72 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



turning with returning health. Persons of strongest mind in health are 

 often delirious for a short time before death. Since, then, the idiot in 

 the same stage of approaching dissolution may become intelligent, while 

 the insane may become sane under the conditions which make the sane 

 become delirious, we recognize a relationship between the mental and 

 bodily states which might be of considerable use in the treatment of 

 mental diseases. It may well be that conditions of the nervous system 

 which are to be avoided by persons of normal mental qualities may be 

 advantageously superinduced in the case of those of abnormally weak 

 or abnormally violent mind. It is noteworthy that different conditions 

 would seem to be necessary for the idiotic and for the insane, if the 

 cases cited sufficed to afford basis for generalization. For the idiot of 

 Miss Martineau's story became intelligent during the intense depression 

 of the bodily powers immediately preceding dissolution, whereas the 

 insane person became sane during that height of fever when delirium 

 commonly makes its appearance. 



Sir H. Holland mentions a case which shows how great bodily de- 

 pression may affect a person of ordinarily clear and powerful mind. 

 "I descended on one and the same day," he says, "two very deep 

 mines in the Hartz Mountains, remaining some hours underground in 

 each. While in the second mine, and exhausted both from fatigue and 

 inanition, I felt the utter impossibility of talking longer with the Ger- 

 man inspector who accompanied me. Every German word and phrase 

 deserted my recollection ; and it was not until I had taken food and 

 wine, and been some time at rest, that I regained them again." 



A change in the mental condition is sometimes a sign of approach- 

 ing serious illness, and is felt to be so by the person experiencing it. 

 An American writer, Mr. Butterworth, quotes the following description 

 given by a near relative of his who was suffering from extreme nervous 

 debility : " I am in constant fear of insanity," she said, " and I wish I 

 could be moved to some retreat for the insane. I understand my con- 

 dition perfectly ; my reason does not seem to be impaired ; but I can 

 think of two things at the same time. This is an indication of mental 

 unsoundness, and is a terror to me. I do not seem to have slept at all 

 for the last six months. If I sleep, it must be in a succession of vivid 

 dreams that destroy all impression of somnolence. Since I have been 

 in this condition, I seem to have a very vivid impression of what hap- 

 pens to my children who are away from home, and I am often startled 

 to hear that these impressions are correct. I seem to have also a cer- 

 tain power of anticipating what one is about to say, and to read the 

 motives of others. I take no pleasure in this strange increase of men- 

 tal power ; it is all unnatural. I can not live in this state long, and I 

 often wish T were dead." 



It must, however, be remembered that persons who are in a state of 

 extreme nervous debility not only possess at times abnormal mental 

 qualities, but are also affected morally. As Huxley has well remarked 



