74 THE FEEBLY INHIBITED. 



don't know as I am fit for anything and I have thought that I could die 

 young, and let the remembrance of me and my faults perish in the 

 grave. * * * YOU know how wretched I often feel, so useless, so 

 weak, so destitute of all energy." At other times she was extremely 

 energetic and effective. 



Very clear is the description given by Geoffroy (1861) of a member 

 of the Institute of France who shows the two moods. In the hypo- 

 kinetic phase he enters the room of the Institute "without saying a 

 word to his colleagues, goes to his place, appears sad and downcast, 

 indifferent to all that is said and never speaking." When, on the con- 

 trary, he is in the hyperkinetic phase "everyone notices his entrance, 

 he talks to all, goes from place to place, speaks at each instant, con- 

 stantly makes objections. After he has reached his home his activity 

 continues. He writes continuously and dictates numerous memoirs 

 to two or three secretaries whom he has under orders." Here the 

 alternation is from a phelgmatic to a nervous mood. 



When the moods are extreme we have typical manic-depression or 

 circular insanity. One example is cited by Hammond (1883, pp. 571, 

 572) . A man patient of his, 27 years old, "when suffering from melan- 

 cholia, took no interest in his affairs, but left everything to his partners 

 to manage. It was impossible to rouse him sufficiently to get him to 

 look into matters, and, when his advice was asked, he either gave the 

 first reason that occurred to him or declined to express an opinion." 

 But in the elated state "he was meddling in all departments of the 

 business, suggesting this thing and the other, making extensive pur- 

 chases without consultation with the partners, and selling things at 

 less than cost. He even rented an adjoining building, so as to be 

 ready for an extension of the business, which he proposed to make in 

 a short time. At home, there was fully as great a change noted." 

 Here the alternation is between states which, while not extreme, 

 approach the melancholic and choleric. Under the influence of Krae- 

 pelin, "manic-depressive insanity" has come to be regarded as an 

 entity in psychiatry; but in so far as this classification assumes that 

 the two moods are fundamentally associated, it would seem to be a 

 departure for the worse from the old ideas of mania, melancholia, and 

 circular insanity. 



4. "NORMAL" MOOD. 



"Normal" may be regarded as a state, which is certainly not more 

 common than all the other states, in which the possessor is uniformly 

 cheerful without being boisterous, easy-going, calm, sensible, well- 

 balanced, and en rapport socially. The possessor works and plays 

 moderately, laughs quietly, does not weep easily, feels little drive, and 

 on the other hand is always responsive and cooperative. 



