Milford chronicle., 1889-03-01
OVERWORK THAT KILLS.
A DISEASE THAT IS BLlGHTlNG THE
LIVES OF BUSY MEN.


1t Is Incurable. but Men of Small Mental
Caliber Need Not Fear It-Women Fur
nish Less Than One Per Cent. of the Cases.
No Other Land So Cursed by It.
Few weeks go by now in which the com
munity Is not startled by the intelligence
that some man of prominence has suddenly
become insane Some act of sudden and un-
reasonable violence or the demonstration Of
some astounding delusion compels attention
to his condition. Then, friends and relatives
remember he has been for some time ''acting
queerlyn and the question, How long has
his mind been affectedi' Is one that awakens
much excited interest, especially among those
having business relations with him, or con-
cerned in his estate. "Rest and quiet viii
speedily restore him, say his friends, and SC
physicians profess to hope He is secluded
IN an asylum, or in some private rural re-
treat. The next that is heard of him is that
experts in cerebral affections have pro
nounced his disease ''paresis." Paressl The
horror of the age; a slow death in life; a
malady as incurable and Inevitably fatal as
leprosy-that is paresis.
Perchance, after a time, the victim may
seem TO rally, to regain his mental control,
and hopeful friends will doubt the correct
ness Of the physicians diagnosis. But in a
few months the reaction comes, darker and
darker the cloud settles down upon the
afflicted mind, more and more feeble grows
the body, slowly and surely life fades out.
How many instances Of this fatal progression
might be cited, among men not only locally
prominent but Of national reputation as
playwrights, actors, merchants and huau-
ciers, were it desirable 10 call the painful
roll AT least three, whose names are known
all over the land, are now in or near New
York, awaiting tho certain end, and there Is
not an insane asylum in tile country in
which there are not numerous cases, Of per-
SOILS Of minor individual Importance, doomed
to death by paresis.
Generally the disease runs its course in
about three years from the time that it un-
questionably declares itself, bat there are
cases-where it is induced altogether by al
coholism-in which the end is delayed as
much as ten years. the greater part of which
time the victim is a fiaccid, paralyzed, drool-
ing, helpless and hopeless imbecile or tort
ured by the saddest hallucinations- condi-
tion from which death would seem to be a
happy release.
TIE HISTORY OF PAREsIs.
As long ago as 1872 this peculiar variety Of I
cerebral affection was observed. but until .
fifteen years ago it was rare and had not been 4
so closely studied accurately defined and tho
knowledge concerning it so systematized as .
now Within ten years it has constantly and .
with alarming rapidity increased in tho
United States, until now it is not too much to /
say that it is our national terror. In no
other part Of the world is it so frequent And
its blight is most apt to fall upon those who
are brightest, most mentally active Stupid
people have little reason to fear it, if they
Avvp sober, nor have women. Not one per
cent. OF the cases are those Of females. The
average woman does not dangerously strain
her brain, but many men, in the eager COM
petition, rapid life and over excitation Of
brain and nerves common to American exist
ence, do so-and invite paresis.
Dr. Allan McLane Hamilton, who is recog-
nized as one Of the highest authorities upon
mental diseases in this country, when CON
suited a few days ago upon the subject of
paresis, for the purpose of this article, said:
Il see a great deal Of it, in various asvlulns
and institutions, rs well rs in my private
practice, and recognize the fact that it has
been, during ten years past, steadily and
alarmirgly increasing. 1t is a disease Incl
dent to the rapid life Of this county. Ina
majority Of cases it is directly dependent
upon vice and not upon actual overwork
alone 1t is the fashion nowadays 20 call all
forms Of structural disease of the brain. with
mental disturbance, general paresis,i but the
general name, dementia paraly tica, is the i
proper term. As rule the disease attacks
persons who are primarily dissipated, and :
with that dissipation have a certain amount, :
probably excessive, Of irregular mental work. \
Nearly always it begins with so{no depression, s
or, very often, hySochondriasis. I
After the period Of depression. which lasts .
or a. variable time, ensues extravaganza Of r
deas, which IS an important fbaturs Of the I
iisease.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS {
"Tho so called illusions Of gtandeur' now s
entertained are Of the most extravagant :,
the victims having vast confidence .
n their own powers. Some of them claim &
% possess the eRtire wealth of the world and
more or less governed by this delusion- i,
lve away presents most extravagantly, n
pend their money in the most reckless way l.
md cherish the widest schemes Others !.
believe that they are specially appointed by !
Rod to perform tremendous deeds, or achieve -
'reat things, such as the establishment Of "
lew faiths, or the founding Of now orders
md deem themselves endowed with the
'ower of working miracles. Their schemes
re always colossal. The character Of Col W
mel Sellers is simply an example Of modified W
'aresis His eye water scheme is distinct In
vely that. Another notable fact is that Ia
hese vast illusions are meant for the good of ri
that those cherishing them desire fT
be great benefactors, and they are fond Of g
onferring imaginary honors and grandiose b
tiles. th
while the patient is under the domino fr
lon Of these different illusions he is more or W
'ss Influenced by his surroundings, and is 70
cry apt to become violent and abusive when ne
is Illusions are questioned or his powers th
oubted. to
As the disease progresses in the brain, the ia
ody wastes away, becomes feeble. the th
luscles are powefiess and a condition Of Of
analysis sets in. Toward the end the patient, hi
lcapable of motion or consciousness, drools
lliva from his open mouth, sees nothing
1th his lack luster eyes, and gradually fades
way. At last comes death.-New York an
-al and Express. ~,
Put to Red To IA cr,o5 -