The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-08-23
WHEN WILL is USELESS.
Some Queer Manifestations Of Mental an
errauiGn.

ter into all the daily circles of life,
whose wills are so soft and plant That
they need the strength of another will
TO I've joined to theirs before they can
act. This common phase of weak will
is sccentuated in disease to a degree
hardly deemed possible by the nom
obee'vant. Persons suffering from
this form OF diseased volition can will
themselves according to the dictates of
reason. They can feel a desire TO act,
but they cannot make Il move toward
that end They are powerless to trans
late that desire into an act.
Esquiroi mentions the case of a mag
istrate highly distinguished for his
learning and his power as speaker,
who was seized with monomania in
| consequence of certain troubles of the
| mind. He regained his reason, but
would not go into the world again,
though he acknowledged himself to be
in the wrong in not doing so. When
| advised to travel or to attend to his
much-neglected affairs, he would say:
| Il know that | ought to do so, but ]
am unable. Your advice is very good,
and wish could follow it. 1t is Ger,
tain that | have no will save not ter
will, for have my reason unin4lSaire1.
! know what | ought to do, but strength
fails me when | ought to act
| The case of the magistrate, however,
is hardly as strange as that recorded
| by Prof. J. IL. Bennett. of a man who
| frequently could not carry out what he
wished to perform, even to the simplest
acts of daily life.
Often, on endcavoring to undress,
| this man was two hours before he could
| get hi, coat off. All his mental facul-
ties were perfect. but his will was inn
| paired. Once he ordered glass of
| water. When the servant brought it
| he was utterly unable to take it off the
| tray. though he was most anxious to do
| SO. The Ssrvant waited half an hour
before him. at the end OF which time
the man oyercame the difficulty, seized
the glass and drank down its contents.
| He described his feelings afterward as
| if another person had taken possession
Of hi, will
The abuse of opium produces some
what similar condition. De Quincy
| says: The opium eater loses none of
his moral sensibilitieS or aspirations.
| He wishes and longs as earnestly as
| ever TO realize what he believes posi-
Bile and feels to be eXacted by duty.
But his intellectual apprehension of
what is possible infinitely outruns its
| power not of execution only. but even
the power to attempt
Another curious instance quoted by
| ir, Billiod. Of Nancy. IS that of man
who was greatly frightened at thirty
wears of age by certain civic tumults in
which he, unfortunately. became in
| VOWED. Thereafter. though he re-
tanned perfectly his mental balance he
| would not remain alone. either on the
street or III his chamber, but was al
ways ACCOMPANIED. II he went out it
| was impossible for hin, to return alone
whenever he went CIV. alone. which
| he rarely did. he would soon halt on the
street and there remain indefinitely.
| neither going on nor turning back, I'M
| less some one led him.
He seemed to have a will. but it was
| that of those around him. Whenever
| the attempt was made to overcome this
| resistance of the man, he would fall
| into a sWOon.'
A disease OF the will that is even
more curious is that which prevents
| the sufferer crossing an open space. 1t
| is a common form of insanity in France,
where it is called by the people the
fear of spa ce.' or ''peur DIES espaces'
An instance of this class noted by
| Westphal tells of traveller OF strong
| constitution and robust mind and imag-
| ination who was suddenly seized with
alarm at the sight of an open space
IF he has to cross one of the great
| squares in Berlin ne fancies the dis
lance to be several miles and despairs
of ever reaching the other side" The
| fear grows less If he follows the line of
| houses or has some one walking with
| him.
DR.. Bennett tells of man. a patient
| of his, who was sure to be stopped by
| an unbuilt-on space in the street.
| Crossing a street was also very difficult,
| and on going in or out of door he was
AVA CSlCN III StiilC minutes.
The above cases of disease of the will
| come from lack of impulsion. Those
| which are caused by excess of impul-
| sion are even more strange Suicide of
a certain sort comes under this head.
| DR.. Luys mentions the unconsciousness
| OF the mind under those conditions in
asmuch as many of his patients did not
perceive the inetficiercy of the methods
| they employed.
Thus woman who attempted sui
| eide whenever she saw ID tablel<nife<y
did not notice one day when he was
watching her that he had substituted
! for the knife harmless instrument.
Another patient tried to hang herself
with half rotten cord that was not
| Strong enough to bear even slight ten
sion.
There are dozens of persons who
every year take refuge in asylums be-
| cause they are tormented all the time
with the impulse to kill those who are
dear to them.
sometimes. says Ribot. fixed ideas
| Of character frivolous or unreasonable
find loigmcnt in the mind which.
| though it deems them absurd. is power
less to prevent them from passing into