Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-11-29
LIABILITY TO INSANITY.
No Such Thing the Insane Tenpers-
meut"-Ncryoua Energy.

: ~ 0oOh IS tht
meut"-NcrvOus Energy.
doubt very much If there is any sucl
thing as the insane temperament. .
This is an organic constitution character
lied by certain mental and physical quail
tiles which is uniformly met with ir
those who are predisposed to insanity
At least no such temperament is recog
nized by Psychologists or alienists of tho
present day Systematic writers gener
ally admit the existence of four distinct
temperatures the sanguine, the lynn.
phatic or phlegmatic, the choleric OF
bilious, and the nervous Every physi
clan who has much to do with the treat.
ment of insane persons has witnessed in
stances of mental arrangement not only
in individuals of each one of these tenn.
peraments, but in all their possible com
binations. Indeed, it is rare to find 6
person in whom any one of the tempera-
ments mentioned exists in its pure and
simple form, those of mixed tempera
ments being greatly in the majority
Perhaps the nervous temperament is
/ the one which is the most frequently met
with uncombined with any other tempera.
ment, or at least so greatly predominant
ing as to obscure any other that may bt
present. This arises from the fact that il
Is the only temperament that can be &C,
quired by mode of life. If there is any
temperament which of itself predisposes
to insanity it is the nervous. 1t may bt
well, therefore, to point out some of it
chief characteristics.
The manifestations of nervous energy
are markedly prominent, and give pecu
liar impress to the whole body and mind
The countenance is usually pale and the
4 features thin and sharp; the pulse i,
quick, small and frequent, though moi
weak, the respiration active; the chess
and muscular system are generally moi
largely developed, the skin is dry and
rough and the digestive functions are
performed irregularly In consequence
of the comparative weakness of the
muscles, persons of this temperament
easily become fatigued; though, owing tC
the activity Of the nervous system, they
/ quickly rally
/ Prompt 10 form opinions and to arrive
| at conclusions, the subjects of the nerv,
/ GUS temperament are not remarkable fOl
! stability of purpose Their intellectual
| operations are rapid and brilliant, but al
| the same time not often persistent. Va
riety is constantly sought for, and the
mental efforts, like the physical, are, as
it were, spasmodic, full of energy while
they last, but soon yielding to others.
Women were formerly much more fire.
/ quently the subjects of this temperament
! than men, but owing to the constant eff
! fort to get rich manifested by the male
/ sex in recent times, ard the consequent
/ extreme development of the emotional
| system and of certain faculties of the in
I tellect. ii is now far more common with
/ men Indeed, | am not sure but thai
/ in civilized communities, especially in the
large cities of the United States, it has
not become the predominating tempera-
ment. The man who day after dav is
( kept upon a mental rack by that most
harasSlng of all the emotions anxiety
will inevitably undergo such psychica
and bodily changes as will change him
from any other original temperament tC
the one under notice. OF all the tenn
| peraments, it is particularly easy to be &C,
! quired 1t is the outcome of civilization
and refinement, and probably but for
these agencies would never have arisen.
! Among barbarous nations it is almost
unknown, and savages never exhibit it
but it is common enough in London,
Paris and New York and in men who, il
they had lived hundred years ago,
would have been as phlegmatic as the
most typical Dutchman
The diseases which are most apt tC
occur among individuals of the nervous
temperament are those which concern
the nervous system. Thus, we have the
various forms of neuralgia, certain affec-
tons of the spinal cord, hysteria in al
/ its prOtean varieties, St. Vitus' dance
/ catalepsy, ecstasy and insanity of al
! types. In fact, the nervous tempera-
ment itself is, if strongly developed, al
most pathological condition, the sensi-
/ bllity is so acute, the capability for re-
| ceiving mental impressions so decided,
/ and the system is so readily thrown into
| disorder from slight causes that the tenn
| permanent in question may often be con-
| sidered as the first manifestation of dis
| ease.
| Persons of the nervous temperament
are very subject to diseases which exist
only In their imagination or which, be-
ing slight, are exaggerated by the con
slant habit of introspec;ion in which they
indulge, They are thus very frequently
/ rendered seriously i'll by the morbid at
! tention they give to symptoms which are
| often by no means abnormal
But although the existence of the ner-
vous temperament in a person predis-
| poses him or her more than does any
other temperament to mental alteration,
1t is not to be supposed that it possesses
this power to the exclusion of the other
temperaments. The sanguine, the lynn
/ phatic and the choleric are by no means
devoid of influence in this direction. In
deed, the latter is not far behind the
nervous as predominant temperament
in insane persons.
/ There is, therefore, no temperament
which can par excellence be regarded as
the insane temperament. Persons of all
temperamental types are liable to insan-
| ity. Individual popularity is a factor
not to be disregarded. Some people
would never become insane, no matter
what misfortunes might visit them or
what mental shocks they might suffer,
while others might lose their minds upon
the supervention of the slightest possible
disturbing event. One man will suffer
the loss of family and friends and money
and his mind will retain all its clearness
and vigor, while another will go into his
barn and hang himself when he learns
that butter has fallen two cents a pound.
DR.. William A Hammond in New
York Mail and Express.
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