Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-30
MAuPAssANr.s MADNESS
Indications OF Is Progress Traced On the
Novelist's Later writing.-

Indications OF Its Progress Traced On the
Noveiist's Later writings-
Or. Paul GARNER. an eminent specialist IN
nervous diseases and legal expert in insanity
cases in the courts of Paris has made Q
curious analytical study Of the mental aliena-
tion of the novelist Guy de Msupas-ant, which
eliminated recently in a violent outbreak Of
suicidal mania To Fi9aro's question as 10
whether the unfortunate authors later writ
ings presented TO the practiced eye the pre-
monitory marks Of . disordered mind, DIR.
Gasnier had no hesitation in replying: "Aias,
yes. The principal stories in this melancholy
category, that is 20 say which have come iron
Maupassanfs pen during the past two years.
are Noire C0ur." Ia Main Coupee."
L Auberge" and lie Horia" Its from the
last named that the specialist draws his
most striking illustrations The ''Horla" being
that evil spirit, that phanta-fs OF terror. whose
haunting presence the tormented author trans
iers, with marvellous power Of language. TO the
pages OF hisgre wsome tale. Regarding that pro-
aGetion Dr. GARNER SAYS: Not that I think 10
would be Impossible for a sane mind 20 evoke
ana put en- scene similar phenomena Of hallu-
Slhation' but only on condition that these had
ueNeloped themselves outside the authors be-
ing-that he had studied them in some other
person, or that this latter had dictated them 10
MN such does not seem 20 be the case with
hAupassank believe, on the contrary that
| ~ AoANN uls nOOtl IN himself. There
| IN thls tale OF the 'Horla' an incomparably in
| tense description of the hallucinatory delIrium
| lnouced by IntoNicatIon. No clinical special
list could have detailed more accurately the
| ton of mind"
The following passage is cited specially:
As the shades of evening draw on a siugu-
| lar ieeilng ct inquletude takes POSSESSION Of
| me as a the night covered a terrible menace.
| am oppressed by a fear that IA vague We.
4 A Il 1.,s
| coach. Scarcely within my chamber double
| lock the door aud push the bolts. 4 am AFRAID
OF WHAT open the wardrobe closets. peer
| under the bed. 1 lisen-for what? An invisi-
| Ole being. spirit, Is under NV roof within
| my chamber-yes. and comes at dead Of night
| 10 drink the water from my carafe. Someone =
| IN possession of my soul and governs II"
| lhe victim OF this dread hallucination finally
nees from tins haunted dwelling, thinking 70
| nave Imprisoned therein has invisible enemy
| tie "hOrla.' He seeks TO destroy II by setting
| are TO the house. Then doubt reawakens and
with IL the OLD anxiety, the old terror. 1T 10
not deadE Ihen-l shall have TO kill mysolf.'
| such Is the prophetic ending Of Maulassant's
sinister story, which he has Just lived out" 70
the letter IN attempting fret to blow out his
| brains, then TO cut his throat 70 escape the
'Horia o. his diseased imagination.
| FROM the time OF the publication OF the book
Dr. GARNER declares, It's authors approaching
tate could have been, in fact was IN ominous
whispers, predicted. And that .'candidature
Tor lunaey was the more alarming from the
striking contrast presented By this outre work
10 the works which had preceded il from the
same pen-so sane, so robust. 30 Astounding IN
HE, IN calm observation and thought
whence tins sudden and pi;iful transfer
nation! From intoXication and over excite
| ment. DIR. GARNER says ''Such disaster 10
the fatal price of unnatural production by the
ald OF stlmulants, the inevitable result of a
tinuous flashing OF the brain To fury by feyered,
unsuitable ambition. 1t is well known that
| Maupassant, like Baudclaire before him, was q
slave to hashish, besides having for some years
! past abused ether as a remedy for more or lees
/ imaginary ills.
1t Is curious to note .in the writings OF au-
thors who depend upon the Use of toxic stimu-
| Iants, whether alcohol. opium, cocaine, hashish
or ether for their Imaginative tours de force
these effects OF originality, OF strangeness and
often OF startling yerIsimIll;ude which perhaps
| constitute their chief success and charm here,
indeed, Is that vivid sensibIlity which gives 10
| the poem, drama tale the polgnancy Of Q
page torn from lite Itself But il L. not the out
come CT normal cerebral condition. Little
by little the seuslbility eNalts itself From
momentary II becomes permanent, and the
sensorial vibration Is that of dcrangem eHt
| 1t would be AN interesting psychological in
curry, the SPECIALIST suggests. whether the u
| thor depicting mailman makes him reason,
talk, and act like yerliable madman.
whether he is not simply embodying his own
| individual sensations aud ldeasg In other
| words. Is not the pretended fiction a transcript
ton of his own soulg and, IN essaying the por-
| trait OF an aglnary mailman, has lac not gwen
his own moral Photographic The case OF Edgar
Poe, to 20 further, would certainly go 70
/ bear out this thesis
Nevertheless, he concludes. 1t is unsafe 10
| generalize: and. while difficult. il may not DO
wholly impossible. Tor literary work of pure
that Is to say, sane-imaglnation TO present .
true and exact picture OF mental alienation
Il