The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-07-28
INHERENT INSANITY.
PARANOlA; WHAT 1T is AND HOW
1T AFFECTS HUMANITY.

Inherited Tendencies That Often Prove
Dangerous-What a Crank" Is-Ar
Explanation of the Acts of Very
Large Portion of the People We Know
A considerable section of the annals Of
modern crime is devoted to the misdeeds
of class of individuals who in common
parlance are termed "cranks." In the
courts the sanity of these persons is often
In question. 1t is commonly assumed that
only by hairspliting refinements OF
analysis can criminals of this class be
brought within the pale of that charity
which is everywhere accorded to the un-
sound mind. Yet the fact is that the
great majority of these unfortunates are
the victims of a definite disease of the
brain and mind. This disease is called
paranoia. Let us consider the disease
from its incipiency. Paranoa, more than
any other form of insanity, is the result of
inherited mental instability. Insanity,
like most other diseases, is not directly
transmissible as such. What is trans
mitted is an unstable nervous system, and
may be the heritage of person in whose
family there has never been case of in
| sunny ouCL a. ldlIlIIJ tAlSUS.
Perhaps progenitor has been a drunk
ard or the victim of some wasting disease.
His descendant may be merely nervous:
he may have chearea or epilepsy; he may
become insane. At best, he may usually,
II properly educated, learn to understand
himself and to live sane and useful life
We have here to do, however, only with
the cases in which a wrong environing in
fiuence aids in the development of par.
ticular form of insanity. 1t is possible to
outline pretty definitely the mental at
tributes. One may even point out in the
child what might be termed the paroniac
temperament. Its characteristics are NOR
bid sensitiveness and great egotism.
Unfortunately the parents of such a child
usually take pride in the egotism that leads
to eccentric acts, while the extreme pre-
cocity of many of these subjects causes
their egotism to be fostered by ill adiudged
praise. Usually the child of paranoiaG
temperament is the genius of his family
and the show pupil at school. Pampered
and praised, even though the entire house
hold becomes subordinated to his sovereign
will, he is not satisfied, believing that he
does not receive his dues. With that idea,
the germs of paranoia are planted in his
mind. Whether or not these germs will
develop into the pathological condition
that we are discussing will depend largely
upon the influences that are brought to
bear upon them during adolescence and
early manhood. Perhaps the most un.
favorable environment is one in which the
mind is developed at the expense of the
body. And of course the brilliant child
is. the one whose mental training will be
forced. The other children of the family
may stay at home, but this one must be
sent to college and fitted for one of the
learned professions. Usually he seems to
justify this discrimination. Often he is an
honor" man at college, and he starts out
into the world with every seeming prospect
of an eminently prosperous career.
But all this time he has become more
and more eccentric. He has associated
little with his fellows Often he has shown
himself possessed of extraordinary energy
and capacity for application. A popularity
often noted is tendency to make elabor-
ate written records of trivial subjects Oc-
caslonally the young person of paranoiac
temperament breaks down under the I'M
balancing influences of overstudy while
still at school; but usually the critical
stress comes after he has gone out into the
world. He is usually not yet insane He
may never become so. If his business or
professional ventures succeed, he may be-
come distinguished, and contact with the
world may gradually correct the morbid
tendencies; but if adverse circumstances
arise and refuse to be put down, especially
if the individuals vanity is wounded by
failure to rise to the heights pictured by
ambition, morbid brooding may develop
out of vanity, selfishness and suspicion, the
delusion of persecution.
But it must not be supposed that the
mature condition is merely egotism and
egotism run riot. That it has come to be
something more than this is proved by the
appearance, sooner or later, of hallucina-
tions of one or more of the senses These
do not necessarily coincide at first with
decisions. The incipient paranoiac may
hear voices about him and for time be
able to convince himself of their unreality.
But sooner or later these sounds become
so tangible that they have the full force
and import of actual voices At first he
hears them only when people are actually
speaking, his mind merely misinterpret-
ing what it hears. This perversion is tech
nically termed an illusion. But at last he
hears words and sentences when no real
sound comes to his ears; these are true
Authorizations. Perversions of other
senses usually precede or follow this one
Illusions of touch and smell are common
The former lead to belief in invisible
spirits that touch the body, and the latter
convince the patient that attempts are be-
ing made to poison him with noXious
gases.
When to this cluster of perverted sensa.
lions hallucinations of sight are added the
galaxy is complete, and the victim moves
and has his being in an ideal world PEG
pied with odors, tastes, sounds and sights
that are shut out from the common herd.
The patient lives dual existence. For
time he is able to treat the actual world in
the old familiar way-that is, sanely-
meanwhile keeping the new and strange
world hidden. But gradually he comes to
confound the two eXistences He comes to
believe that hosts OF people are leagued
against him, and all sane interests give
way to desire to thwart these imagined
foes At this stage of his morbid career
the patient becomes very dangerous,
though he may still seem to be the most
Deaceab le of men Murders arc often cnn,-