Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-16
MYSTERY OF INSANITY.
Much Yet Left for the Unravelment by
Science.

lens Of lunacy, I have received hum
dreds of letters from every part OF the
country telling me anecdotes which
would make one of the most mysterious
one of the saddest, and yet one of the
most enthralling volumes in the lltera-
ture of humanity. Moreover. l have
lately discussed the subject with many
| careful alienists, and l am more than
ever convinced that the unfolding OF
the mystery of insanity, when 1t comes,
will let into the world new and start
| ling light on all the material problems
of psychology.
Before telling the remarkable story
which is the excuse for my return 10
| this matter, l should like to make IL
| plain that science has not yet arrived
at any definite knowledge concerning
| the phenomenon of madness.
What is insanity" asked famous
alienist.
He would not tell me.
| pressed him. For my own curiosity
l begged him to tell me of what he per-
sonally considered this mystery to con-
| sist.
I'VE do not know" he said, land we
do not give it a name. Insanity, luna
cy, madness-all these are legal terms;
science has not yet provided deflnl-
ton. When a man becomes danger
to himself or to his fellow citiZens the
law calls him insane and locks him up.
That is ALL
But" L persisted, how do you de-
fine it to yourself?'
After much protestation, he made
answer: Madness, to me, appears to
be departure from the normal
Then" cried, shakespeare. Isaiah,
st. Paul are among the mad"
WELL that is all l can tell you,' he
| said. "A departure from the normal
we can say no more
Remember that many men and wo-
men with large and healthy brains are
now in lunatic asylums; while people
with infinitely smaller and less perfect
| brains are enriching themselves or the
| state in the field of free activities. 1t
| is not a diseased brain, or a small
brain, that is responsible in every case
| for the teasing mystery of insanity.
Some shadOwy cause, as invisible, and
as intangible as the electron of the
chemist, is responsible for this tangle
in the affairs of men, and only the law
| is bold enough to pin Il label to the
| phenomenon. Science can only say,
Behold, l show you Il mystery"
The following story does not shadow
forth any Interpretation of the mystery,
but it does suggest that there is per-
haps one factor in madness of which
the pathologist is not usually disposed
| L. I
me by one who for many years was a
charge attendant i'll one of the largest
lunatic asylums in this country. In
those days, he cOnfesseS, he did not
| reflect upon the underlying mystery in
madness: he found himself wheel in
a big machine, and did the work APP
pointed to him with precision and care,
but without intellectual impulse. 1t
was not until the incident had hap
pened which l now tell that he began to
| think and to see; and from that day to
this the impression of the spiritual
mystery has never deserted him.
He was going his rounds ut midnight.
The huge and hdeous building was 81
lent except for the sound of his feet on
the stone corridors and the mufIled
paupers. The attendant thought no
more of those sounds than one thinks
of the wind in the chimney or the
groan of old furniture. But as he ap-
preached one of the enormous wards
his thoughts did for a moment run on
before him to a poor creature lying in
that room, to whom. he knew, kind
death was now beating it's way through
time. Would he find the mailman dead,
or would he find him babling in fever
ish dreams of things and sights and
thoughts of which our sanity has no
cognizance?
He entered the long ward, and stood
for a moment looking to the dusky end.
across those lines of rumpled beds in
which pale madness Rugged itself in
dreams. Save for the discordant
breathing, and the occasional twitch of
limb. all was silent and mOtionless.
1t was the same blurred page of enter
Eity; the same mockery of night. He
began his solitary tour of inspection.
Down the center of the sleeping ward
he went slowly and perfunctOrily with
tired eyes looking at every huddled bed
upon his right side before turning at
the end to study those upon his left.
How often had he gone down between
these lunatics? How often had he
looked and never comprehended! The
common round the daily task.
AS he went forward he heard a noise
upon his left, little behind him, and.
turning around. he beheld the poor dying
lunatic rising out of his bed. The sad and
friendless mailman thrust back the
clothes. brought his feet slowly to the
floor, and then stood up with white and
strangely quiet face. The attendant,
thinking he was in delirium, moved back
TO help him into bed. But before he had
taken few PAGES, as though aware only
of his own presence in the ward, the dy
ing lunatic kneeled solemny down at the
side of the bed. buried his face in his
hands, and began to pray aloud.
The attendant tells me that never be-
fore and never since did his ears listen to
prayer so fervent so wonderful, so sub
lime. The words came quietly. slowly,
orderly, but they were each one heavy
with almost unima ginable earnestness,
and seemed as though they were breathed
from the lips of a mighty soul pressed
close to the ears of Deity. He asked
for forgiveness and he made Supplica ton