The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-06-02
DIR. H. r. LAYTON.

DIR. II. r. LAYTON,
of Leon, practicing physician of 80
years experience testified he was a
member of the insane commission, that
insanity was hereditary and most likely
to be handed down from parents to chill
dren. Epilepsy is species of insanity.
He described the various forms of the
/ disease and the symptoms at consider
able length. Had examined the defend
ant John Hayden. He is of a very ner-
vous temperament. The following hy-
political questions were then pro-
pounded to the witness:
Taking man as years old, whose
father was very excitable and would
go to walking and become so excited
that he would throw off his coat and
vest and pull off his shoes and tear out
the sleeves of his shirt, and would talk
until he became exhausted, and would
sit with his head down in his hands
and then all at once break out and
laugh without any cause and jump up
and run out of the house, whose mother
was Of melancholy nature, but very
excitable at times, who lost her mind
and died at the age of 80 in a
oOhtCAoSu OoIAlolOl, WllOSS ClucSO
brother was very excitable, very
weakly, was fantastical on religion
and who died from nervous ex-
haustion at the age of 10 years, whose
younger brother became insane at the
age Of 80, was adjudged insane and
has been confined in an asylum for IA
years and is now in an asylum, the three
being the only children Of the family,
whose mothers sister, being his aunt,
became insane one time and attempted
to kill herself in a fit of insanity and
was cut down and saved by her hus-
band; What would you say in regard to
insanity being hereditary in this
family" answered that he should think
it was. A member of this family would
be predisposed to insanity. The form
of insanity would be epileptic. A man
with family history such as has just
been read would have strong tendency
to insanity.
"Taking a man at the age of 45 receiv-
ing an injury upon the head from the
stroke OF a mules foot and who since
that injury has suffered from violent
/! headache, who at times has been unable
to sleep, who has had delusions that he
was going to be robbed or injured, who
would take a revolver, shotgun, AK or
club to his room and fasten the door,
not only with the lock, but would tie
the door shut, who at other times would
be found standing ON his knees in bed
with his head down in his hands and
when questioned as to the matter would
complain that he could not sleep, that
he had head ache, who at other times
during the day would sit with his head
resting in his hands and stare down at
the floor and when spoken to would look
startled and excited and look wild out
of his eyes, who would get up at night
and wander around carrying revolver,
who found cattle in his meadow and
went down and after going there decid-
ed to restrain the cattle and while driv-
ing the cattle home the owner of the
cattle and his hand came riding up and
the owner of the cattle jumped off his
horse and assaulted the party and the
party ran SO to go feet, then the party
wheeled and fired two shots in quick
succession at his assailant, afterwards
walked home distance Of a half mile,
and when observed after he returned
home had his coat on his arm, cap in
hand, and crying and sobbing hyster-
ically, got in a buggy and started for a
town about ten miles away, when met
by parties on the way was observed
looking down towards the fore part of
the buggy Or at the wheel, tapping the
buggy wheel continuously, and when
spoken to paid no attention, and the
party climbed in the buggy where he
was, paid no attention to him and did
not speak to him, what would you say
about such man being sane or insane
at the time of firing the shots?"
answered that he would say he was in
sane. DR. Layton also testified that he
had examined the defendants head and
found scar about two inches long and
a depression in the skull at the end of
the scar. Such an injury on such per-
son would likely produce insanity.
That he was an epileptic, a form of in
sanity.
DIR. A. BROWN,
OF Leon practicing physician for %
years, testified that insanity was here
ditary. That epilepsy was form of in
sanity and a person so afflicted was not re-
| sponsible during the attack. In response
to the same hypothetical questions
propounded to DR.. Layton he answered
in substantially the same manner. That
he would say insanity was hereditary in
the Hayden family and the children
were apt to become insane during their
lifetime. Regarding the injury on de-
PENDANTS head said it might cause in
! sanity. That his actions indicated in
sanity. On cross examination he said
the defendant might receive the injury
and remain sane, but was more likely to
become insane.
DIR. J. B. HORNE,
of Mt Ayr, practicing physician of 30
years experience, and a member of the
insane commission for 20 years, testified
along the same line, and answered the
Hypothetical questions the same as DIR.
Layton. He said he would not consider
the defendant sane man. That he was
suffering from epilepsy.