Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-09-03

earthly happiness, and set votlseil
grimly to bear the burden OF WEAKNESS
and despair? And then, in the very
midst of black hopelessness. has the
thought ever flashed suddenly on your
mind that you might put an end to 1t
all by committing suicide?
| If so you have very probably been
| the victim of disease which is at
present attracting the attention OF
some of the most noted physicians IN
the world, says the New York World.
The disease is known technically as
suicidal melanchola.
! "Melancholia" is a compound OF two
Greek words meaning black bile. IL
was supposed originally to have been
caused by an overa bundance OF black
bile in the system, the effect of which
was to cause the patient to be in con-
slant dread of some approaching evil
According to the degree Of mental
depression cases Of suicidal melancho-
liza have been artificially grouped as:
l, simple melancholia; 2, hypochondri-
acal melancholia, and, 3, delusional
melancholia. But these divisions are
purely arbitrary. All cases begin as
simple depression, and delusions are
gradually evolved as the disease pro-
crosses. The delusions at first are
slight and floating, but gradually be-
come more fixed and unchanging.
The decisions vary greatly in char
acter. The patient fancies sometimes
that all his relatives and neighbors are
in league against him or that he has in
some way incurred the enmity Of the
whole world In such cases his dis
ease will probably end in some form
Of mental arrangement unless he seeks
a speedy cure. Somtimes he imagines
that he is being robbed of his property
or that his food is poisoned. In other
cases some unseen agency is suspected
to be at work, such for example as
electricity
Very frequently the delusions refer
to the spiritual welfare. The patient
asserts that he has been very wicked,
and that he is lost for time and eter-
nifty. These, it will be observed, come
under the head of delusional melan-
s cholia, but it must be remembered
g that the delusions are not the cause
= but the result of the malady.
O In many cases the patients whole
attention is concentrated on the state
= OF his bodily health. These cases form
q the group of hypochondriacal melan-
k cholia. Such persons frequently eX-
hibit an intense craving for sympathy
d and are constantly pouring forth
6 lengthy statements of their imaginary
| m q 10 ioc ,)o;- ho;
u threats are blocked up, or their stom-
q achs gone, or so on. In addition to
"a other delusions Authorizations of spe-
j., cial senses are frequent in melancholia
These affect mostly the hearing and
- then the sight and taste.
:, The close relation Of suicide tC
- this diseased condition of the mind is
:, we'll indicated by the records of cases
- at hospitals. Out of 100 cases treated
- in Garland's asylum, England, the sui
m cidal impulse was present in 65 pei
cent. More than half of this percent
= age had made actual attempts at self
, destruction. while the rest had con
= tented themselves with maxim!
y threats. The proportion Of suicida
~ cases was II per cent higher anon,
80 the males than among the females.
w. The bodily symptoms of suicida
80 melanchola are characteristic Their
% is a condition of lowered vitality an
anaemia, or scarcity of blood. TIL
a. complexion is muddy, the appetit
"a poor, digestion impaired and the bow
g. els torpid. The muscles are f,abb,
:. and there is lack of vigor. Neural
gic pains and sleep!essness are ais
W. features.
=. 1t will be borne in mind that tn
-" statements in this article are nj
- founded on the opinion of any on
- physician. no matter how skilled h
~ may be, but are the result of a Garrett
=. examination of records and compar
49,, son of cases. In this way it has bee
~, found that the most important fact1
~, in the causation of suicidal mea,
Oh cholia is hereditary predispositiol
ne The tendency to the mental disease
-, Unborn and only lies dormant till
~ some critical period of life it is Gale
H. into active existence. Some bodily al
49,. ment or mental shock which won
"a produce no mental disease in perst
II
sufficient in those with hereditary me-
Nv tai faint to induce an attack of d
preston of a severity out of all propo
ton to the strength of the existil
cause.
These immediate or exciting caus
are most frequently of physical n
ion ture, intemperance in drink affordil
n large percentage of patients.
about one-third of the cases the ment
led depression is found to have been pl
coded by some trouble of a moral
a mental character. Business anxieti
constitute the most common mol
cause in men and domestic affiicti
~ in women.
raw Drunkenness is a fertile source
race degeneration. Victims of mela
it'll cholia and suicide often have an al,