The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-22
JOY THAT BRINGS WOE
Shock of Sudden Glad Tidings at
Times Turns the Brain.
1T HAS DRIVEN PEOPLE MAD.


Are Those Where the Mind Is un-
able to Stand the Strain Of News Of
Unexpected Good Fortune.
1t is no exaggeration to assert, said
an asylum doctor Of long and varied
experience, that there are scores OF
men and women in insane 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.
/ remember in the very first asylum
with which 1 was connected one OF
the patients was q strikingly hand
some and very well educated man,
who was as sane as you or l except
on one point. He was really a man Of
considerable wealth, but his delusion
was that he was a pauper, and he
would tell the most pitiful tales Of his
restitution, begging, with tears in his
eyes, for few coppers 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 his
house again. After that he seems to
have sunk into the lowest depths Of
poverty until he was glad to earn q
few coppers by selling papers or
matches in the streets.
| It was at this last and Lowest stage
that news came to him that MS IA
Their 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 good fortune, and
nothing could shake his delusiOn that
he was on the verge Of starvation.
Another patient in the same asylum
was a young and in his lucid moments
q most intelligent fellow, whose brain
was turned" as the saying is, on learn
ing that he had passed an examina-
ton. He had sat for the matriculation
examination at the University Of Lon
don, on passing which he had set his
heart and had asked a friend In Lon
don to wire the result as soon as the
names were screened at Burlington
House.
About three weeks later came ia
tai telegram, "Failed-sorry," which
sent the young man into the lowest
depths Of despair, for he was too old
to sit again. Not many hours later
however, came another telegram
"Passed honOrs-very sorry crush SO
great did not see name this morning
The revulsion of feeling was so great
that the students reason gave way
and he became so violent in his ex
element 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 solicitor.
, Disappointed love sends many people
to asylums, but 1t is very seldom thai
success IN wooing drives a man mad
It had this strange effect, however, OF
one of my late patients. The girl hi
I loved had gone out to India to keel
' house for her brother before he ha(
? screwed up his courage to the point o
proposing to her, but an offer followed
by mail very quickly after her.
Weeks and months passed and n
+ answer came to the impatient love
t until, after waiting two years in de
: SPAR, he became engaged to girl VIII
e had nothing but her money bags t
J.. recommend her and for whom he ha
not a particle of love. Scarcely, how
ever, was his fate sealed than he re
ceived the long despaired Of lette
q from India, accepting his offer and eA
It planning that the girls brother had r.
n ceived and mislaid the letter, whic
!. had only just been found and ha
= come into her hands.
Within an hour of the receipt Of tn
letter the man was a raving mania
s. and, although his condition is impro'
r, ed, l doubt whether he will ever r
r. cover his reason.
g In another remarkable case it wi
20 the joy at seeing her husband agai
that robbed lady patient Of her re
son. Her husband was the captain
l. merchant ship which was repOrte
to have gone down with all hand
The widow had deeply mOurned hi
It husband for nearly Il year when OF
n day on returning from a walk 81
:, found him sitting in the drawing roo
~ as hale and robust as ever.
IL With a shrek she fell uncOnsciOl
n on the floor, and when she recovere
re her reason was gone. 1t seems thu
IS her husband, after floating for son
e time, had been picked up by passin
- tramp and had been landed on tt
!, west coast of Africa, from which
b" had returned home by the first avail
u able vessel.-LondOn Spectator.