Her habits of saving (if the report be true) prove her love of money, the
loss of which would of course, be felt in proportion as she valued it;
and, with her exceedingly susceptible and delicate mind, it must have
been overpowering; hence, as in all hereditary cases, there was something
discoverable in the natural disposition which rendered the exciting cause
more efficient, and we find benevolence, caution, and consciousness
large, and self-esteem and combativeness defective.
_No._ 28.—_Admitted_ 1806.—_Aged_ 23.
There is nothing on record, but I have been informed that the cause was
religious controversy, resulting from association with the followers of
Johanna Southcote. {195} He was the son of a respectable country wright
and joiner, and had a decent ordinary education.
[Picture: No. 28 page 195]
His present state of mind presents a strange mass of confusion from which
nothing can be drawn or collected, except that from his fondness for
drawing houses, and different things connected with building, and from
his muttering to himself (for he declines all conversation with others)
something about measurement, the square being so much, &c. some traces of
his former habits of life, may be remarked and determined: the strange
and absurd material views of the coming new order of things, betray the
view which did (and I am told, still,) belong to that sectarian delusion.
He is chiefly distinguished by his unsocial habits, and by the singular
practice of always cramming a part of his meat, and sometimes other
things, into his ears, shoes, breeches, and different parts of his dress.
_No._ 29.—_Admitted_ 1808.—_Aged_ 47.
Once for all, I must say of these old cases, since there is no book or
documents concerning them, that the origin, nature, and progress of the
disease cannot now be known except from enquiries directly made, either
by writing, or of such friends as may occasionally visit them; and with
many of these lower class of patients, it cannot of course surprise us
that they should not have any friends to visit them after such a lapse of
time. This is more likely to be the fact when the character of the case
is of a more revolting nature—as is very singularly so of the one I am
about to describe. Yet she has had visitors, from whom, however, I was
not able to gather any information upon which I could depend; her
insanity was said to be hereditary, she having a sister who is insane.
She is one of those old cases which, in former times in this institution,
were kept naked in loose straw and not allowed seats; and hence she now,
from this deprivation, sits huddled up, resting on her calves, when worn
out by her violence, curled up like an urchin in a corner in a sort of
dog sleep, the slightest noise instantly rousing her, when she starts
into her strangely agitated state,—shaking her head and gnashing her
teeth, and uttering horrible curses with a sort of barking, hoarse, and
hideous gutteral sound, apparently against some object present to her
imagination; in this violence she formerly continued, sometimes for
weeks, latterly only for days, with the most part only for hours, with
scarcely any intermission. In fact, she was in appearance and manner the
most brutal and blasphemous demon—no imagination can picture any thing at
all equal to the awful reality; and yet it is a remarkable fact, that,
some years since, her intellect was restored by a very decided physical
cause, the breaking of her leg; when, during the process of the bone
uniting, her reason returned: her manners were mild, grateful, and
affable, and the tone of her voice was soft and sweet; and again, when
her leg was healed, she relapsed into the same violent state. It has
continued, excepting a short convalescence during an attack of dysentery:
and this is now more than seven years ago; and after which, an artificial
drain was kept open, but with no apparent benefit; the dysenteric attack
was also imitated, but with no further benefit or effect than its mere
physical depressing influence at the time. It is worthy of notice, that
when taken to the swing {198} a second time, she talked more sensibly,
refrained from swearing, promised to behave better, and in a sweet tone
begged not to be swung: since this time, she has been less violent, has
shaken her head and sworn less than before; indeed she has a more
good-natured manner, and very often expends her excitement in mirthful
dancing and singing, and generally seizes my hand, that I may dance with
her.