The Irish standard., 1895-09-14

Kosnis Ind since 1915 and nov
KoEhic MED. CO.. Chicago, 1ll. a
10 s.. Franklin Street. Il
sold 81 DRUGGISTS at 81 per Bottle. 6Nro6 .!
Large size, Sl.7B. Bottles for 80. ~
marked by eccentric behavior Samuel
johnson said: Madness itself merely
discovers itself by unnecessary deviations
from the uual modes Of the world En-
thusiasm has often been styled insanity.
Michael Angelo was called by Richards on
t.The Divine Mailman" whilst Oliver Gold
smith was designated An Inspired Idiot. =
Turner, whose works, strange as they may
appear at first sight, as a number Of In
ccngruous masses Of paint used indiscrim-
inately, but who produced such wonder
full results with gamboge, vermillion,
white lead and verdigris, was considered
by many at the time to be hardly respon-
sible for his actions. The mind is often
too absorbed with the intensity OF Its Gre
atiOns, that the Impressions Of a sense
does not impart such impressions upon
the sensoriuIn. Genius is often fatal gift,
like beauty, and burst into blossom when
the organism is still in its bloom. Cen
ius, as is often seen, is seldom combined
with common sene. The irritability Of
genius which is SO common is the first
link in that chain of psychical maladies 50
when melancholy marks the martyr Of
thought and genius as its own.
The stories relating to Pliny, Archi-
modes, Marine and Sir Isaac Newton are
illustrations of passive eccentricity, the
reverie of genius. They were, it is we'll
known, conspicuous for the absence Of the
common modes and courtesies of life, but
this forgotten In those whose works will
live in glory, long after their eccentrici-
ties are obliterated. Many brilliant scars
of literature are endowed with the so often
fatal gift Of genius, in whom intellect not
only begins to grow, but to burst forth
into blossom while yet it's organ Is still
in the bud. So many gentuses are devel-
oped often in infancy, and frequently the
so-called infant prodigy who does not ul-
timately become a genius, will stop half
way becoming insane. Insanity is good
having well passed its confines, will in all
probability develop into a genius;a but,
alas, many fail to pass this barrier, and,
consequently our institutions are full Of
brilliant inteNects cut short in the pre-
cocity Of their youth, especially if any I'M
due excitement be administered or en-
couraged in the Inflated subject of pre-
cocity. The genius Of Sir Walter. Scott
ended in imbecility. He first became con-
scious Of his owncondition by partial loss
Of memeory, and a want OF recognition,
even OF his own sonnets. The early COM
position Of Scott was wonderful, but in
glancing at the later efforts, there was
evidence to the psychologist Of that faced
degeneration OF tubular neurine which
probably began with his reverses and kept
pace with his wonderful toll to liquidate
his pecuniary debts; and the effort to do
this was SO great that his mental state
became unhinged. ~
". .sTlis wretched brain gave way,
And became a wreck at random driven,
Without one glimpse of reason or Of
b. Heaven =
The cerebral condition of Scott resem-
bled in many ways the many sided genius
Of the immortal Bard of Avon, and he
would probably, under happier ctrcum-
stances, have reached a good old age.
died in the meridian Of his
splendor Of foolish excess. We have it
in the diary of Mr.. Ward, who was init
mate with Shakespeare, and who wrote his
diary which is preserved in the records Of
the Medical Society Of London. In this
we read that Shakespeare. Drayton and
Ben Johnson had merry meeting, and, it
seems, drank too hard, for Shakespeare
died of fever there contracted"
The insanity of genius is itself psyche
logical problem, and comes before us with
most awful Contrasts spectral life in
death Illusion is a prominent charac-
teristic of genius; this is not wondered
at when we consider that the workings of
an lima Curative mind are one continued
and protracted course of ideal creation.
OF this, illusion when the mind is con-
scious does not constitute insanity any
more than it can be termed disease, for
mental wandering may be under the con-
troll Of the will, whilst the systematic
functions and the concomitant organs are
in perfectly healthy condition.
" Space is not at my disposal to enter
fully into details respecting all the
geniuses who have become admittedly
the victims OF insanity, but might emu
merate briefly some Of the poetical ones
whose minds ultimately gave way but
whose works live after them. a
1914. TorQuato Tasso suffered from
Hmania periodique.' He was, unfor-
tlirately, a victim to the literary envy OF
the sovereign. He was regarded by some
more a martyr than as an insane person.
He suffered from we'll marked aricular
delusions and phantasmag CORA. The. APP
paration was, to him no fancy in his i'm
agination,, but a real human being, and
one Of substance. He would converse elo-
quently with his imaginary familiar spir-
1t, who, according to his statement, paid
him various visits. The discourses with
this spirit were eloquent and so sublime
that it was difficult to realize that he was
simply talking to q phantom OF his own
invention. 5
# The hallucinations Of Tasso differed
from the creations of Shakespeare, and
yet, doubtless, Shakespeare saw the illu-
sion in the minds eye as clearly as Tas-
so. did, but at the same time knew them
to be phantoms. It is a very dangerous
thing to indulge to any extent in phanta-
sy, as the impression may become pern1a-
nent, and what was imag: native may be-
come reality Abnormal cerebral circnla-.
ton Is the supposed physical cause for
these states Of 5phant gorfa, which we
read Of as occurring III so many pOetical
geniuses. One of the leading characters
tics of genius is .rritability, showing 8
highly strung nervous system; the conds-
tfOn OF the mind Is often acutely sensi-s
tive. sinking like Inimosa from the breath
of criticism and when such a state is fed
y4thesWear and tear of the brain. thee
feet may lie peri ous and destru ctiye. 3s
it lis q Facf. ssss
That Minneapol is hiss the largest barber
shop III Ineric the Metropo Titan t,y