The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-11-09
SINGULAR M~oNoMANlAs.
Til Strange Delusions With which Some
People are Affected.

Among the instances of singular
monomanias which | have discovered
is that of an important officer of u
state government of New England.
writes the New York correspondent of
the Pittshnrgh Post. His special delu-
sion is that the other members of the
family are Insane and arc plotting to
injure him, and that they ought TO lie
put i'll an insane asylum. He is an
able and e celebrated lawycr. and
conducts cases with marked elective
ness and success; his briefs and nrgu-
mcnts show an unusual y;gor and con-
iinnity of thought. Nobody knows of
his mental condition outside of his own
family and a few intimate friends to
whom they have said ~coutidcnlially:
III any of us should disappear sudden
lv, look FOR Ills in an asylum
Another most curious case is that of
n wealthy banker in New York city,
who fancics that he is Il ripe cherry
that the birds are anxious Ia pick. lie
has n terror of all ~fruit-cating birds,
and seldom walksor appears anywhere
in the open air. He makes trips to
aud from his bank in his carriage, and
keeps the doors and windows always
shut tight lest n sparrow should get in
and swallow him. He knows very we'll
that the p~rcposterouS belief would dam
age and probably ruin him if it were
generally known that he harbored it,
SO he conccalS the consciousness of his
fearful peril from his business associ-
ates, and contents himself with keep
ing carefully out of the way of birds.
An interesting society lady of Troy
imagincs that n big Newfoundland dog
always accompanies her. walks when
she walks. stops when she stops. u
know perfectly well that it is not
there she says, ''bnt ! always see it,
and that is what troubles me. When |
| go to bed it always lies down upon my
| feet
There is a lady who has been II
teacher for the last twelve years in the
schools of New York city, and is still
SO employed, who imagincs herself Il
~wheclbarrow. II know / am not Il
~wheelbaIrow, of course" she says to
her physician, DR.. Hammond, 'bHl
that certainly makes no difference with
the appearance and my sensations.
When in school | am always Il wheel
barrow, and my feet are the handles
and my head is the wheel, and ] seem
TO be %trunaiing myself down the aisles
and through ilrhnlls. 1t is ridiculous.
and painful, and mo!tify ing, but,
though | know it is the result of y
nervous disease. | can not shake off
the ha!lncinalion.'
w. y. Cr"iIut, a journalist and sue
ccssful mcsmcfiSt, gives me the follow
ing opinion: 'llailucinations are evil
IDENTIFY closely akin to dreams. | can
ill amy IL Of my senSitivcs tull of de-
llsions in y minute; can make him
think he is Washington, or Grant. or
Victoria, Il pcddlrr, an opera singer, II
teacher Of languages, Il rooster, or Il
telegraph pole, and Il hanish the de-
las;un in two seconds. Now. il seems
10 me that this hallucination is exactly
of the same kind us Authorizations OF
lunatics, or the dreams of those who
sleep, the only difference being that
the sleeper holds the key of hrcamlan(
and the operator holds The key of the
similar rance called mcsmcriSnI, while
10 the permanent trance called mono.
mania the key is lost. ! have won.
dered if it might not be possible to re.
cover the lost k"y-to often waker
the insane from their dream. rs son,
nambulists and the mcsmeriaed ur,
awakened"