The sun., 1908-02-27
PARANOTA REFORMATORIG.
study or the PsychOpathlc Ruler BY One Of
the Greatest Of AIIonlstS.

the Greatest Of AlieniSts.
From the North American RevisV for March.
Many individuals, while not necessarily
insane In q way to necessitats their being
shut up, are at all times making their presence
unpleasantly felt in the community. Some
OF them are kept more or less In order by
their environment or by restraint OF various
kinds which is inseparable from communal
requirements and interests. These persons
are quite likely under slight excitement or
opposition. or perhaps dissipation. OF even
too much license. to indulge In conduct which
is 80 characteristic as TO be recognized by
most normal people and TO be especially claar
to alisnists. When their psyohOsis has de-
velOped sufficiently IL may be expressed by
expansion and false and exaggerated ideas
Of personal power; by vanity. love OF display
and personal decoration. and futile attempt
to correct the abuses supposed to exist BY
the person OF diseased intellect. who is always
prone TO magnify trivial things or those in
conflict with his morbid ego. Psychiatrists
are familiar with such defects. for there "a
welIknown disorder called pdrdRoid rcfOTmG-
toriG which Is expressed in erratic attempts
at social betterment when none Is needed.
and In disorderly efforts which usually
fall far short OF accomplishment. De Fursac
says:
The psyChOpath is apt to pose as a champion
70 anarchlstlc ideas. seeks 70 interfere IN public
Affairs. to become tho leader of popular move
ments. and he succeeds but too often. His con
duct ls often Inconsistent with his ideas of Justice
and charity, Ii hough he fails 70 Il himself Theo-
retieAny. he strives for the good Of the universe:
practically. for the satisfaction Of his own ego-
tistic tendencies
Another class come under the head OF what
il known as QuerIlGnts, whose unhinging Is
usually manifested by purposeless and un-
necessary litigation. while ideas OF persecu-
ton and conspiracy are accompaniments OF
both forms to a greater or less degree
lt can easily be conceived how in other
countries than our own an autoCratiO mon
arch may subject his people to all sorts OF
cruel oppression, his arrangement being en-
tirely unappreciated. All OF these subjects
are more or less "constitu tionally inferior"
and like certain high grade imbeciles they
are perhaps exceedingly brilliant in some
directions while deficient in others. There
is, however. "a conspicuous lack of stability
in all their plans and a want Of consistency
in what they say and do. They are Obsessed
by the cdcOethes both lOQteRdi and scribendi.
and the literature of the insane furnishes us
with striking examples OF verbOstty. their
oral and written productions being quite
Characteristic. Specimens OF the writings OF
the expansive insane are not only redundant
in exalted phrase and foTid rhetoric but in
energetic invective as we'll.
While it IL easy. as has been said. in other
countries than our own to beware of certain
pitfalls or to know what to expect from
degenerate monarchs. it cannot be denied
that there is great danger attached to all
republican forms of government. no matter
in what part of the world. where new Pres-
dents are chosen every few years about
whose antecedents and mental health little
or nothing is known. While we are careful
enough to question the political principles
and declarations OF such candidates as pre-
sent themselves for this high Oftlce no
proper or adequate attempt has ever been
made to analyze the mentaf integrity Of
Presidential or other nominees or TO ques-
ton for a moment the existence of any bad
heredity or any previously expressed trouble,
which, under the prod and stress OF newly
acquired power and great responsibility. may
develop into psyChosis. IL may be seen.
when such is the case. that an entire country
may be eX posed to the gravest consequences
through the unrestrained influence OF an
irresponsible demaRogue. who may even inn
press others by his apparently lofty but
really visionary ideas.
In other times than ours there have been
occasions when nations, fretting under th.
oppression and misrule OF licentious mou-
archs. have unhesitatingly accepted the
leadership of some fanatic whose initial
Attempts to bring them freedom have for
a time been successful. but ultimately the
psychOpath has always asserted himself
Every one must recall the career of Cola di
RienZi who in the fourteenth century for q
long time exercised his fanatic sway and put
in operation his insane pOpulstic and relig-
ious ideas, completely demoralizing Italy
Lombroso and several older writer's have
pictured him as a paranoiac. Lombroso
analyzing his extraordinary writings. BY
his fantastic elOquencs he harangued the
pOpulace and with stilted Oratory enchanted
their ears He soon had a mob following
and after his usurpatiOn of power he first
brought about a number of apparent reforms
through the exercise OF stringent measures
which appealed to the masses He abolished
the rather aristOCTatic and licentious Roman
Senate, rearranged taxes and ordered thai
the granaries should be opened for pubii,
use. When his insanity became pronounced
he next insisted that confession should b.
made once year under penalty OF Conhscl-
tion of One-third OF persons property lie
became more and more unbearable. and his
religious vagaries and enthusiasm were such
that he compelled immediate obedience TO his
mandates. comparing himself TO Christ. he
believed in mysticism and symbols, and upcn
one occasion ne waved his sword three times
to the known divisions OF the world and said.
They too belong TO me-" lie became lin
capable OF undertaking any resolution which
was not merely theoretical" His early NOR.
or less altruistiC conduct was followed D..
sTratic excesses and a violent death. vet
there are many to-day who think that he VA,
anything but insane.
The existence OF mob feeling. il is unneces-
sray to say, il just now making itself felt in
the condition OF unsettement, and not "A little
Of IL Is due to the existence OF a temporary
emotional instability which should be out
OF place In a country like ours where Anglo
Saxon ideals have always existed and where
sturdy men OF healthy mentality have always
governed US. Perhaps we are more
than ever in need OF discipline and the
controlling influence Of Official dignity. for
never in the history of the country has our
population been so heterogeneous and 10
susceptible 20 the influence OF the momPnt
az il is at the present time. Within the pas,
few years there have been landed upon our
shores an unassimiliated crowd OF -unde-
sirable" immigrants, many OF whom are the
unfit OF overcrowded Europe and have come
here with an absolutely erroneous idea Of
what they are TO find or what they are 20
do and are quite ignorant OF our law or social
customs. Many OF them undoubtedly soon
learn to believe that We are a swashbuck
ling, restless people. eminently selfish and