The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11
PREVAILING FORMS OF LuNAcY.
Mental Alterations Which Reflect
the Passions of the Times.
From the st. Louis GIobe-Democrat.


the Passions of the Times.
From the St Louis Globe-Democrat.
The author of the History of Epidem-
les" calls attention to the curious CORE
spondence between the established Gus
toms and prevalent diseases of each CEN
fury, and asserts that certain ailments
have ceased to prevail, simply because the
predisposing conditions Of their develop
ment have gone out of fashion.
Mental alterations seem subject to sim
liar laws of evolution. There is method in
the origin of madness. Each country and
each age has its predominant types of lu-
macy, and several epidemic crazes of by
gone times have subsidized from mere lack
of encouragement. Visitors to Walkenried
Abbey, in the foothills of the Hartz, are
still shown a glen where a peasant of the
fifteenth century had an interview with
the personal devil. The gentleman in
black obliged the native to furnish the
census statistics of the country for miles
around; and before the end of a week the
inhabitants of that district seemed to have
run crazy en- masse. They rushed to and
fro with bowls of frantic terror, crowded
into caves like Kansas farmers into a cy-
clone pit and even scaled trees to take
refuge in the foliage of the top branches.
Count Stolberg, in trying to allay the
panic, came near being mobbed, and had
to hire the town militia of Quedliaburg
before he could even restore the mental
equilibrium of his immediate neghbor-
hood Nowadays the riot act would have
to be read for the protection of that cen
sus reporter, if, indeed. he should contrve
to dodge a strait-jacket for twenty-four
hours.
Crusades in their epidemic emotional
forms, would not be equally impossible,
but if 1t be true that the strange dancing
mania" was a reaction against the excess
sive quietism of the middle ages, our
blue laws might account for a specially
troublesome type of insanity found in the
Bedlams of North America and North
Britain, viz, the delirium of the horse
play crank, who shouts tingle-tangle mel
odies and startles his corridor neighbors
with the clatter OF midnight hornpipes.
And il is by no means impossible that the
NEEDLE craze of our village gosslps has a.
good deal to do with the genesis of the
V folgungs Wahnsinn, as German lunacy
experts call the Illusion of that numerous
class of monomaniacs who believe in wide
spread conspiracies against their peace or
personal liberty.
Did you see how that fellow looked at
me sideways?" whispered an inmate of the
Pontiac sanitarium when a plumber and
his assistants passed his retreat i'm an ar
cal," he added. though can't recall his
name this minute; he can't fool me;
know what he comes for That outfit of
his is all a sham. He wants to fasten
some cursed SANDER on me, the same as a
year ago, and those two fellows he
brought along are professional perjurers,
hired TO clinch his Internal lies"
Don't let them scare you, old man."
laughed his medical attendant. "It is pos
sible they do look like the rascals you talk
about, but 1 know them; they are honest
mechanics. and have done our work these
last ten months, and never caused any
trouble"
Ten months? I thought So" said the
monomaniac. THAT settles the question.
l lost sight of them ten months ago, but
now I'm on to their tricks. They just
learned plumbing to get a chance for tor
menting me again."
He had really been troubled with scan
dalmongers, and in the case of Jean
Jacques Rousseau similar causes I'M
doubtedly led to the same result. The
numerous eccentricities Of the all-around
reformer had stirred up a hornets nest Of
backbiters, and within a year after his
flight from the garden cottage in a suburb
of Paris the author OF the "Contrat So
cial' had come TO tremble at the approach
OF visitor. David Hume, the most I'M
selfish worshipper OF his genius had per-
suhueu MN 10 take refuge III f4nElduQ anu
had already succeeded in raising a fund
for the expenses OF the hegira and the
support of the refugees household for
years TO come, when the entire project
was wrecked on the rocks Of the Nerpol-
gung Wahasinn. Hume had carte blanche
TO enter tine philosopher den al any hour
Of the day or night, and was welcome as
Hercules L.berator was welcomed by the
chained Titan, but one luckess day he
let himself be persuaded 70 use his infiu-
once for the introduction Of two Stranger,
and was surprised 20 notice the change
In the conduct Of his protege; short an
swers, grunts OF impotence and looks Of
fierce reproach. Something evidently was
wrong, and when Rousseau arose and
stepped out on the porch the visitors took
the hint and LETT. The only reply TO their
parting courtesies was a slam OF the door.
so violent and Enthusiastically insulting
that Hume turned on his heel 10 request
an explanation.
"Whyi What's the matter2" he asked
IN his offhand manner Il thought we
we're the best friends In the world
No answer
u thought we were friends. monsieur"
he repeated with rising emphasis.
Yes. so thought L. burst out the mis-
anthrope land I'm glad you have opened
my eyes IN time. And 70 that's what your
friendship amount to- that's why you
wheedied yourself into my confidence; to
play. pander for a brace OF cursed scan
dal-peddling spies, 10 rob me OF my last
poor vcsuge OF peace on this side OF the
grave"
I'm sorricr than can say" stammer-
Cd Hume, but declare did not know"