The medical jurisprudence of insanity / J.M. Pagan.

  • Pagan, J. M. (John MacMichan), 1802-1868.
Date:
1843
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medical jurisprudence of insanity / J.M. Pagan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    could not, I think, have been justified. Six grains of opium in powder were one morning administered to him in his soup, the whole of which he ate, and Monteggio watched him during the whole day, but no apparent effect was produced by it. Several days afterwards, when upon the point of declaring that he was really of unsound mind, the opium was repeated; six grains were again adminis- tered, and six hours afterwards, no effect being produced, the dose was repeated; and in the evening he appeared quite the same as usual. Monteggia had brought some crackers with him, which were exploded near him without his knowing what was to be done, but this occasioned no start or surprise. One of these was applied behind, when he had nothing on but his shirt; the explosion took place upon his thighs witHiftt his being affected in the slightest degree. He passed the night as usual, awake. No change was observed next morning; but towards tlie evening he appeared restless; he surveyed the windows of the hospi- tal with a terrified look; he went to bed as usual, and to- Avards one o'clock in the morning he rose much more morose than usual, sighed deeply,, and finally cried out, Oh, my God, I am dying ! Monteggia was immediately called, and found him tranquil, speaking rationally, with- out the slightest indication of insanity. He affirmed that he had no idea of what had passed, and believed, or affected to do so, that he was still in the prison of St. Angelo. He added, that he fancied he heard people speaking at the windows, who said that poisoned soup had been administered to him for the purpose of killing him. From this time he continued quite well; spoke and acted like a man in the full possession of his reason, and fre- quently expressed his thanks for having been cured. He remained a month longer in the prison of Milan, and was