Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-06-17
LuNArlcs WHO eelen INSANITY.
Cursous Manifestations with which sh
ERpcrts Have to deal.

4
Eapcrts Have To Deal.
| "ODo would think TINT tho lnst
thing n really insane person would
need or wish TO do would DO to pre-
tend to DO crazy" said IN export ON
insanity tho other day. Insane peo-
plo, however, all havo ono peculiar
ity I'm common, no matter how ii-
verso thcir symptoms are--none Of
them knows that ho IL crnxy. In
fact, n lunatio gonerally considers
himself tho most sano person In tho
neighborhood. Hence, whom ho 10.
sires to protect himself. as after conf
mitting somo crimo, ono Of tho first
things no ofton docs IL to foign in
sanity. 1t is only lately that this fact
has been realized, and this has cost
many lunatics their lives.
For instance, a madman commits
n murder. On arrest he begins to act
In a way that scoms to indicate in.
sanity, but close Watching betrays
tho fact that his symptoms arc fci0n
cd. Ho Is snamming. This has usu-
ally been regarded as conclusive ovi-
dence of his sanity. It is really moth
ing of the kind. Tho doctors know
now that lunatic will sham ns
quickly as n ,sano man, and his shnin-
ming, being often clumsily done, n
much moro apt to be found out
Crazy people when feigning gen.
orally sham q different kind of in
sanity from that which they really
possess. For instance, In recently
reported case adomcnted pauper was
accustomed to proclaim loudly that
he was insane, having been made SO
by an accumulation of tar and grease
In his head. This was entirely sham.
tho man having found that it drew
attention to him and gained him
presents of tobacco. His real hallucf-
nations he kept carefully In the
background. Tho contrast between
his obtrusive shamming and his con-
cealment OF his real symptoms wns
very curious.
The desire TO attract attention ia
very strong on the part of some lu-
natics, and IL is possible that In many
OF the cases that interest visitors at
asylums where tho patient asserts
that he Is Queen Victoria or Julius
Cesar, the whole thing Is sham.
In one recorded case an asylum pa
ticnt was much put out by finding
that companion, who claimed 70
have written somo of Shakospearo's
plays, attracted tho attention of Wis
itOrs. He accordingly went the man
ono bettor by claiming to have writ
ton oil the works Of Byron, Shelley
and Milton. This claim, he admitted
TO tho physicians, was frauduIont.
and he made II TO visitors only.
In Chicago several yenrs aro n
supposedly harmless lunatic, who
was confined in tho bridowell await
ing legal action ON his condition.
Drained n crippled follow prisonor
with tho latter's wooden log. Csl l,ss-
ing charged with tho decd, he show
ed very plainly that. though no nr,-
preciated his situation, no was deter.
mined to shafn insanity, putting on
vncunt look In reply TO nll ques.
tons. Another Chicngo case was thsek
~ ~ fAftAA WAO Alttl GDIUtHlINliu Nuu|a
der by command, as bo claimed. Of
tho Virgin Mary. His lawyers. who
supposed him sane, advised him to
feign insanity, which ho did, Dro.
tending 20 craving mad. Thoshau
and fhe real insanity were both da.
tected by the exports, and the man
was sent TO M asylum.
This peculiarity Of oflunaticsmalooa
the task of modern export ca Co.
sanity doubly hard. He has 70 dsal
not only with s0ue persons profcust.
ing to DO insane and with insane per-
sons pretending to DO sano, but with
lunatics who fcign insanity. ny
sl<illful examination and cross oxain
ination he has to elicit tho fruit
from oil these unwilling Witnesses
Ills task is scarcely an onviabie ons
New York World