Brand's lunacy case. A full report ... to which are added many other important ... cases, together with the history of the horrors ... in private mad-houses; and the frightful power delegated to the mad-doctors ... with the number of pauper lunatics in England / [Charles Dunne].

  • Dunne, Charles
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Brand's lunacy case. A full report ... to which are added many other important ... cases, together with the history of the horrors ... in private mad-houses; and the frightful power delegated to the mad-doctors ... with the number of pauper lunatics in England / [Charles Dunne]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [6 affect the whole brain are overcome. The patient is now more tranquil, and he is, for the moment, himself again, I refer to my 'work already mentioned, where I have entered at large into the treatment of this malady, and pointed out the defects of practical medicine on the subject. I have there shown that an obstruction of the nervous fluid, often arising from plethora, produced delirium, and consequently a loss of energy of the whole brain; and more particularly in its circulation. And that this want of energy is the great cause of madness cannot be doubted, whether of the sanguine or melancholic species ; such being the case, the invigorating plan (first removing plethora, where present) is the most proper, and holds out more than any other a probability of cure. It has been contended, that hereditary madness is incurable ; this I deny, for instances are not wanting of idiotism, even from infancy, being removed by an accidental fracture of the cranium. Madness often follows the sup- pression of customary evacuations, and is only cured by depletion, the principal of which is blood- letting. Forestus cured a woman that grew mad upon a suppression of the menses, by opening a vein; and according to Hippocrates, if haemorr- hoid es happen to mad persons, their madness is brought to a crisis ; and although it is an admitted fact that various diseases often terminate in madness*, yet it is equally certain that madness as often cures infectious disorders. The casual excitement of some particular passion often changes the different kinds of madness into each other: the patient is one day labouring under idiotism, the next mania, or furious madness. The more I have reflected on the invigorating * A curious case lately occurred of the most violent spasmodic symptoms* and even madness* produced by the external application of the belladonna as a wash to a sore.