The Irish standard., 1895-09-14
THE MADNESS OF GENIUS

There lis an intimate relationship be-
tween insanity and genius. How fine and
fragile is that line that separates the
sane from the insane, the babbling, driv--
ling idiot from the man Of transcendent
genius Such line Of demarkation it is
not easy to define; on the one side a
highly wrought and gifted mind, on the
other an intellect distracted and ta.nt-
ed. sa7 Il s. a ,:s . 9s LA
tits also an admirably difficult thing to
draw distinction between the creations Of
genius and the Wanderings of insanity.
Aristotle, when he said that 1t is es-
sential for a poet that he be not mad,
made rather an alarming statement; but
there is much truth in the assertion, for
the development Of the brain and nerv-
GUS system on which the poetical insp.ra-
tion depends is more nearly allied to that
cerebral condition so frequently assocla-
ted with insanity, and this is more often
SO than is generally believed. Excessive
expansion Of brain matter, great sensiblll-
tY, acute sensitiveness, Quickness OF ap-
prehensiOn and Vividness of imagination,
are all indications Of 8 state Of brain bor-
t1ering closely on the confines Of disease.
In the majority of studious men there
already exists a predispositiOn to cere-
bral disease, which may have actually ex-
listed. This is manifested in many ways.
In Scott and Byron the malformation OF
the foot and leg, ta1ipes. of which they
were the subject, indicated that nevr-
ons attack occurred during intra- uterine
life Of paralytic or spasmodic charac-
ter. Such an occurrence It has been
proved beyond all possible doubt, is LA
BILE to be accompanied by modification Of
the mental characteristics, and in some
Instances by downright idiocy, and this
is especially SO when the spasmodic at
tack has been severe and the deformity
great. In others it is followed by &C.
!. centrfc;ty, impetuosity OF tembper, way
Wardness Or genius, even when there is
onlya small 'deforn1ity such as a slight
strabismns or twist Of thesfoot Byron
had ~ las a mere child, a temper sui
lenly passionate. The irregular action Of
his nervous system and the popularity of
his temper We're inherited from his
parents. His paternal ancestors were re-
markable for their ececntricities, irregu-
lar passions and daring reckle ssness. His
mother was liable to outbursts Of ungov-
ernable temper and feeling. With such
q parentage, and SO constituted, it is not
remarkable that Byron fell so early. The
parusal of Byron's last moments, SO de-
picted by Moore, must produce q feeling
OF melancholy especially as the gifted BIZ
ographer himself became, subsequently,
the victim Of his ardor, and his own glo-
Tious faculties We're extinguished by NEIL
tai though not corporeal, death. 81 s
5s5 Moore, writing Of Byron. says: The
capricious course which he at all times
pursued respecting diet, his long Hastings,
his expedients for the allaying Of hunger,
his occasional Sexcesses in the most u1l-
wholesome food, and during the latter
part .Of his residence in Italy his indulg-
9ence in the use of spirit uous beverage q II
these. could not be otherwise than hurtful
and undermining to his health. = To feed
the fame of his genius, the whole powers
OF his nature phi sical as well as moral,
were sacrificed to present the grand and
c0stl confag tion to the world $ eyes.
In which # .S 3,asg 8
Glittering like a palace set on fire,
HIS glory, while it shOne, but ruined
him.
All attempts to define insanity have up
I to the present time failed. That there
is a want Of balance between the rep
resentative faculty and the judgment it
Isl quite clear, and IN such a way have
the visions In dreams been accounted for,
may be said osdiifer from g g Insanity
only III degree. The chi Idren sof genius,
times are essential eccentric, in the
struest sense OF the WORD, have their de-
.yofed admirers and worsl ipers They
are often con teInpIate Ss with alteration,
and lines II th pity they are con-
loIis w