The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-04-05


question. If stone lies in his path he
conceives that to walk Upon one side
of it rather than the other will entail
fearful punishment He believes that
he must spit before he turns a corner.
He knows that there is nothing what
ever in it, but he can not free himself
from the ideas. 1t is small chance
that he does not soon become raving
maniac, though no one would perceive
to-day that there is any thing wrong
with him. Here is another man SINH
larly afflicted. but with rather M5re
complex mental state. He fears that
some irresistible impulse will make
him do something which he doesn't
want to do. He doesn't know what
it will be. but he constantly fears.
The other day he was standing beside
a man who was shooting at target,
when the feeling came over him that
something would make him swing in
front Of the pistol just as it was dis
charged. He was conscious all the
| time that he didn't want to be shot, but
the impulse was very nearly the death
of him. Here is another man who
used to 90 on spreeS, but was suddenly
converted and entered monastery.
He led the life prescribed with the
most scrupulous care, and studied hard
for the priesthood, but he was not
mentally fitted for such a career, and
it is likely that it has destroyed his rea-
son. He also believes in mysterious
penalties for trivial acts. Doubtless
The system of life where there are
penances for minor violations of duty
was bad thing for him. At any rate
he is unsettled. One day monk found
him measuring off line on the floor
with a rule, and when asked what he
was doing he replied that he was meas
uring the distance to Heaven. But he
is sane to all appearances.
What do you find is the relative
danger of insanity to different classes
of people? Do brokers and Wall street
men generally go off crazy?"
The stock broker does not become
insane while he sticks to his business,
replied the Doctor. when he retires
and devotes himself to inglorious ease
he is in danger. 1t is not the active
| employment but the cessation of it that
hurts. Brokers are frequently men
who have grown up from office boys
and have not any solid foundation OF
education. They are entirely wrapped
up in their business, and when they
leave it they have nothing to occupy
their minds. 1t is then that delusions
take possession of them. l would like
to see men enter business late, after
solid education in schools, ana colleges
if possible. A man with mind thus
trained knows what to do with himself
when he is thrown upon his own re-
sources. 1t is much the same with ig-
norant men in trades. They have moth
ing to think of but their business, and
their minds are not occupied. Where
there is any hereditary faint such
state of things leads to bad results.
Among men and women of leisure tn
immunity from insanity (aside from
inheritance) depends upon the health
full variety of pursuits. The blase crea-
ture who thinks of nothing but a poodle
is in danger. We frequently hear that
the rush of business life in America
makes lunatics. My experience shows,
on the contrary, that it is injudicious
use Of leisure"
''In the case of children at school,
what should be done when they begin
to worry over their stu1ies and dream
of them at night? Would you take
them away and let them rest?"
'Tll tell you what L do with my
boy" replied DR.. Hamilton. II let
him go to school and go through the
form of studying without always ap-.
plying himself. He picks up what he
can from the others for awhile till he
has recovered from the effects of an
unwise direction of his faculties. Per-
haps he has worked too hard at some
one thing which is not suited to his
mind. Some children will do that.
Because they are back in mathematics
they will grind away at that and moth
ing else. They need variety. but it is
mistake to take them away from the
routine of school life. the regularity of
duties, which is generally good for
them. Regularity is different from
monotony. A child should not be
forced into one groove. If he has
special tendency it may be encouraged
without injury. Little Josef Hofmann's
music is easy for him, while an equal
dose might kill another boy who could
beat Josef all to pieces at figures
Returning to the question of mono
maniacs DR.. Hamilton deprecated the
fact that so many of what are called
harmless .'cranks" were at large. The
records of crime continually reveal
such people. Kleptomania develops
some close decisions. The mere pro-
pensity for theft is not necessarily in.
sanity. The insanity is usually re-
vealed by the taking of useless tribes;
and when the propensity is combined
with abnormal secretiveness it should
be looked at seriously. DR.. Hamilton
recalled the case of rich woman who
used to steal children's toys and things
of no value. After while the malady
developed further. and she hid her ill
gotten gains in queer hooks and
corners of her house, wrapping them
in odd bits of cloth and paper. An in
credible quantity of such trifes were