Wichita eagle., 1888-01-14
INDUSTRIOUS IMPULSES.
LUNAR INFLUENCE AND THE EMO
TlONAL FORMS OF INSANITY.

LUNAR INFLUENCE AND THE EMO
TiONAL FORMS OF INSANITY.
/ II It Merely Coincidence?-Are Lunar
Effects All Moonshine?-A Factor
Which Cannot be Ignored-Parallels
in History-Doctors' Evidence.
| The medical experts Of New York who
| have studied the alterations and monstTous
impulses Of the human mind are nearly as
baff1ed as the detectives and bloodhounds by
the revolving series Of murders committed II,
| Texas during the past three years. Many OF
them have examined with great care Tne
| graphic accounts given in the news columns,
especially noting q resemblance in both sur
roundings and method between the murder
| GUS assault upon the two girls at Gainesville,
in that state, and the bloody series In Austin,
involving nine victims, and all women.
The doctors find themselves confronted ct
| the outset by startling trio Of facts:
l. All these atrocities were committed at
the full of the moon.
2. Ia each case there was the same fendsb
mutilation Of the victims head, a Ratchet
being, with one exception, the weapon used
3. Throughout the series there runs the
same incredible craftiness which has baffied
discovery
For many years the students of insanity
have been growing more material in their
notions, and at this time, have almost dis.
clrded what they cell the idle folk lore'
about lunar influence on the emotional forms
Of insanity, chiefly such as lead to suicide and
homicide. Inquiry developed the interesting
fact that the younger members Of the medi-
cal fraternity, who havo great ambition to
be sup with the times" were unanimous in
poohpooing the notion that the moon could
have had any effect on the perpetrator of the
Texas murders ut is merely coincidence,
say these medical beginners, shat the moon
was at its full when these murders were com.
mitted" Then they go on to theorize about
as follows:e
@You win find in a II cases where there i.
recurrence of the homicidal mania that the
murderer will on each subsequent occasion
act at the same time Of day and night, ane
use the same weapons, as on the first occasion.
Hence, the first OF these murders having been
done in the full moon, and with Ratchet OF
AK, the same holds good of all the series"
On the other hand, experienced prac.
against the moonlight theory or franz
CROUCH to admit its force. DR.. E. c. Spitzka,
tae well known specialist in the Guiteau and
other famous insanity cases, received the re
porter cordially. He wanted time 10 exam.
inc the case thoroughly. After carefully
perusing the account the doctor said:
"This is certainly remarkable. There
seems to be good reason to suppose that these
al1 L.. ~. l.
Taking that fact for granted, am prepared
to believe, without the slightest doubt, that
lunar influence caused this wretch's insane
mania to explode, as we say"
"But, doctor, the physicians claim that
these lunar effects are all 'moonshinen"
Not unreservedly. my young friend. Sci.
ence has been wedding out many of these
primitive notions about the moon, but &c
deny all influence of the planet On acute merry.
Gus organizations or parsons subject to aber-
ratioas of the mind would be folly. Here il
a case in poirt, and will give you illustra-
tons later under the same group. Here are
eleven butcheries, committed at irregular liz
tervals, by the same instrumentalities and
always in the full of the moon. Lunar in.
fuence thus becomes a factor which can't be
ignored. It is well known fact that in.
stinctive propensities Of the human mind are
more under the dominion Of the tides and
moon than Of any other. In other words,
while lunar influence will not breed insane
mania in thoroughly balanced minds, it will,
where such mania or propensities are instinct.
i've, frequently cause them TO explode.
There are still very eminent men in our
ranks who go to great extremes in advocating
this lunar influence. l may mention Dr.. Kos.
ter superintendent of the large insane ASYLUM
al Marsberg, near Bonn, in Germany He ha:
carried the theory to a more extreme limit
than any one else. He contends that the
moons influence varies, according to the sub.
ject, from bi-monthly to monthly, bi-weekly
etc, down TO three days, and he maintain.
his theory with great mathematical skill
don't go that far, OF course It's a good dea
like the exploded notion that pneumonis
reaches its crisis on odd days 1t all depend.
On when you begin to figure. Tyou get youI
starting point to suit you you can fix any Sc;
OF circumstances into your theoretical pigeon
hole. But do believe in lunar influence q
OF the kind | have described, and, il thi.
Texas case, have not the least doubt ttai
the murderer is it's victim"
The doctor, il substance, then expressed
his belief that the governing motive Of the
Texas maniac was clearly an abnormal sen
suai frenzy. This was not by any means TN.
common. Such aberrations may exist, as the
combined results of excessive inclination anC
cynical brutality, IN persons not insane BIZ
any msans. They are periodic, and in many
Instances follow the phases Of the moon
Homicide was a necessary incident in tbs
Texas crimes, and where men came in fol
butchery it was not because they excited any
special hostility, but were simply in the way
OF the maniac's accomplished purpose, and
were therefore moved down like SO much
grass.
There are other manifestations of almost
Uncomfortable brutality. One was reported
from Scotland many years ago, and another,
OF recent date. from Colorado. And now that
we are talking of lunar influence, recall the
fact that the Scottish case was at Sle full Of
the moon, while the attacks of the case from
Colorado also followed periods Of the
moon. This will help to establish the theory
that brutality insane propensities are gov.
erned largely by the peculiar influence Of
lunar light. And yet," the doctor said in con.
clusion, remember that all these crimes have
been committed by persons whose genera,
sanity could not be disputed"
Dr. Forbes Winslow, in summing ND va.
rious theories on the subject, says it is i'm.
possible to ignore altogether the evidence Of
such men as Pinel, Daquin, Guslain and
Others. Yet the experience of modern psy-
Geological physicians is TO a great degree OBJ
posed to the deductions OF these eminent men
He adds: May not the alleged changes OBJ
served among the insane at certain phases Of
the moon arise, not from the direct but the
indirect influence of this planet! Ii is well
known that the rarity OF the air, the cleo
trio conditions Of the atmosphere, the degree
Of heat, dryness, moisture and amount Of wind