Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-12-20
DRIVEN TO MADNESS.
TIMES WHEN AN EXCESS OF JOY IA
LINKED WITH INSANITY.

Some OF the Snddest Cases os Luuacy
Are Those Where the Mind Is Un-
able TO stand the shock of sudden
Good TidinEs.
1t is no eXaggeration to assert, said
an asylum doctor Of long and varied
experience, that there are scores of men
and women in our asylums who have
literally been sent there through excess
OF joy. Many Of these cases which are,
IN my opinion, the saddest Of all have
come under my own observation.
1 remember in the very FIRST asylum
with which was connected one OF the
patients was a strikingly handsome
and very well educated man, who was
As sane as you or except on one point
lie was really n man OF considerable
wealth. but his delusion was that he
was pauper, and he would tell the
most pitiful tales OF his restitution
begging, with tears in his eyes, for a
few cOppcrs with which to buy bread
According TO the story told me, he
was the only son OF a wealthy mer>
chant. In his youth he had fallen
among evil companions and had led
such a dissolute life that his father
not only threatened to disinherit him.
but forbade him ever to enter hts house
again. After that he seems to have
sunls into the lowest depths Of poverty
until he was glad to earn few cop
pers by selling papers or matches In
the streets.
IL was ut 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 a condition
of excitement that he had to be sent
to an asylum, and when he Gained
down again he had lost all recollection
Of his god fortune, and nothing can
shake his delusiOn that he is on the
verge of starvation.
Another patient in the same asylum
was young and in his lucid moments
most intelligent fellow, whose brain
was turned as the saying is, on learn
ing that he had passed an examination,
He had sat for the matriculation exam
ination at the University of London, on
passing which he had set his heart
and had asked Il friend in London TO
wire the result as soon as the names
were screened at Burlington House.
About three weeks later came a fatal |
telegram, "Failed-sorry," which sent |
the young man into the lowest depths |
or despair, for he was too old to sit |
again. Not many hours later, however,
came 1nnf hnrs falnovrov,,
very sorry crush so great did not see
name this morning" The revulsiOn
OF feeling was so great that the stu
dents reason gave way, and he be-
came so violent in his excitement that
he had to be confined. Fortunately he
was not with us long and is now, 1 am
glad to know. doing very well as a So
llcitor.
Disappointed love sends many PEG
pie to asylums, but it is very seldom
that success In wooing drives man
mad. 1t had this strange effect, how.
ever, on one OF my late patients. The
slri he loved had gone out to India to
Keep house for her brother before he
nAu screwed up his courage to the point
Oh proposing to her, but an offer fol-
'oMeu Oy mail very quickly after her.
weeks and months passed, and no an
SWer came to the impatient lover until.
aIter waiting two years in despair, he
became engaged TO a girl who had
notJi.Ig but her money bags to recon-
nenoIAer and for whom he had not
'articie OF love. Scarcely. however, was
lis rate sealed than be received the
ong despair Of letter from India. ac-
epting his offer and explaining that
he girls brother had received and mis-
AID he letter. which had only just
cen found and had come into her
ands.
Within an hour OF the receipt Of this
stter the man was raving- inaniac,
nd although his condition is approved
doubt whether he will ever recover
Is reason