30 INSANITY IN THE LOWER ANIMALS. 



is no such potent influence as kindness, none so likely to 

 conduce towards the promotion of recovery. 



The standard by which we must judge in every individual 

 case is the normal or natural character, the usual mental 

 health and habits of the animal affected or suspected, when 

 the alleged insanity has been developed in adolescence, 

 maturity, or old age ; and the average disposition and mode 

 of life of the species in cases of congenital defect, or of in- 

 sanity occurring soon after birth. Hence the importance of 

 a careful study of an animal's antecedents, the history of its 

 previous character and habits, and if possible that also of 

 its ancestry, just as in man. 



We must take also into due consideration points of such 

 importance as the absence of motive or cause for given 

 actions; the unsuitability of these actions to an animal's 

 strength or structure ; the opposition of its new or unusual 

 habits to the natural manners of the individual, species, genus, 

 or family. 



The general symptoms or phenomena of mental derange- 

 ment in other animals are virtually the same as in man, 

 making all allowance, of course, for the very different struc- 

 ture and habits of different families, genera and species. 

 The special symptoms of the several recognised forms of 

 insanity are given in another chapter. But the general 

 premonitory symptoms, what are technically called the 

 prodromata or forewa-rnings common to all the various 

 forms of mental disorder, deserve and demand consideration 

 here. They are obviously of great importance and signifi- 

 cance, the more so that they are not specially diagnostic of 

 insanity, not confined thereto. On the contrary, they are 

 common to the incipient stages of many other disorders of 

 the brain or nervous system, of the general system, or of 

 other special bodily organs 1 . These prodromata constitute 

 in themselves morbid mental conditions, worthy of all atten- 

 tion, including as they do the following : 



1. Sleeplessness, sleep disturbance, or sleepiness with in- 

 capacity for proper sleep. Want of sleep is a common cause 

 of insanity, as in man, as well as a common premonitory sign 

 of insanity. 



