A report on the recent progress of psychological medicine and mental pathology / by C. Lockhart Robertson.

Date:
1848
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A report on the recent progress of psychological medicine and mental pathology / by C. Lockhart Robertson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    § 1.—Forms of Insanity. In the Report of the Metropolitan Commissioners in Lunacy, the various forms of mental disease are thus ably distinguished into— i. Mania ; which is divided into— a. Acute mania, or raving madness. b. Ordinary mania, or chronic madness of a less acute form. c. Periodical or remittent mania, with comparatively lucid intervals. Dementia, or decay and obliteration of the intellectual faculties. m! nonmnia ’ 1 ^iese three forms are sometimes comprehended Moral Insanity, J un,ler the term l,artial insauit.v- Congenital Idiocy. Congenital Imbecility. General Paralysis of the Insane. Epilepsy. A description of the disorders to which these terms are appropriated is likewise given, of which the following is the substance: ii. m. IV. v. VI. vit. viu. IX. 1. Mania.—This term is used to designate a particular kind of madness, as affecting all the operations of tlie mind; hence its synonyme, total or ge- neral insanity. Maniacs are incapable of carrying on, in a calm and collected manner, any process of thought; their disorder for the most part betraying itself whenever they attempt to enter into conversation. It likewise affects their conduct, gesture, nnd behaviour, which are absurd and irrational; their actions being characterised by great restlessness, appearing to be the result of momentary impulses, and without obvious motives. Mania is likewise accom- panied by hurry and confusion of ideas, and by more or less excitement and vehemence of feeling and expression. When these last symptoms exist in an excessive degree, the disorder is termed— Acute mania, which is the first stage of the disease, and often tends to a fatal termination, through the exhaustion occasioned by perpetual agitation and want of rest. It is also generally attended with considerable disturbance of the vital functions. The symptoms gradually abate, and the disease passes into— Chrome mania, which is attended with less excitement of the passions, less rapidity of utterance, and less violence of action. In this stage the disorder of the mind is not always immediately j>erceptible; but it soon becomes appa- rent that the patient is incapable of continued rational conversation or self- control, and that his acts are the result of momentary caprice, and not governed by rational motives. A great proportion of maniacs labour under illusions or hallucinations, or false impressions as to matters of fact; but in these illusive notions there is no consistence or permanence. Patients labouring under this chronic form of mania are often tolerably tranquil and harmless, and capable of being employed in agricultural and other pursuits. Intermittent mania (the third subdivision of mania) is a variety the exist- ence of which has been much disputed, some medical writers of note denying the existence of lucid intervals altogether. As the Commissioners justly ob- serve, the fact appears to be, that there are patients subject to occasional paroxysms of raving madness, but who have intervals of comparative tranquillity and rest. It generally happens, however, that after the alternations of raving fits and periods of tranquillity have continued for some time, the intervals become less clearly marked, and the uiind is found to be weakened, the temper