Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-09-23
DRIVEN TO MADNESS.


DRIVEN TO MADNESS.
TIMES WHEN AN EXCESS OF JoYSIs
LINKED WITH INSANITY.
some Of the saddest Cases Of Lunncy
Are Those where the Mind IsgSUn-s
able to stand the shock az Sudden
Good Tiaanga.
1t is no exaggeration to- assert, said
an asylum doctor Of long and varied
experience, that there are score 81 men
and women IN our asylums who have
literally been sent there throughexcess
Of joy. Many Of these cases which are,
in my opinion, the saddestSSof allghaye
come under my own observation.
I remember in theSvery first asylum
with which / was connected one OF the
patients was a strikingly handsome
and very we'll educated man, who was
as sane as you or ! except on q point.
He was really d man of considerable
wealth, but his delusion was that he
was q pauper, and he would tell the
most pitiful tales OF his destitution,
begging. with tears in his eyes, for AZ
lew coppers with which to buy bread.
According to the story told me, he
was the only son Of q wealthy fner-
chant. In his youth he had fallen
among evil companions and had led
such a dissolute life that his father
not only threatened to dislnheritS him.
but forbade him ever to enter his house
|ngain. After that he seems to- have
sunk into the lowest depths Of poverty
until he was glad to earn q few cop
|pers by selling papers or matches In
the streets.
1t was at this last and lowest stage
that news came to him that his father
had died ~intestate and that he was heir
to all, his vast fortune. The sudden
news completely turned the mans
brain and brought on such q condition
of excitement that he had TO be sent
to an asylum, and when he calmedS
down again he had lost all recollection
of his good fortune, and nothing can
shake his delusion that be is on the
verge Of starvation.
Another patient In the same asylum
was a young and IN his lucid moments
q most intelligent fellow, whose .sbrain
was turned" as the saying Is, on learn
Ing that he had passed aneyamination.s
He had sat for the matrlculation exam-s;
nation at the University OF London,son
passing which he had set his heart
and had asked q friend In London to
wire the result as@soon as the names
were screened at Burlington House:
About three weeks later came q fatal
telegram, aFaiiled-sorryks which sent
the young man Into the lowest depths
of despair, for he was too BID to sit
again. Not many hours later. however.
came another telegram, Passed honors
very sorry crush 50 great#dldnot see
name this morning The revulsion
of feeling was 80 great that the sits
dents reason gave way, and b e be-
came so violent In his excitement that
he had to be confined. Fortunately he
was not with us long and is now, am
glad 70 know, doing very vel aaa so-
1icitvr. T
Disappointed love sends many peo-
pie t asylunmrs. but Ii Ii very seldom
that success iii wooing drives d man
mad. IT had this strange erect, how
ever, on one D my late patients. The
girl he loved had gone ont I'd India to-
keep house for her brother before he
had screwed up his courageto the point
off proposing to her, but an offer fol-
lowed BY mai very quickly after her.
Weeks andmonths passed, no an
sWer came TO the impatient lover until.
latter waiting two years In despair, he
became engaged to q girl who had;
nothing but her money bags to recon
mend her and for whom he had not q.
particleof love. Scarcely. however, was
his fate sealed than he received the
Hong despaired pf letter from India, ac-
eepting his offer and expIainingth that
the girls brother had received and mis-
laid the letter, which had only Just
been found and had come into her;
Hands.
Within an hour of the receipt OF this
letter the#.man was d ravfng maniac,
md although his condition iii improved
doubt whether he VIII ever recover
his eason #ss
In another remarkable case twas
1.-The JOY at seeing her husband again
thatrobbed q lady patient of her {
son.SHer husband was the captain 81
merchant ship which was reported
10 have gone down with all hands. The
widow had deeply mourned her huss
band for nearly q year, when one day
on returning from q walk she found
hin, sitting IL The drawing room asS
hale ard robust sas ever.