Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-05
SHOCKS CURE THE INSANE
In Some Cases Sudden Excitement Has
Been the Gauss Of Recovery.

| seen tUe CduSS " u0VVtc'Js
1t seems strange, but ii is none the
less an unquestioned fact, that a shock
to a person will sometimes cure insan-
ity. 1t may even be said that it is al
most often that a sufferer is cured in
this way.
The subject is especially interesting
at this time because of the recent case
Of shooting in this city. 1t is stated
that Mr.. Anderson, who shot himself in
!; the head q week ago last Saturday. is
very much better and that his friends
entertain hopes for his permanent re :
covery Whether this win result, re-
tending physician says that there is no
question but that Mr.. Anderson's con
Edition is very much improved. That he
had for some time been suffering from
a troubled disturbed state of mind,
there is no question, ana, under the cir
cumstances, that final outburst Of feel
ing, as reported may likely enough
have relieved him CT an incubus which
indeed must have been hard to bear.
DR.. b. T. Sanborn. the superintend-
ent CT the Maine Insane asylum, was
asked his opinion on the possibilities
of recovery taking its start on an occa-
sion Of this sort. "Of this case | know
nothing, not having had it called to my
attention, but, | could tell you, if neces-
sary, of a dozen, or more cases right
in my experience, where persons insane
have recovered as a direct result Of 4
shock.
The first case that occurs to me is
that of a young man who was at The
hospital for treatment some IS years
ago, He was as nice young fellow ia
disposition as ever was. and was a gen
eral favorite among the attendants,
but, was, at times very insane.
One day he was in the dining room
with an attendant. AT one end Of the
corridor from which the dining room
opened, was a high window, one Of
those you see on the outside running
nearly the height of the building. Well,
to these windows there is an inner and
an outer casing, with a space in be
tween for flowers and the like. The at
small space on the occasion when the
boy was with him. The latter jumped
in with him and before the attendant
was aware of 1.-THE patient had jumped
out of the outer window He landed
upon the frozen ground some 80 feet be-
low. but, for a wonder, was unhurt.
frozen. and had made good his way
across before he was captured. / no
ticed that he seemed sane on his re-
turn, and after careful watching | soon
discharged him as cured. 1t was I'M
questionably the shock of the fall that
caused it.
Another case came under my notice
when l was a physician at the institu-
ton some % years ago. A woman pa
tient unexpectedly stabbed herself With
hair pin. She had been very insane
but had shown no suicidal tendencies
After she had attempted to disembowel
herself and had fearfully cut herself
she tried in every way to prevent the
physicians from doing anything for her
relief She was finally subdued, and
after recovering from the effects of the
| injuries, was perfectly well in mind
never again showing the least signs Of
| insanity.
There was the case OF a man Who'll
tried the jumping business and had
! poor results, as he broke his neck when
he landed. One patient, a sailor, got
out of the building by some craftily ar
| ranged plans and the first we dscov-
cred of him, on learning of his escape,
was to find him astride the rdgepole
cf one of the buildings. We gave chase.
! He slid down, stopping at the gutter.
There he remained, and, as he looked
down the fear of falling took hold OF
him. and he began to howl for mercy.
When we threw him a rope he was only
too glad to take hold. make a moose.
land allow himself to be hauled up.
That experience did him little good as
far as we could discover.
There are many cases, however,
when some such sudden fright or eN-
irerience has effected a complete cure
SUPERIOR COURT,