The Detroit times., 1911-09-27
GRAvEYARDS CAN'T FATTEN
ON GOITRE ANY MORE
CONTINUED from page -


growth of a morbid personality, the
evolution of crooked stick. Its delu-
sions are logically evolved from false
premises, and In their defense the In
dividual is sagacious and shrewd. Its
life history is consistent and II prog
res marked by certain well-defned
epochs There are: First, the incipient
period; second. the persecutory pc
riod; third. the period of developed
and logical delusions.
Three decades ago, the world was
profoundly shocked by the deliberate
and ostentatious assassination or
president of the United States. The
assault was made In a public place,
and the motive alleged by Its vain
glorious and pestiferous perpetrator
was patriotism and public policy. He
had no more serious regret for the act
which resulted in the death Of an ex-
cellent citizen than might have been
present In the mind OF Charlotte Cor
day after the deed which removed the
monster Marat. According to press re-
ports, the assassin was moved to sym
pathy for the family, but not for the
distinguished victim, In whom he rec
ognlzed merely the representative OF
a pernicious element In great politi-
cal party and a stumbling block to It's
progress. Convicted after many weary
weeks OF waiting on the part OF an I'M
patient public, he ascended the gal
lows, believing himself a martyr TO
popular cause. and as the black cap
was adjusted. recited doggerel verses
Indicating confidence In a blissful
hereafter for sanguinary soul.
1T Is now known that there was
lamentable miscarriage OF justice In
this case. but the public mind was
then uninstructed and not In temper
70 admit that one who deliberately
proposed for himself the defense that
he was insane--not In a medical sense
but In a formal. technical. legal sense
was In very truth suffering from
mental disease.
Parallel Case.
Not long after the execution ol
Guiteau II was my fortune 20 encount'
er a case furnishing a striking paraL
Ielism. The defense In his case had
been that he suffered from paranoia--
or. as Il was then denominated. fol
lowing the designation OF krant
Ebing, primare Verruchtheit Inere
had been little in American literature
concerning this form OF disease Prev
ous 70 the publication In the Ameri
can Journal Of Medical Sciences oi
the case to which allusion Is made
Tn this there had been a homicidal
assault upon nne who had been an
pointed special GUARDIAN for the pur
pose OF obtaining a pension. The mo
| tive was plain, the assault deliberate
The patient entertained extraordinary
self-esteem. While serving In the army
| OF the Civil war, he had believed him
self the victim Of conspiracy on the
part Of the commanding generals
Sherman and Grant. He felt that his
abilities and meritorious conduct en-
titled him to promotion from the
ranks, but that he was checked or
every hand In laudable ambitions. The
egregious seif-appreciation led him to
blacklist one and another by whom
he felt himself criticized. He had
written a rambling and boastful auto
| biography. and published and circu
lated II In pamphlet form. He had
once made the formal plea OF insanity
| In the attempt to obtain pension.
Symptoms Described.
"A patient under recent observa
ton was a most accomplished work
man, and methodical In his methods
as a foreman In large industrial en-
terprlse. but the rule Is that the indt
viduaI lacks application, Is dreamy, vi
sionary and unequal to the day to day
grind OF life. He early acquires vague
suspicion of those about him. and II
apt 70 direct this against his employer
his shop superintendent, or some one
whose duty Il may be to direct his
efforts. Gradually there develops the
notion OF conspiracy and combination
! 10 prevent advancement In life. and in
this period dangerous impulses are apt
70 appear. A little later, and a pas
cage in reading. vivid dream, a
sharp emotional experience, or an III.
meas accompanied by visual or audi
tory haIluclnations may furnish clue
20 the persecution to which he Is sub
jected.
"He In thwarted In his laudable un-
, dertakings because he IL a prophet,
a prince or the Savior. He has been
brought up by putative parents to CON