In fact, the history of their lives, at least of some of them, was that of comedy and tragedy, perpetually prophesying and exhibiting a threatening prelude of their present more awful state; more awful in appearance, because it has now become bereft of its former lucid interludes; which lucid interludes had, possibly for some time, been externally maintained only by the mere power of external moral influences, long after the internal control had ceased to preside over the mental operations.
We call it insanity when external restraints are broken down and disregarded; we cannot decide how long absurd and delusive feelings and notions have monopolized all the operations of the little world within. I shall have occasion hereafter to adduce the history of many cases which will serve to illustrate the truth of these views. I may briefly mention, that they occur most frequently in those families where such a constant April atmosphere exists: and, as a further argument it may be stated, that a greater proportion of victims to these causes occur among the women than among the men; and in the male sex we find they are those of a more feminine character, or those whose feelings naturally predominate over their understandings.
Thus children who resemble their parents, through the spirit in which they were conceived and brought forth, become still more like them by example and education; and hence the very important fact, that the greater number of those who lose the power over their own minds, are from among those who have been unaccustomed at an early stage of their existence to exercise a salutary control over their feelings and habits; and of those especially such as naturally possess strong animal and sentimental feelings. Hence it is said, “that of all the causes of mental derangement termed moral causes, perhaps the greatest number may be traced to the error of early education.” [147] Thus, as I have already remarked, an only child, or the youngest, (who has often as much exclusive attachment as an only child, because he is the son of old age, or is young when the rest cease to be children; or may be the only one left at home,) are numerous amongst the insane.
Again, in confirmation of the same argument, we may here remark, that the greatest number of those who become insane, become so between the ages of thirty and forty,—a period when establishments are formed, and habits have been strengthened by time, while the feelings yet retain all their energy and susceptibility of action. Thus we can conceive why reverses and disappointments should then have the most fatal and overwhelming influence.—Still less need we wonder that this should happen to those whose animal propensities and sentimental feelings have been exclusively cultivated, as they then find that if understanding and principle are insufficient to restrain them, the claims of society forbid their gratification. Hence the conflict becomes dreadful and dangerous, confounding and overturning the balance of the mind. Even without this, bad passions, disjointed and exclusive habits of feeling and thinking can hardly go on progressively increasing to this age, without becoming so irresistible as to threaten to destroy and swallow up in their vortex all that remains of the man within them. Such is a true and beautiful description that Johnson has given of Imlac’s insanity in his Rasselas. Any passion or propensity of our souls, when improperly indulged and carried to excess, is an abnegation of reason; and in saying this, we give a true definition of insanity, however startling this wide application may appear.
What is the most obvious history of most cases?—Thoughts and feelings are indulged on any given point, to the detriment or suppression of others which might draw us from this dangerous and exclusive habit of the mind; till at last we become incapable of resisting any other train of thought, and feeling, and action; “they are at first imperious, and at last despotic.”
When and how are all these evils to be best prevented? We answer, in the preliminary stage of our existence. We shall revert to this important subject in an essay on the primary principles of education; and shall only now remark, that where we perceive a soil full of the seeds of all these evils, we can expect only corresponding fruits? We shall conclude these remarks by directing the reader to look to the soil where these evils exist: we do this, because it exhibits the truth of the principle for which we are contending.
We see, in the history of families, that the extremes of heartless tyranny on the one hand, and the foolish fondness of blind affection on the other, engender soils equally favourable to the production of these terrible fruits to which we allude: still more so is this the case where these extremes exist in the same family.
Many are the married persons who waste their lives in inordinately and alternately hating and loving each other. From small beginnings, breezes arise and gather into storms; at last, exhausted by their violence, they subside, and for a while love returns, and all its ardent affection. Such is the brief but sad history of many a matrimonial union,—but who can describe its baneful influence?—how much evil and misery are propagated! how much reason and principle, health and happiness, reputation and prosperity, are sacrificed in those families, whose parents thus suffer reason and understanding to be the victims of these opposite and alternate mental states!
Of which states, such as become insane, are but the caricature samples of the hereditary family infirmities, and the actual habits of their lives; and perhaps this may happen to one less a hypocrite than the rest, because in such a one, the external and internal become more easily and readily in fixed and permanent correspondence. It is natural, therefore, to expect that this same character will be exhibited still more conspicuously after the understanding has altogether ceased to perform its godlike attribute of rightly using the light of pure reason so as to enthrone and support that one grand ruling principle to which the whole mind should be obedient and subordinate.
I have been the more particular in making these observations, because I conceive they may be useful in a medical point of view. They may prevent us from mistaking the simple, though modified, changes of the natural ebb and flow of our animal spirits, for an exacerbation or new accession of insanity,—and thus warn us from treating the patient with unnecessary restraint, as though he were suffering from a new attack, and from blindly endeavouring to cure a hopeless case by the wanton administration of strong and deleterious drugs, which in most instances would destroy health, as well as the remnant of the faculties: “In the diseases of the mind, as well as in all other ailments, it is an art of no little importance, to administer medicines properly; but it is an art of much greater and more difficult acquisition, to know when to suspend, or altogether omit them.” [151]