New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-17
WHEN WE THINK WE HEAR THE VOICE OF
NqORB1D GENIUS 1T is REALLY ONLY a
CHORUS OF R4ALEVOLENT MICROBES

many mysteries to simple formula for analysis,
from the literature Of ccstatic passion to that
Of more orderly emotions, and to the literature
of calm science.
In scientific criticism Of genius in literature
we have to make note OF some such order as
this
/. A mind allcrgic to the tubcrcle bacillus
stevenson with his spirited optimism)
2. A mind allergc to the colon bacillus
(Netzsche with cry-baby philosophy
3. mind belonging 70 a definite psychosIs
--hysteria (Nrs. Elizabeth Barrett Brown
ing. with grace and sweetness in morbid czag-
geration of feminine characteristics
4. A mind with a definite psychosis-cyclo-
themis. de Musset with fine inspiration IN
the euphoric stage. He did not write much
when n the Oppressive stage because dipso-
mania supervened)
s. A mind with another definite p5ychosis,
manic Oppressive (Strind5erg, with beauty IN
his collection OF Fairy Tales belonging to
the euphoric stage; distress in his Inferno
of the Oppressive stage)
6. A mind that we might classify at present
as belonging to the internal secretion Of aber-
rant gland development Octave Mirbeau
represents tic lattcr)
Reading tire list OF great minds which have
strongly influenced art or literature is reading
list Of i'll men whose physiology was abnor-
nal. The history Of their lives reads Ike a
hospital report. The same is true OF the Gre
alive geniuscs in science, but not to the ez-
tent found in literature and art. We have all
read the lives Of great authors and artists with
intense interest without being impressed by
the question of tkeir illness. We put that qucs-
ton aside with feeling Of pity or sympathy
as a transitory feeling instead OF one which
should engage our attention at the very out
set as closely as the thread Of screw runs
TO its seat.
The style Of Carlyle can be traced along the
different phases of his toxic influences. He
began to suffer from dyspepsia at the age OF
twenty-three. Later his correspondence IS
filed with references TO suffering from eye
trouble and stomach and bowel disturbances
His "Sartor Resartus" was written befoi5 he
became deeply poisoned, and his French Rev
olution" indicates the degree OF irritatlve slim
ulation of his genius. "Sartor' was in charge
of his fundamental genius, but the French
Revolution" was in charge OF his toxic dis
turbance influencing that genius. His pessi-
nism and anti-scence in later years were typl-
cal Of the scorpion sting of colonic bacteria.
1t will be possible some day to vaccinate
against the colon bacillus. Then shall elm
mate some of our pessimism, and this will be
a more Joyous world.
THE GENIUS: THAT PART OF HUMAN
ITY THAT is GOING UNDER.
The letters of genius in literature and in
art sound the note Of one long wall about eyes
and bowels. The wall is that of the crew OF
sinking ship. That is precisely what it really
is. in fact wall from the sinking. The
geniuses are those Of humanity who are going
under
Dr.. Oliver Wendell Holmes said that the
best work in the world is done by men who
are not quite well. He perceived truth, but
did not recognize more than joke in it. He
did not give us description of what he meant
by best
Some Of the worlds greatest literary mas
terpieces owe their expression to the nfu-
ence of specific bacterial poisons in the minds
OF the authors. The works OF r. l.. Stevenson
show an optimism due to the peculiar action
Of the toxins OF the tuberce bacillus. On the
other hand, the works of Nietzsche, Schopen
hauer and many of the French writer's of the
nineteenth century reflect the action OF the
colon bacillus or of anerobic bacteria. Mi
crobes develop freely when protective organs
lose their efficiency against bacteria, in the
course Of development of the doubling rose-a
decadent phenomenon. Some OF the most ia
nous painters or poets have been almost or
quite brutal in their relations to the world at
times when they were developing beautiful
masterpieces. This represents action of the
will becoming superior to bacterial action tenn
porarily, while other bodily functions are suf-
fcring from that action.
Kaiser Travel,