A Narrative of the Treatment Experienced by a Gentleman, During a State of Mental Derangement [By J.T. Perceval]. [Another Work, With the Same Title

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1840 edition. Excerpt: ... 163 chapter viii. Here it may be useful to make an observation which regards lunatic patients generally. The doctors generally say that the presence of their friends is hurtful to them. I am informed this is often the case at the commencement of the disorder; and if the disease is connected with remorse of conscience, or with dread of ruin being brought upon the patient's family, nothing is more probable; for then the bewildered conscience finds the objects of its care and duties changed at times into tormentors. Thus in a splendid passage of one of the Greek plays, Orestes exclaims to his sister, "Iubh iit'owaTuiviiiuvEptvvvuv." Even without any ostensible cause, this may take place; because lunacy being the perversion of the understanding, it is possible that this perversion may take place in the apprehension of the objects of our affections. It may arise, not from any par M 2 ticular repulsion of the relations, but from a general repulsion of what is evil in mankind, or even of what is good; for the mind sometimes--I hazard the conjecture--repels what is beautiful in the creation, and endeavours to destroy all traces, and to refuse all impressions of it, touched with a remorse at its disobedience to the mild government of the Creator: so it is written in Revelations, that the wicked will cry to be saved from the wrath of the Lamb. This arises, I have found, not from dislike to, or want of desire towards what is beautiful, but from the pain of body which accompanies the mental conflict on seeing it, which springs from a complication of feelings, --desire, regret, hopelessness, remorse--I cannot at present define. Ingratitude, I suspect, is at the root of all. Sometimes the mind repels and dislikes that excellence which, without being...