Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/524

17, 1859.] upon the  connexion  of  this  artificial  insanity  and suicide. If we  turn  to  what  is  commonly  considered natural  insanity, — the  insanity  to  which coroners’ juries  attribute  nearly  every  suicide  that occurs, — we shall  find  that  some  powerful  preventive duties  lie  directly  in  our  way.

It is  an  old  complaint  on  the  part  of  physicians, and of  sensible  people  outside  the  medical  profession, that  families  and  friends,  and  sufferers themselves, conceal  the  symptoms  of  maladies  of the  brain  till  they  can  be  concealed  no  longer. The further  practice  of  making  a secret  of  the existence or  condition  of  an  insane  relative  is  mischievous in  the  same  direction,  by  keeping  up  the notion that  there  is  some  sort  of  disgrace  or  insurmountable horror  in  insanity. The notion  is  a relic  of  ignorance  and  superstition,  as  we  see  by the  fact  that  nobody  is  ashamed  of  having  been delirious in  a fever. In that  case,  the  simple physical origin  of  the  brain  disorder  is  completely established; and the  delirium  is  regarded,  when it is  over,  like  the  other  symptoms  of  the  fever. In the  case  of  the  insane  there  is  still  some  lingering of  the  ancient  notion  of  possession  by  demons; or of  the  malady  being  a signal  case  of  branding by the  wrath  of  Heaven. No men  or  women would now  admit  that  any  such  conception  influences their  minds; but  yet  they  might  find  it a difficult  matter  to  explain  clearly  why  they  feel disposed to  conceal  the  fact  of  the  insanity  of  any relative. It is  not  my  business  here  to  go  into any inquiry  of  that  kind. My present  point  is, that a vast  amount  of  curable  brain-disease becomes incurable,  and  that  a large  proportion  of suicides  is  occasioned  by  this  practice  of  concealment of  early  symptoms. A man who  would complain to  wife  or  brother,  and  to  his  physician, of disorder  in  any  other  organ  of  his  frame,  will not speak  about  his  brain. He would  bo  explicit about disordered  functions  and  local  pains,  and treacherous weakness  of  limb  or  sense,  but  he is  gloomily  silent  about  an  impaired  memory, irritable moods,  depressed  spirits,  haunting  fancies, and the  long  train  of  forerunners  of  unconcealable brain-disease. He goes  on  as  long  as  he  can,  and tells only  when  he  feels  he  is  not  to  be  trusted with razors,  or  the  laudanum  bottle. Then his family conceal  it,  trying  insufficient  remedies,  and letting him  go  about  till  he  assaults  some  eminent personage, or  kills  a child,  or  hangs  himself. Such patients often,  if  not  usually,  pass  through  a stage (well known  to  convalescents  from  a “nervous fever,”  as  it  is  called),  when  the  suffering  from  a sensation  of  tension  in  the  head  is  such  that  the  impulse to  “let  it  out”  is  almost, — sometimes  quite, — uncontrollable. The patient  may  be  as  fond  of  life as anybody; he  may  have  every  reason,  this illness apart,  for  valuing  and  enjoying  life; his reason and  conscience  may  be  quite  clear  as  to the  duty  and  privilege  of  brave  living  and  unselfish dying; and  yet  he  snatches  at  the  first knife within  his  reach,  to  relieve  the  intolerable sensation in  his  head. Hence the  suicides,  not only of  convalescents  from  severe  illness,  but  of many  sufferers  from  incipient,  or  still  manageable brain-disease.

Here, then,  we  see  that  a rational,  honest, cheerful attention  to  the  health  of  the  head, — just as if  it  were  the  chest  or  the  abdomen, — is  one preventive of  suicide. There is  more  behind, however. We must  go  still  one  step  further  back. The duty  will  not  be  fulfilled  till  the  prevention of insanity  itself  is  taken  in  hand.

To a great  extent  it  may  be  said  that  the same improvement  in  education  and  morals  which would preclude  much  suicide,  would  preclude  a far  larger  amount  of  insanity. This is  true; and it narrows  the  ground  of  special  consideration. If we  all  lived  so  as  to  enjoy  the  best  health,  and if we  were  all  good  and  reasonable,  very  few people would  kill  themselves,  and  insanity  would be very  rare. Taking that  much  for  granted, there are  special  considerations  belonging  to  the case.

Insanity, and  particular  forms  of  insanity,  are hereditary. The practice  of  suicide  goes  down through successive  generations,  as  we  all  know familiarly by  the  evidence  given  at  coroners’ inquests. Out of  this  fact  arises  a clear  and stringent duty  in  the  matter  of  forming  a marriage connection. But there  is  one  point  especially  on which  the  evidence  is  so  plain,  and  the  consequences of  transgression  are  so  fearful  to  the parties concerned,  and  so  injurious  to  society, that nothing  but  ignorance  can  excuse  the  commonness of  the  offence. The intermarriage  of blood-relations  will  hereafter  be  regarded  as  a barbaric  crime,  like  some  of  the  gross  practices which we  read  of  in  ancient  and  in  foreign  countries far  behind  us  in  civilisation. We recoil from Spanish  and  Portuguese  marriages  between uncles and  nieces; but  we  see  marriages  of  cousins take place  before  our  eyes,  with  no  more  effectual condemnation than  a shake  of  the  head,  and  a prophecy  of  future  mischief. And this  goes  on while  marriage  with  a deceased  wife’s  sister — an union  which  no  natural  law  forbids,  and  some strong ones  prescribe — is  resisted  by  ecclesiastical opposition which  makes  no  difficulty  about  the marriage of  cousins.

One single  testimony  of  fact  will  here  be  worth more than  anything  else  that  can  be  set  down. The Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  desired,  a few  years  since,  to  ascertain  the  number  of  idiots in the  State,  with  a view  to  arrangements  for their welfare,  as  well  as  to  establish  the  statistics of the  case. The legislature  sent  out  a Commission of  Inquiry; and  the  Report  of  that  Commission (written  by  the  Dr.  Howe  so  well  known as  the  educator  of  Laura  Bridgman,  and  as  the Principal  of  the  great  Blind  School  at  Boston, U.S.)  lies  before  me. One passage  (page  90)  gives “the statistics  of  the  seventeen  families,  the heads of  which,  being  blood-relatives,  intermarried,” which  he  had  occasion  to  inquire  about in the  discharge  of  his  commission. Ninity-five children were  the  issue  of  these  seventeen  mn  mages. Of the  ninety- five  children,  one  was  a dwarf,  one was deaf,  twelve  others  were  scrofulous  and puny, and  forty-four  were  idiots. Forty-four were idiots! Nature speaks  plainly  enough  here; and no  considerations  of  sentiment,  custom,  or prejudice  should  drown  her  voice.

We found  asylums  for  idiots: we  reform  our lunatic  asylums: we  reason  with  our  hypochondriacs, and  soothe  our  sufferers  under  morbid