I N S A 
deviate, all continuance is time loft. It is certain that, by 
habit, the power may be much increafed, and by frequent 
exercife that which at firft excited fatigue may be con¬ 
tinued with facility aiid pleafure. What fpecies of deli¬ 
rium is that which fucceeds long-continued and abftrabt 
calculation ? Newton lived to the age of 85 years, Leib¬ 
nitz to 70, and Euler to a more advanced period ; yet 
their feveral biographers have neglefted to inform us, that 
their (Indies were checquered with delirious fermenta¬ 
tions. The mathematicians of the prefent day (and there 
are many of diftinguifhed eminence) would conceive it 
no compliment to fuppofe that they retired from their la¬ 
bours with addled brains, and that writers of books on 
infanity (hould impute to them miferies which they never 
experienced. It is curious to remark, in looking over a 
biographical chart, that mathematicians and natural phi- 
lofophers have in general attained a confiderable age ; fo 
that long-continued and abftrabt calculation, or correct 
thinking upon any fubjed, does not appear, with ail thefe 
delirious vifitations, to fhorten the duration of human 
life. What is meant by the deliria, to which men of ge¬ 
nius are peculiarly fubjeft, I am unable, from a want of 
fufficient genius and delirium, to comprehend.” 
The phyfieal caufes of infanity not yet enumerated are, 
.—repeated intoxication ; blows received upon the head ; 
fever, particularly when attended with delirium ; cutane¬ 
ous eruptions repelled, and the fupprefiion of periodical 
or occasional difcharges and fecretions; and paralytic affec¬ 
tions. A very frequent corporeal remote caufe is gout; 
either not brought out, repelled, or not properly fupported. 
Mania fometimes attends each fucceeding pregnancy, and, 
in turn, the melancholia InCtantium is cured by preg¬ 
nancy. An afthmatic fit has, on its receffion, been fuc- 
ceeded.by madnefs; and a maniacal paroxifm has, in turn, 
yielded to a fpafmodic afthma. The mind is intimately 
connebted with the genital fyftem; and the denial of thole 
enjoyments which nature claims, is a frequent caufe, 
though an unfufpebted one, of mania. Two other 
caufes (with which we (hall clofe this melancholy cata¬ 
logue) are noticed by Dr. J. Reid—epilepfy, and inju¬ 
dicious conduit under a conrfe of mercury. The doifor 
defcribes thefe cafes in the following impreflive manner: 
“ The two molt interefting cafes which for forne time 
paft have fallen under my notice, arofe from habits of 
perfonal imprudence, which, although different in their 
character, produced effects fomewhat fimilar upon the con- 
ftitution. One of them was an inftance of fatuity, or 
extreme imbecility, which bad been gradually induced by 
a fucceliion of epileptic paroxyfms, each of which took 
fomething away. Until the mind was (tripped altogether 
©t its energies and endowments. At length it prelented 
a tablet, from which was effaced nearly every impreffion 
of thonght, or character of intellectual exiftence. The 
other cafe, was that of a young man, who, from an indif- 
creet expofure during a mercurial courfe, was fuddenly 
feized with delirium, which, on account of an hereditary 
bias in that direction, is in danger of fettling into a chro¬ 
nic, and perhaps curelefs, aberration, inftead of abolition, 
of the mental powers. The mind, in the latter inftance, 
fhattered by difeafe, may be compared to the fmall frag¬ 
ments of a broken mirror, which retain the faculty of re¬ 
flection ; but where, although the number of images is 
increafed, there is no one entire and perfeCl reprefenta- 
tion.” Monthly Magazine , vol. xxviii. p. 317. 
Symptoms of Infanity. —Infanity feldom attacks at once ; 
its approaches are gradual ; and, as fufpicion and cunning 
are the moll ftriking mental Symptoms, thefe are often 
confpicuous in the earlieft (lages. In delineating the 
fymptoms, we mull diftinguifh between the idiotic infa¬ 
nity, the melancholic, and the fanguine; for thefe are the 
mod ftriking varieties. We mean not at prefent to dis¬ 
pute the propriety of diftinguilhing complete idiotifm as 
a fpecies, but merely to mark that languid ftate peculiar 
to leucophlegmatic habits, and approaching with flow, 
wndiitir.gtJilhabie, (tegs,. 
