The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-10-16
HEREDITARY INSANITY.

HEREDITARY INSANITY.
Is 1T Possible to Check or Ultimately
Extinguish Hereditary PredispOsi-
ton to Insanity?
The clinical records Of some of the more
advanced public and private establishments
in America and England for the treatment
Of the insane prove most emphatically
and satisfactorily that, in many instances it
may be checked, though not entirely elimi-
mated, by the employment of such an intel
lectual and moral education as would power
fully help to clarity the judgment and in
vigOrate the will. Bnt although under such
circumstances the tendency to mental alien
alton may be restrained and laid dormant
in the individual, this latent insane temper
ament or tendency will undoubtedly be
transmitted to the offspring, in all it's pris-
tine intensity-unless the marriage has
been contracted with person entirely free
from this insane element. Therefore, the
only true safeguard against such calamity
as the perpetuatiOn of this Sem-insane con-
dltlOn through a series of generations,
would be the absolute legal prohibition of
all marital or sexual relations between the
members of families known to possess this
hereditary tendency; and. in exceptional
cases where marriage was permitted to a
person so affected, it should previously be
made the subject of anxious investigation
and selection. These remarks have a Pc
culiar force when we take into cOnSidera-
tiOn the fact that, in the majority of in
stances, persons of talent or genius develop
ing this insane tendency. have a peculiar
affection for. and exercise special fascina-
tiOn over, the opposite seX-they are drawn
toward each other by species of elective
affinity, and marriages between them often
take place ntensifcatiOn of the cere-
bral arrangement in the offspring being the
inevitable result. The children of such a
marriage, if they do not themselves develop
positive imbecility or idiOcy, evince emo
tiOnal suSceptibilities, wild flights of imag-
nation, and empty idealistic aspirations,
while they are wanting in common sense
and the power of regulated activity. And.
beyond ALL they instinctively seek out the
most exciting circumstances of life, the in
fuence of which is adapted to foster rather
than to check their special tendencies; and
they apply a similar mismanagementt to their
offspring. who are thus dOubly cursed. In
all cases of insanity, whether acquired or
hereditary. the most dangerously efficient
of all external agencies in aggravating or
creating predispOsition to insanity, is the
Incorporate or even moderate use of intox-
icantS.
Before we leave the consideration of this
important subject to the contemplation of
our readers. there is cOrrelative phase of
the question which occurs to our mind as
worthy of brief examinations:
CRIMINAL INSANITY.
In a previous article, we have briefly
treated on Hereditary Insanity" as ap-
piled to crime, and have promulgated the
idea that crime or criminal tendency is not
the product of hereditary taint, but is di.
rectly traceable to the surroundings and as
sOciatiOnS of the criminal. There are, of
course. exceptions to all rules; but the great
burden of evidence, as demonstrated by the
records of the penal institutions in this
country. goes to show that the instances
where crime is originated in diseased
mind, are fortunately, like angels visits,
"few and far between" A man SHINING
against his own nature is not criminal, he
is simply unfortunate. For instance, man
of good habits and honest proclivites. but
accidentally Overtaken by liquor. is not a
criminal-the person who supplied him
with the intOxcants is the real criminal.
Crimes are prompted by avarice, laziness.
love of excitement, indulgence in the animal
passions. ntemperance, revenge fanat-
icism. The perpetrators are deficient in
will power or unable to withstand tempta
tiOn-but in none of these cases could the
cause be laid to hereditary insanity. Even
those emanating from fanaticsm or fanced
wrong. deficiency of intellect. or the frenzy
of intoxicatiOn could only be classed under
the head of mOnomania and temporary in
sanity. There are. however, large num-
ber of criminals who become insane after
their conviction and incarceration-the nat
ural and direct outcome of the sudden
change from outside life. the enforced
rn0nOfopv t;ov, from friondc nd roIo.