagle.