1870.] On Insanity. 167 



Formerly all Europe considered the devil a better entity than 

 the philosopher who insisted upon a connection between the physical 

 condition of the brain and the immaterial mind. It appeared to be 

 a solace and a comfort to have that evil presence at hand to demo- 

 lish the pretensions of fellow-men; and as it has ever occupied a 

 prominent position in the religion of the northern branch of the 

 Aryan family, there was something almost sacred, with a tinge of 

 goodness, in advocating its positive powers upon the minds of men, 

 some of whom had led the purest and holiest of lives before their 

 day of mental decadence. When priests went mad, it was hardly the 

 thing to refer to the object of their constant antagonism. Profane 

 men were known to jeer at the bell-ringing and holy- water splash- 

 ing, and the general paraphernalia of exorcising, which were per- 

 sisted in under the circumstances ; but they were few in number, 

 and public opinion, which would not admit any connection between 

 the body and the mind, had no compunction about the spirituality of 

 bronze, tallow, and water. Philosophers who desired to be orthodox 

 shielded themselves under the influence of classical learning, which, 

 being incomprehensible by the mass, was dearly loved by the few, 

 and therefore universally reverenced. They quoted the myth which 

 made Bacchus a mind-destroying god, and thus joined with the mul- 

 titude in ascribing the seizure to some agency beyond the pale of 

 materialism. 



The occurrence of what has been called demoniacal possession 

 being testified to in Holy Writ was never doubted, and the Scriptural 

 proof of the Satanic origin of mania was strongly insisted upon by 

 the clergy. Any attempt to deny this proposition was met with 

 the usual charge of infidelity ; and the suggestion that the possessed 

 by devils were only so afflicted according to the prevailing method 

 of scientific thought, and that it was a fagon de parler, called up 

 scornful accusations of atheism and freethinking. Priests and people 

 stood up manfully for these Satanic rights, and it is really wonderful 

 that the commissioners for the protection of the insane are not 

 associated with some title which refers to the old popular idea of 

 the origin of the affliction. They, however, bear witness to a popular 

 belief which, after a sharp struggle, overthrew the diabolical theory 

 to a great extent, for they are called " Lunacy " Commissioners. 



Artemis had most varied relations with mankind. She was the 

 assistant at his birth, she assuaged pain, blessed his industry, 

 hunted him down when she was sporting, was insensible to the 

 allurements of love ; and the well-formed huntress and mistress of 

 rivers liked to be propitiated from the time of Iphigenia with the 

 blood of human sacrifices. She took to herself the attributes of 

 Selene, and claimed the night-driven chariot. Medieval ignorance 

 gave her moon, certainly a very material body, a very decided 

 power over the demented. The full moon, so studied by witches, 



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