Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-14
MENTAL coNTAeloN.
Epidemic Outbreaks that Affect the
Nerves and Brain.
ffonemau's Marazio@1


fLopgmsn's Magazio-.l
The illustrious French philosopher
Esauirol first clearly defined under the
term moral contagion." that IN the study
OF mental phenomena there may be detected
variations Of action and divergenees from
the ordinary or natural conditions, which
are excited by contagion in the same way
as physical arrangements are excited by
physical contagious. Despine, Of Mar
settles. who in many respects may be com
pared with his great master. Esquiroi, has
followed this line of study with wonder
full success, and has given TO US a history
of moral contagion which claims the
attention Of every social scholar. FOR my
part like and approve OF all that these
teachers teach except the term they use 20
set forth their argument prefer the
term mental contagion To that of moral
contagion. Moral contagion cannot con-
ceive as conveying any sense OF variation
from standard health of the mind, and
any contagiOn moral in its nature would TO
me indicate contagion that was good,
and, therefore, contrary IN its nature from
the idea of contamination usually connect
ed with the word contagion. | therefore
choose the term mental contagion "a
being more to the point and as most IN
accord with the commonly-accepted ex-
preston. We viii study this division OF
our subject under that title.
The unhealthy mind affected by mental
contagion presents itself. when il is care
fully observed. over amuch more extended
field than Is generally supposed. IL IL, IN
fact, a representation Of n series of phe-
nomena so widely spread that its very ex-
tent is cause Of its obscurity; we are 80
familiar with IT that we do not recognize
it we are so familiar with its results that
we come TO look on them as occurrences
sufficiently common and natural 10 be uu-
Gyoidable II is only when We are critical
in our analysis that the obscurity begins 20
pass away. and the character Of the phe-
nomeua appears in all its clearness ana eN-
tensiyeness. when these phenomena are
recognized il is astonishing how contagious
affections of mental origin are seen
to resemble in their course those
arising from simple physical conta-
gions. Sometimes they take spread
ing or epidemic character after the
manner of the so-called catching diseases
with which we are most familiar, and are
seen To widen into great epidemic OUT
breaks, extending over large tracts OF cOuu-
try and causing the strangest effects known
i'm history. One Of these marvellous out
breaks Of meutal contagious disease, not
10 name any more. was the dancing mania
of the fourteenth century, during which
assemblages of men and women who had
come out of Germany 10 AK In Chapelle,
united by one common delusion. formed
circles. hand in hand. and, appearing To
have lost all control over their senses, con
tinued dancing, regardless of the bystand-
ers. for hours together in wild delirlum,
until at length they fell TO the ground IN a
state of utter exhaustion, painting, sense
less. and laboring for breath. yet n0t IN
frequently rising after rest and continuing
the motion until in many instances they
died from the effort.
At other times these outbreaks from
mental contagion. in which one victim has
followed another. have taken what IN re-
gard 10 more ordinary known diseases IL
called the sporadic form-that il 10 say,
have been developed or have broken out
in some particular locality, and have not
extended beyond the boundaries of the
locality. An outbreak of a conyulslye
tvpe arising from fear. once occurred AZ
manufact0ry at Holden Bridge, IN Ian
cashire in which outbreak over twenty
persons taking the cOntagion from one ID
dividual were attacked most severely, but
without communicating the affection he
vOnd the place where n broke out. Like
the common contagious diseases, these
diseases of mental contaglon have been
known to have their seasonal prOchyilos.
The ordinary spreading diseases, such as
measles scarlet fever. cholera, tvphus,
have each their favorable seasons of lnten-
sity and decline. their maximum and their
minimum periods. IL is the same with the
affections of mental type which spring
from contagious influences.
In the Shetland Islands n contagious
conyulsive affection, which was ultimately
cured and prevented 10y moral means alone,
broke out IN the year 1917 during the sum-
mer months. and required every year
during the same months until 10 was
finally disposed of. In like manner suicide,
which may be looked on as a distinct form
of mental disease, IS of contiguous
character-so contagious that during the
reign of Napoleon /. the scntry-hoXcs Of
a station had To be burned because one
soldier set the example of hanging himself
In a sentrv-boX. Suicide also has rs season
of height and decline. It's maximum being
reached IN June and its minimum lu Febru-
ary. like true epidemic. Another singular
and important characteristic quality ut
the contagious mental diseascs-one OF
immense Importance TO remember, ana
one which links their phenomena very
closely with those of the common conta-
gious diseases-is what HAY be called the
line and order Of development, course and
decline The common contagious diseases
usually commence from single point, IA
pidly increase in intensity and then de-
cline often rs suddenly ~ they came on
the field. The same ~ seen ln the crlta-
gious mental diseases. Despine illustrates
this very cogeutly from the cou.agion of
the duel. In the beginning It IS necessary
TO have some great cause to induce the
disease of mind which leads TO a first con-
test of dueling But let the contagiOn 60
on, and soon the mercst prcteNt is sufficient
10 excite the phenomenon, until ~ last II
ceases altogether for the time, rs If 1t were
worn out by its own excessive fury and
folly.