INSANITY. 161 



stupidity, and a peculiar wandering expression of countenance. When he saw 

 anything that he had not been accustomed to, or heard any sudden or unusual 

 noise, whether it was near or at a distance, or sometimes when his corn was 

 thrown into the manger without the precaution of speaking to him or patting 

 him, he was frightened to an almost incredible degree ; he recoiled precipitately 

 every limb trembled, and he struggled violently to escape. After several use- 

 less efforts to get away, he would work himself into the highest degree of rage 

 so that it was dangerous to approach him. This state of excitement was 

 followed by dreadful convulsions, which did not cease until he had broken his 

 halter, or otherwise detached himself from his trammels. He would then 

 become calm, and suffer himself to be led back to his stall : nor would anything 

 more be seen but an almost continual inquietude, and a wandering and stupid 

 expression of countenance. He had belonged to a brutal soldier who had 

 beaten him shamefully, and before which time he had been perfectly quiet and 

 tractable. 



A Piedmontese officer possessed a beautiful and in other respects serviceable 

 mare, but which one peculiarity rendered exceedingly dangerous — that was a 

 decided aversion to paper, which she recognised the moment she saw it, and 

 even in the dark if two leaves were rubbed together. The effect produced by 

 the sight or sound of it was so prompt and violent, that she several times un- 

 horsed her rider. She had not the slightest fear of objects that would terrify 

 most horses. She regarded not the music of the band, the whistling of the balls, 

 the roaring of the cannon, the fire of the bivouacs, or the glittering of arms. 

 The confusion and noise of an engagement made no impression upon her ; the 

 sight of no other white object affected her. No other sound was regarded ; but 

 the view or the rustling of paper roused her to madness. 



A mare was perfectly manageable and betrayed no antipathy to the human 

 being, nor to other animals, nor to horses, except they were of a light-grey 

 colour; but the moment she saw a grey horse, she rushed towards it, and attacked 

 it with the greatest fury. It was the same at all times, and everywhere. She 

 was all that could be wished on the parade, on the route, in the ranks, in action, 

 and in the stable ; but if she once caught a glimpse of a grey or white horse, 

 she rested not until she had thrown her rider or broken her halter, and then she 

 rushed on her imagined foe with the greatest fury. She generally contrived to 

 to seize the animal by the head or throat, and held him so fast that she would 

 suffocate him, if he were not promptly released from her bite. 



Another mare exhibited no terror except of white inanimate objects, as white 

 mantles or coats, and particularly white plumes. She would fly from them if 

 she could ; but if she was unable to accomplish this, she would rush furiously 

 upon them, strike at them with her fore feet, and tear them with her teeth. 



These instances are selected from various others, because they approach so 

 nearly to what would be termed insanity in the human being. It is confined to 

 one object, — it is a species of monomania, and as decided insanity as ever the 

 biped discovered. One of these horses, the second, was by long and kind atten- 

 tion divested of this insane terror, and became perfectly quiet and useful ; but the 

 other three bid defiance to all means of cure and to coercion among the rest. If 

 sufficient attention were paid to the subject, many of the obstinate caprices and 

 inexplicable aversions which we can neither conquer nor change would be 

 classed under the term insanity. There cannot be a more remarkable analogy 

 than that which sometimes exists between the insanity of man and these sin- 

 gularly capricious fancies in animals. The subject is worthy of attention. Has 

 the principle of hereditary predisposition been applied to any of these anomalies ? 



