W. C. a man, aged sixty-three, was admitted into the hospital, January 21,
1797. The persons, who attended at his admission, deposed, that he had
been disordered five months; that he never had been insane before, and
that the disease came on shortly after the death of his son. He was in a
very anxious and miserable state. No persuasion could induce him to take
nourishment; and it was with extreme difficulty that any food could be
forced upon him. He paced about with an hurried step; was often suddenly
struck with the idea of having important business to adjust in some
distant place, and which would not admit of a moment's delay. Presently
after, he would conceive his house to be on fire, and would hastily
endeavour to rescue his property from the flames. Then he would fancy that
his son was drowning, that he had twice sunk: he was prepared to plunge
into the river to save him, as he floated for the last time: every moment
appeared an hour until he rose. In this miserable state he continued till
the 27th, when, with great perturbation, he suddenly ran into his room,
threw himself on the bed, and in a few minutes expired. The head was
opened twenty-four hours after death. The pericranium was but slightly
adherent to the scull: the tunica arachnoidea, particularly where the
hemispheres meet, was of a milky whiteness. Between this membrane, which
was somewhat thickened, and the pia mater, there was a very large
collection of water: the pia mater was inflamed: the veins of this
membrane were enlarged beyond what I had ever before observed: there was a
striking appearance of air in the veins: the medullary substance of the
brain, when cut into, bled freely, and seemed spongy from the number and
enlargement of its vessels: in the ventricles, which were of a natural
capacity, there was about half an ounce of water: the brain was of a
healthy consistence.