The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-04-05
THE BRINK OF A CHASM.
DR.. Allan MLane Hamilton on
unsupported Monomonia.
Symptoms of the Early Stages of Insanity
Effects of the InIudicious Use of
Leisure The Best Medicine.

There is a man in this city who is
confined to certain limits on the island.
He can not 90 above Fifty-ninth street,
nor can he cross ferry. Otherwise he
walks about freely and transactS his
business. He is not a ''crook," and
the police would let him 90 to Jericho
or Canada if he desired. Neither his
friends nor his enemies restrain him,
and he has a fortune that would per-
nit him to 90 where he liked and do as
he pleased. He is his own jailer, a
monomaniac whose sole delusiOn re-
lates to the bounds which he thinks are
set about him. Not half a dozen of the
hundreds of people with whom he daily
comes in contact know that he is not
perfectly sane.
A reporter heard of this curious case
in the course of conversation with DIR.
Allan McLane Hamilton, the insanity
expert.
''Unsuspected insanity" said DR..
Hamilton. There is much to be said
about it. which the public ought to
hear. Many man stands upon the
brink of that chasm which it is worse
than death to cross, and though few
words may save them now, all the
doctors of the world may not be able
TO bring them back after they have
passed over. What | want to say, in
the hope that it may do some good, re-
lates to the early stages of such cases,
the symptoms Of the malady when it is
jnSt beginning to take hold and may be
shaken off. If were speaking in the
.strictest scientific language / should
deny that person can be wholly sound
except upon single point, but the APP
pearance is there. Such men and
women are by no means rare. Their
lunacy is of so subtle a nature as to
defy detection for years, though they
may be hopelessly mad. Take, for in
stance, the case of man who can not
90 above Fifty-ninth street. Three or
four Years ago he was going uptown
and was near that street when suddenly
the feeling came over him that he
would 60 no further. He yielded to it
and went home. Some fataliStic idea
came over him that 4 penalty would
have fallen upon him if he had con-
tinued. He brooded upon it till the
absurd idea had complete possession
of him. OF course there must have
been something in his makeup to pre-
dispose him to this madness, but by
proper care it could have been warded
off After while he came to me. He
can talk as nationally on general SUBJ
jects as | can; in fact, he talks ration
ally about his lunacy, admitting that it
ii is all folly and nonsense. Hoping to
break him of it | took him in a carriage
and we drove up to Fifty-ninth street
He begged me not to cross it, and cried
like baby. l ordered the coachman
TO 90 on, and the unfortunate mono
maniac went into violent hystericS-so
violent. IN fact, that gave up the ex-
pertinent and decided that nothing
could be done in that way. Now it is
just as bad with ferry boat; so much so
that another physician had a fearful
time trying to make the man cross the
East river. For all that the man is still
sane to all appearances and you might
associate with him for year without
finding out that any thing was the
matter. The only thing to be done in
such a case is to take the man into the
country. where there will be no Fifty
ninth street and no ferry. Let him
lead a systematic life, with regular oc-
-cupation and duties. The point is that
he should have begun such treatment
the moment that his delusion appeared.
1.-The danger in all cases of mono
MANIA" continued DR.. Hamilton, lis
that they will develop into dangerous
forms. Homicidal tendencies are al
ways to be feared. recall the case of
n girl who had some apparently HARM
less delusion, but who suddenly de-
veloped desire to smother herself and
her roommate with Illuminating gas.
and she came very near doing it, too.
These people are rightly sent to
-asylums by physicians, and then they
are liberated by a sheriff's jury, be-
cause they tell such 4 straight story on
the witness stand. remember strik-
ing scene that developed from such
an examination. The friends of man
confined on Wards Island brought him
before a sherif's jury. He told his
story from youth up with the most
painstaking precision. He was rs sane
as right-angled triangle all the way
through. The jurymen cast significant
chances ut each other. as much as to
say: What an injustice has been done
to this poor man. When they were
all through with him Dr. Macdonald
said: 1would like You 20 ask but one
question; ask him who he is The
question was put and then, lifting his
hand to Heaven with a most impressive
gesture, he replied: 4 am the Lord Jesus
Christi and Immediately he began to
talk in the most irrational manner.
Frequently it is not so easy to bring
out a mans delusion.
Here IL a peculiar case" said the