The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-06-16
Genius Akin to Madness.
From the Paris Nouvelles.

Prof Grasset, of Montpelier, one of the
most eminent savants of France, and who,
since the death of Pasteur and Charcot,
has probably rendered more distinguished
services to the. cause of science than any
living Frenchman, has just published an
interesting minute based on certain recent
researches showing the extreme delicacy of
the human brain, and that men of genius
are often madmen. His thesis strikingly
illustrates the saying that
Great wit to madness closely saied.
And thin partitions do tn extremes divide.
Among the many striking instances
cited by Prof Grasset are the following :
Rousseau, who demonstrated his cere-
bral arrangement in variety OF ways,
was in the habit of considering thunder
storm. or other disturbances Of the eie-
ments, as proofs of universal conspiracy
directed against him. He was often afraid
to eat because Of his conviction that his
cook had been bribed by the world to pol
son him. He would frequently slip away
from hotels where he was stopping, leaving
his clothes and baggage behind him
which would be pretty sure sign to the
average hotel keeper of today that his
guest was insane. Rousseau eliminated
the evidences of his madness by writing a
letter to God, which he left 'to be called
for on the altar of Notre Dame in Paris.
Augusie Comte was stricken with mad
ness while in the midst of his studies,
which took the form of refusing to enter
his own domicile, and wandering aimlessly
about the streets.
Dante was conspicuous victim of hal
lucinations.
Newton died insane, as did also Salo-
man de Caus and Zimmermann. U Con-
nell, Baudelaire, and Donizetti were strick-
en- with general paralysis.
Schopenhauer had habit of talking in
a very loud voice to himself, and of ges-
ticulating violently while walking in the
streets. He once broke the arm of his
landlady because he overheard her talking
in his rooms. He made it a practice to
assault anybody who brought him bill,
especially if his name was written with two
ps. Among other personal eccentricities
was his practice of burning his beard in
stead of shaving it.
Guy de Maupassant was locked up in a
madhouse and died there.
Andre Gill was also an inmate of an in
stitution for the insane. When he was
thought cured he was discharged. A few
days later he was found asleep on a heap
of stones in the country, which he had
carefully arranged in the shape Of a sump-
tuous bed. He was restored to the asy-
LAMP Yp1dfYalfEt dRa fEaws Sent tbeGGe raltgaya
hysteroepileptic, His spells, which were
terrifying while they lasted, occurred sud-
denly and without any visible cause.
Prof. Grasset also found that number
of illustrious writers have been character
lied by a remarkable homeopathic sensibiil-
ty that had been inherited from their par
ents.
Thus the sons of Tacitus, Bernardin de
St. Pierre, Donizetti, Manzoni, daughter
of Victor Hugo, the sister of Kant, and
the brothers of Zimmerman were all sub
ject to spells ofinsanity.
A son of Cicero was an incorrlgible
drunkard. So was Beethoven father.
Lord Byron's mother was half mad, and
his father man of deplorable manners
and habits. Ernest Renan' S uncle was an
idiot, and his grandfather had gone crazy