The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-20
WHEN INSANITY IS CONTAGIOUS.
Continuous Association With Luna
tics Dangerous to Weak Minds.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.

N-NE AO " eak MINDS,
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
Insanity is contagious. Statistics show
that one person out of every eight intrust
ed with the care of the insane become
trazy
A week ago two cases of this sort came
under the notice of the authorities at the
Detention Hospital in Chicago. Mrs. Annie
l.. Human, nurse and an exceptionally
intellectual woman, became insane from
being constantly in contact with demented
patients. The other was a case of a
mother and daughter named Fannon.
The daughter undertook 10 care for her
mother at home, and in a few weeks was
herself a maniac.
Experts differ as to whether association
with the insane brings on a diseased men
tai state, Independent of natural degener-
ate tendencies, or whether it merely
maks manifest a weakness which might
never become apparent under other cir
cumstances. The case of mother and
daughter sent from Chicago to Kankakee
last week was apparently a plain instance
of communicated insanity. The mother
is growing old, and some months ago de-
velOped chronic melancholia. Ii is believ-
ed that her insanity dated back a consid-
cradle time, but that it had not been ap-
parent on account of its comparatively
mild form. She suddenly grew worse. be-
came violent and difficult to control. The
daughter determined that she would not
allow her mother to be taken to a state
institution. Her days and nights were
spent in watching and caring for her
mother, and every moment she was sub
tn m ff,f1
few weeks she was afflicted with melan-
cholia, the same form of insanity as that
with which her mother is afflicted.
A few years ago a peculiar case also
came before the authorities at the Deten-
ton hospital. A Swede was afflicted with
hallucinations Of sight and hearing. Voices
whispered in his ear continually He i'm
agined he saw the Christ and the Virgin
Mary In time his wife accepted his deiu-
sions and came TO see the visions herself.
DR.. James G. Herman, Chicago's We'll
known expert, defines this form of dis
ease as true, communicated insanity. It
differs essentially from the more widely
recognized epidemic and endemic insanity.
Communicated or transformer" in
sanity has been recognized and studied FOR
about thirty years. In every insane hospi-
tai in the world conducted on modern lines
the attendants are watched by physicians
almost as carefully as the patients they
attend. Once a year they are examined
for traces Of alienation or signs of nerv-
GUS disorder. In Germany attendants on
the insane are forced to rest every six
weeks, and are not permitted to take
charge of the same patient for any long
period of time. Two reasons are given for
this One is that the strain of the insane
is an intense nervous strain. Nothing so
wears upon the nerves as continual asso-
citation with lunatics. In nearly every case
there is considerable danger A nurse must
be constantly on the alert against surprise.
Even the most docile lunatic may sud
denly develop violent symptoms, endan-
gering the life of himself and the attend
aGt.
But the most curious and interesting
phase, from a scientific standpoint is the
power which the insane often have of i'm
posing their delusions upon others. Many
insane people have wonderfully forceful
and acute minds, aside from their particu-
lar delusions They often possess fndvid-
uaHties of the strongest sort. Such lunatics
are capable of thrusting their delusons
upon their weaker associates, or upon a
mind weakened by nervous affections. It
has passed almost into a trueism that
genius is akin to insanity"