N I T Y. irg 
The idiotic infanity commences with filence and referve; 
with muttering, inattention to the per(on who fpeaks, 
and a want of recollection of what has lately paffed. The 
muttering becomes more diftinCt; and it then appears that 
fume images are prefented to the mind different from the 
objeCls before the patient. In faCt, if falfe perception does 
not take place, objeCls do not make their iilual impref- 
iion, or the mind, lefs impreffecl with the objeCls around 
than with its own ideas, fuffers the latter only to have 
any influence. In this ftate the deep is ufually difturbed, 
though fometimes found and uninterrupted ; but, when 
found, the patient is not refreftied, nor is the mind more 
Heady when awakened. In general, the head appears 
loaded, and the eyes red ; though, in fome cafes, each 
fymptom is wanting; but the bowels are always flow in 
their aCtion, and (tools are unfrequent; the patient is in- 
fenfible to the calls of hunger and third, to the impreflions 
of cold, but not indifferent to worldly objeCls. On the 
contrary, dillrull and fufpicion predominate ; and the 
greateft cunning is exercifed to obviate the effeCts of what 
the patient fuppofes mod detrimental to his intered. The 
pulfe is. often little affeCted, and the urine Copious and 
pale. Even in this fituation oppofition will excite to vi¬ 
olence ; and drength, apparently incompatible with the 
general weaknefs, will be exerted, to counteract wliat the 
patient may didike. In this cafe the eyes become quick 
and fiery, the countenance is animated, while the extre¬ 
mities are cold, the hands tremble, and every function, ex¬ 
cept what is roufed to oppofition, appears peculiarly weak. 
The melancholic madnefs does not greatly differ ; but 
the patient, when roufed to anl'wer, appears to have loft 
none of liis mental faculties. Often, while his fancies 
prevail, he will reafon with acutenefs in their fupport 3 
and his precautions to guard againd injury, when he fan¬ 
cies himfelf a brittle veffel, are ingenious and well con¬ 
ducted. In thefe circumdances the pulfe is languid, the 
bowels peculiarly torpid, the urine limpid,, the deep of¬ 
ten heavy, but without relief; or, when it occurs, the pa¬ 
tient is infenfible of it, and denies, with violence,, having, 
flept. The mind, in this kind of madnefs,. reds on one 
idea with unufual pertinacity; and the violence, on con¬ 
tradiction, is peculiarly vehement.. The dittinClion be¬ 
tween thele two varieties does not feem toconfid fo inuci*. 
in the temperament, as in the wandering in the former,, 
and the permanent ruling idea in the latter. To which 
we may add, that the firft is the difeafe of a weak,, and 
the latter of a llrong, mind. Aretaeus defcribes the me¬ 
lancholic mania with lingular precifion: “Thole who are 
affeCted with melancholy are (ad, dejected, and dull, with¬ 
out apparent caufe. They tremble for fear, art deflitute 
of courage, affeCted with watchings, and fond of (blitude. 
They are prone to anger, changeable in their tempers, 
and alk a reafon for the molt trifling and inconfiderable 
occurrences. They are at fome fealons fo covetous that 
they will not part with any thing, but foon become (illy 
and prodigal. They are generally coltive; fometimes 
difeharge no foces at all; at other times their excrements 
are dry, round, and covered with a black and bilious hu¬ 
mour ; they difeharge a fmall quantity of urine, which 
is acrid and bilious. A large quantity of flatulencies are 
difeharged from their mouths; and fometimes they vomit 
a certain acrid humour with the bile. Their counte¬ 
nances become pale; tlieir pulfe is (low. They are lazy 
and weak, but difeover a preternatural voracity in eating 
their aliments. When the diforder advances to madnefs, 
the patient, when provoked to anger, becomes raging 
mad. Some wander far from home ; fome cry out in a 
hideous manner; fome (hun the fight of men, betake them- 
felves to folitude, and only converfe with themfelves;; 
others tear and mangle their bodies. In the higheil de¬ 
gree of this dilorder they perceive red images before their 
eyes, fo that they in a manner think, themlelves druck by 
lightning. They are immoderately inclined to venery, 
fo that they carefs publicly, without either dread or (harne* 
33 ut, when the difeafe is in its decline, they become du- 
P>U- 
