On man's power over himself to prevent or control insanity : communicated to the members at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, May 26th, 1843 / by John Barlow.

  • John Barlow
Date:
1843
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On man's power over himself to prevent or control insanity : communicated to the members at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, May 26th, 1843 / by John Barlow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the way of the person so excited; but that never- theless this disposition is under the control of the will: and the patient might generally, if previously well disposed, claim exterior aid to control this irritation, if he found it growing too strong for self-government. E. T is observed by Professor Tiedemann, that . “the brain of men endowed with but feeble intellectual powers is often very small; particu- larly in congenital idiotismus. The brain of an idiot fifty years old, weighed but 1/b. 80z. 4dr., and that of another, forty years of age, weighed but 1/b. lloz. 4dr. The brain of a girl, an idiot, sixteen years old, weighed only 1b. 60z. ldr.* The brain of men who have distinguished themselves by their great talents, on the con- trary, is often very large. The brain of the celebrated Cuvier, weighed 4/bs. lloz. 4dr. 30gr.’+ As in the above cases of idiocy, the weight of brain scarcely exceeds that of a new born child, it is to be presumed that by some means it has been arrested in its growth. * Troy or Apothecaries weight. + Phil. Trans, 1836, part 2, p. 502.
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