The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-15
BEAUTIFUL SLAYER
VICTIM Of GLANDS
Ruth Randall Love Mad" From
Disease, Says Noted
Psychologist.
BY DIR. w. II. BALLOU,
Noted Psychologist.

| provided remark able first hand data
| for geological Investigators, by
shooting to death Capt. Clifford Bley-
err. a wealthy. advertising man. whose
love for her was beginning to lose
its warmth. He was asleep in her
apartment at the time. Then she kill
ed herself. The tragedy occurred at
Chicago, where all parties to 1t were
| resident
| We are told that Ruth Randall WIS
| "loye made" and she herself inforn3
us in a remarkable diary and an
equally amazing letter that life with
\ out constant caresses was intolcr-
! able. .t
The two principals comprised d.
| yorcee, on the one hand. and a mar
ried man, whose wife and two chill
dren knew nothing of his new assoc
citation. on the other.
Not a Social Vampire.
The clergy refer to the case as "a
great moral lesson Other comments
tors refer to il as a matter OF ire
] workings of a social vampire.
To my mind. We have in 1t, merely
the progress and final focus OF ois-
lease.
time of one or more disease infected
glands. the interstitial gland I'M
doubtedly enlarged. Her letters show
a mind normal on all matters but one.
| The fact that she could no longer
exist without caresses shows con-
clusively and finally the extent 10
which the disease had penetrated her
brain. Let us show more precisely
the workings of this illness.
| When a gland is diseased. II does
not cease to function in the sense
that an atrophied gland would. II
continues to exude abnormal cells.
The cells which circulate in and with
the blood finally enter the liquid OF
the spine.
| In the spine they arise TO the nrst
section of the brain, the medulla at
the top of the spinal cord and at the
base of the brain.
! When the medulla is penetrated by
abnormal cells. II becomes i'll and the
center of the illness.
| The medulla. being the governing
| section of the brain. passes its illness
on to the cerebellum. the section or
the brain overnanging the back OF
| the head. Prom thence the disease
spreads to the cerebrum, the section
of the brain in the forehead.
Insane on One Subject.
So the victim gradually becomes
insane on Just one subject. We have
thousands of similar victims in and
out of institutions people insane on
ono subject. normal in most or all
| other respects.
This Is Just what happened to Mrs.
| Randall. She had divorced her hus-
! band, whom she loved with oft for-
| giving fierceness, because or ms ap-
parent neglect and alleged i'll treat
| ment She feared she was about to
| lose the second man, whom she had
grown to love with equal herceness.
| Struggle as best her mind might 10
| overcome her anxiety Tor captain
Bleyer's love, the interstttial cells pc
came more and more affected. Their
illness enlarged at the basal section
OF the brain. pushing upward ana up
| ward into the thinking section OF her
brain, until that section of her mind
| became dominant.
| 1t needed only tho stimulus which
Captain Rleyer perhaps uncon-
sciously afforded TO bring on the
crisis. She was impelled beyond her
remaining will power to end II all.
She shot him first, and after making
sure of her deed killed herselt'
our knowledge of glands, their
| functions and diseases are so recent
that we may assume at once that the
cnse of Mrs. Randall will furnish
matter OF world wide interest among
investigators in genctics and neur-
ology.
| A group of English anthropologists.
Ied nv prof Arthur Keith, of the Brit
ish Association for the Advancement
of Science, have made complete in
vestigation into many OF the human
glands. The result Is to overturn
much of the Mendelian theory OF he
redIty. Neurologists have been quick
TO apply these new glandular facts
to brain diseases.
Not one OF these men would refer
60 Mrs. Randall as vampire, or con-
cede any moral lesson attached to the
! case.
| They would see only the frightful
rayaRe that the enlargement ~ dis
case Of single gland frequently
causes in an otherwise normal being
Had Mrs. Randall known, at an
earlier period when she had moro
| complete control of herself IL is prob
able that she herself would have con
suited n specialist. had the offending
gland removed. and thereafter lived a
normal and wholesome life
1885,. ~. . % = "