3* DISEASES CLASS III. ^. 



rather than promotes their cure ; which is forwarded by change 

 of ideas in confequence of change of place and of objects, as by 

 travelling or. failing. 



The circumftances which render confinement necefiary, are 

 firft, if the lunatic is liable to injure others, which muft be judg 

 ed of by the outrage he has already committed. 2dly, If he is 

 likely to injure himfelf ; this alfo muft be judged of by the def- 

 pondency of his mind, if fuch exift s. 3dly. If he cannot take 

 care of his affairs. Where none of thefe circumftances exift, 

 there fhould be no confinement. For though the miftaken idea 

 continues to exift, yet if no actions are produced in eonfequence 

 of it, the patient cannot be called infane. He can only be tern> 

 ed delirious. If every erne, who poflefles miftaken ideas, or who 

 puts falfe eftimates on things, was liable to confinement, I know 

 not who of my readers might not tremble at the fight of a mad- 

 houfe ! 



The moft convenient diftribution of infanities will be into 

 general, as mania mutabilis, ftudium inane, and vigilia $ and 

 into partial infanities. Thefe laft again may be fubdivided into 

 defires and averfions, many of which are fucceeded by pleafura- 

 ble or painful ideas, by fury or dejection, according to the de- 

 gree or violence of their exertions. Hence the analogy between 

 the infanities of the mind, and the convulfions of the mufeles 

 defcribed in the preceding genus, is curioufly exact. The con- 

 vulfions without ftupor, are either juft fufficient to obliterate the 

 pain, which occafions them 5 or are fucceeded by greater pain, 

 as in the convulfio dolorifica. So the exertions in the mania 

 mutabilis are either juft fufficient to allay the pain which occa 

 (ions them, and the patient dwells comparatively in a cjuiefc 

 {late j or thofe exertions excite painful ideas, which are fucceed- 

 ed by furious difcourfes, or outrageous actions. The ftudium 

 inane, or reverie, refembles epilepfy, in which there is no fenfi- 

 bility to the ftirnuli of external objects. Vigilia, or watchful* 

 nefs, may be compared to the general writhing of the body ; 

 which is juft a fufficient exertion to relieve the pain which occa- 

 fions it. Erotomania may be compared to trifmus, or other muf- 

 cular fixed fpafrn, without much fubfequent pain , and mceror 

 to cramp of the mufcles of the leg, or other fixed fpafm with 

 fubfequent pain. All thefe coincidences contribute to mew, as 

 explained in Sect. III. 5, that our ideas are motions of the im- 

 mediate organs of fenfe obeying the fame laws as our mufcular 

 motions. 



The violence of action accompanying infanity depends much 

 on the education of the perfon ; thofe who have been proudly 

 educated with unreftrained paflionsj are liable to greater fury ; 



