Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-12-24
FREAKS OF INSANE FOLKS.
Not Less Remarkable Sometimes
Than Those of Their Keepers.

Many odd and remarkable experien-
ces are met with by those who devote
their time to the study of insanity and
the care of the insane. The wild va
carries of the patients and the strange
hallucinations under which they strug-
gle are as diverse as they are astound-
ing.
One will believe he is the queen Of
England, another will pace up and
down his cell in the belief that he IS
tramping round the world, while
another is respondent because of the
idea that in his sleep a cat has pur-
sued a mouse down his throat.
No less remarkable than these delu-
sions of diseased brains are some OF
the mistakes made by the sane con-
corning the identity of the insane
An insane person suspected of being
some one other than he is will often
admit that he is such a person and
instances have happened where idenu-
ty has been established beyond doubt
only to be shattered by the returns OF
the victims reason and the presenta-
ton of the real facts.
An odd case of mistaken identity of
this sort occurred in Chicago a few
years ago. 1t was in 1885, when DR..
Herman, the insanity expert, had
charge of the detention hospital on the
west side. A man was found wander
ing about on the prairies and was TAX
en- to the hospital. The name he
gave was a strange one and no one ap-
peared to claim him as a relative or
friend.
A few days later man of unbal-
anced mind WAS arrested by the Har-
rison street police. He gave a name
identical with that given by the man
found on the prSiries. Some report
ers who were present at the examina-
ton of the first man recognized the
name, noticed remarkable resem-
blance and Immediately jumped at the
conclusion that the first had escaped.
The detention hospital was called up
and DR.. Herman rushed away from
ton of the man arrested-the color Of
his hair and eyes, his probable weight
and size and general appearance. The
man at the Harrison street station had
a mole over his backbone. The man
examined bore corresponding mark
and DR.. Kiermoan rushed away from
the phone to find out how his patient
had managed to escape, when to his
surprise, he found the man sitting
quietly in his room.
When the two men were brought to-
gether the remarkable resemblance
disappeared, though they had points
in common that in a description over
the telephone made it seen impossible
that they cound be other than one and
the same.
A more phenomenal case than this
which Dr. Herman relates and the au-
thenticity OF which is backed up by the
records of the Washington insane hos
pital occurred in 1866. There wan
dered into town in Florida a man who
was completely dazed and unable to
speak an intelligent word. He was
thought to be a union soldier and was
removed to the asylum in Washington.
A short time later a Mrs. Houghton,
whose husband had been in the war,
called to see the man and Immediately
declared that he was her husband.
She had an old-fashion daguerreotype
portrait taken years ago, which looked
remarkably like the patient. She had
lock of her husbands hair that re-
tanned its similarity to the mans even
under the microscope. She explained
where scars could be found on the
mans body, and in fact satisfied the
physicians, who were at first skeptical,
that the man could be none other than
hen husband.
With careful attention the mans
mental condition began to improve, ne
slowly regained his power of speech
and when he had completely recovered
he said he had never been in New
York, that he had been q negro driver
on a plantation in Georgia and gave
the name of his native town. Inves-
tigation corroborated this and the New
York woman was again a widow.
II giving presents at this season
they should be chosen with love in the