A discourse on mental philosophy as connected with mental disease : delivered before the Massachusetts Medical Society, June 2, 1830 / by Rufus Wyman.

  • Wyman, Rufus, 1778-1842.
Date:
1830
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A discourse on mental philosophy as connected with mental disease : delivered before the Massachusetts Medical Society, June 2, 1830 / by Rufus Wyman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    adds, with good feeling, 'But I would remove you to heaven in one minute.' The paroxysms of passion, in various degrees, are repeated many times in a day, from the most trifling causes, and without malice. In this case, the changes from depression to exaltation of passion are usually gradual—often sudden, and some- times instantaneous. The paroxysms are, almost uni- versally, free from any apparent disease of the intellect- ual powers. His letters are well written, his plans of voyages are judicious, and the whole discovers an inti- mate knowledge of business. When the transitions are gradual, he appears, during the intervals, quite well for several weeks, and is a kind hearted, intelligent, agreeable man. To exhibit clear and exact views of an insane mind, it seemed necessary to consider separately diseases of the intellect, and diseases of the passions ; yet they are seldom so observed in fact. During health the intellect may discover some supposed good, real or imaginary, and then will arise the desire to obtain it; or it may detect some supposed evil, real or imaginary, and then will arise the desire to avoid it, and, perhaps, to punish its author. Or one or more of the passions may become excited, and seek to be gratified, and then the intellect is to devise the means to accomplish the end. These relations continue in a state of disease, the disordered intellect suggesting opportunities for the indulgence of the passions, or the excited passions, in their turn, prompting the intellect to provide for their gratification. Hence the most common form of insanity is a combination of disordered passions, and