Remarks on insanity / by George Parkman, M.D.

  • Parkman, George, 1790-1849.
Date:
[1818?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on insanity / by George Parkman, M.D. 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.)

    8/18
    Coincidence of suicides is frequent, specially among friends and persons similarly situated. Knowledge of such acts seems too horrid for some persons' consideration ; the impression so fixed, they kill themselves, apparently to be rid of it, as some convicts ask immediate execution, to save consideration of dealh; or as some patients, almost distracted in expectation of a surgical operation, are firm in suffering it; or as some ship- wrecked people leap into the sea, rather than view probable destruction. Werter determined to destroy himself to be rid of an idea he had conceived of murdering his friend and her husband. # * after the suicide of his bosom friend, being several times accused of attempting to follow his example, said—though the world presented to him but little to live for, his friend's suicide had so painfully affected him, there was no danger he should follow his exmple.—He shot himself six months after his friend, holding in his hand a prayer for a person in the agonies of death. I know other analogous cases. Repeated suicides occuring in a family are often im- puted to hereditary insanity, without reference to the circum- stances above mentioned. Of 95 suicides in and near Boston, 19 were committed by females. Persons seeming disposed to suicide should be kept from objects likely fo excite the disposition ; manifestations of it are to be met by management tending rather to divert it from its purpose than to thwart it. The following narrative I re- ceived from a physician to whom Dr. W. communicated it.— The King proposed one day to shave himself. Dr. Willis feared to hesitate in assenting, lest he should seem to suspect intended suicide, and give the King dangerous notions, of the pre-existence of which there was no certainty. Dr. W. sent for the razors, and in the mean time engaged him about some papers on the table. The razors were put on the same table, he still attended to his papers, which encouraged Dr. VV. to be- lieve suicide was not intended. After shaving, the King re- turned to his papers ; the razors were not removed immedi- ately, lest Dr. VV.'s anxiety about possible mischief should appear. Propensity to suicide has repeatedly seemed arrested by strong counteracting impressions. * * * in mid-winter tried to leap into the neighbouring sea. As she passed, a tub of water thrown on her, producing a vivid impression, attracted her attention from her purpose, she ran back shivering, and never repeated such altempts. Cheerful scenes gave her only transient diversion ; the contrast from them she found in her