Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-07

vldual showing. women are more apt than
men to develop insanity and single women
more than wives. The divorced are more apt
TO develop II than the single and the
widows more than the divorced.indeed,
widows are most apt Of all, not excluding
the widowers. Single women in the city
are more subject to It than single women
In the country. Perfectly accurate per
cents cannot be given, however, as the
manner OF the application to insanity Of
the science Of statistics is defective all
over the world.
Insanity has been styled a child Of
civilization, but that is not exactly
justinable, for there has been insanity
among savage and barbarous peoples. A
mat dog is afflicted with a certain kind Of
insanity; the saliva in his mouth doesn't
hurt him until the poison in It reaches
his brain, Insanity. which by the way, is
not a disease, but a symptom of disease,
Is as old as the race. The bible gives us
a well authenticated case Of homicidal
mania in the history of the naked king
Saul, who, 1000 years before Christ, at
tempted the assassination Of David. And
the latter furnishes further proof of our
present theory that insanity was then ex-
lbltul anu uhutI5lOOu ny udNlhb lblSutu
at it. Remember how he scratched the
gates and spat upon his beard until King
Achish Of Gath dismissed him with the
declaration that he was a fool.
Five hundred years later Nebuchadnez-
7ar contributed the first recorded case Of
chronic mania. He wandered in the fields
and ate herbs, permitting his nails and hair
to grow long. Before restored to reason
and his throne he had been seven years
insane-a long time, but discounted in some
latter day cases. Ajax, Hercules and Ulys-
ses ~feigned, the poets tell us. Hamlet had
one variety Of insanity and feigned another
variety.
Degrees of Insanity.
Insanity does not always indicate the i'm
pairment Of all faculties. A part of the brain
may be healthy while another part is un-
healthy. And in this perhaps is found the
reason for the frequent apparent disagree
ment OF lawyer and doctor in lawsuits in
volYing the sanity Of parties on trial. A
man may be legally sane and medically in
sane. The public's idea of an insane man,
generally speaking, is a wild, violent, dan
gerous persons, or else a jabbering idiot.
The lawyer erects an arbitrary standard
designed to protect life and property and
based on the ability Of the party involved
to determine right from wrong. The doc
tor, conceding the propriety Of protecting
life and property, reserves the right to diff
fer from the barrister to the extent of
maintaining that a man may be capable of
discerning between right and wrong and
yet have so diseased a brain that he is not
able--has not the self-control-to desist
from doing the evil he recognizes. Thus
while the science of law has a standard of
perception as a basis upon which to work in
determining insanity the science of medi-
cine bases it's conclusions on the healthy
or the diseased condition Of the brain, and
that is why l say that a man may be le-
gally sane and medically insane.
Not Always An Excuse.
Some writer's on mental diseases main
tain that when insanity is established by
medical evidence, 1t should absolve from all
criminal responsibility in all cases. but l
cannot subscribe to that doctrine. 1t might
be safe and just in many cases. but in 9TH
ers it would defeat the administration Of
justice. In a given case. when a doctor tes-
tifies to insanity 1T may be that his duties
have Just begun in that case, instead of
ended. 1t may then become his duty to
assist the court and jury in determining the
utBlCS VI lCbpOhelplllNgB III mo- 10
either entire or limited. After all. re-
sponsibility is not a medical question; 1t is
a legal question. 1t might appropriately be
called the philosophical or metaphysical
question-and not all physicians are meta
physicians. But insanity is a medical aues-
ton and the physician, from the nature Of
his duties, can give facts and explain them
and can give a just and sound opinion to
courts and iuries who must finally decide
the matter"
"Wen, how does a doctor determine the
diseases or the healthy condition of the
brain? ?" proposed one Of DR.. Tilden's in
quisitors.
There are various methods" was the lat
ter's reply, depending on the nature Of the
cases in hand. Generally speaking, il is
done by observing the symptoms disclosed
in the conversation, mannerisms and coun-
tenance of the subject. When a case is
brought to the attention Of our board I
first talk with the mans relatives. friends
and neighbors concerning him, paying par
ticular attention to any hereditary posi-
bilities. Then I call on him. One visit NAV
be enough or in 1t he may disclose or be-
tray nothing and more are then required.
How to Detect Insanity.
"often l first inquire Of the patients how
they have been feeling physically. In an
swering questions they may put to me l
never tell them untruths as some. advise.
This may be justifable in exceptional cases
but I aim to gain their confidence and de-
ception may be readily detected by them
and long remembered. for while insanity
impairs the memory nearly always. 1t some
times appears really to improve 1t.
After that first interview / am apt to
progress more rapidly. A long conversation
usually will fatigue the brain of an insane