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ON THE

WRITING OF THE INSANE,

PFITH ILLUSTRATIONS.

(}.

MACKENZIE BACON,

M.D.,

Medical Stiperiniendent of the Cambridgeshire County Asylum.

'An experience

of wasted energies

and

baffled thoughts."
LotlioJlf.

LONDON:
JOHN CHURCHILL AND
NEW BURLINGTON
1870.

SONS,

STREET.

[G. p.

bacon, LEWES.]

PREFACE.

The

following pages are intended merely to furnish illustra=

and not to support any

tions of the writing of the insane,

particular views.

The

subject of insanity

one that

is

from the observation of the

medical profession, and
I

it is

think that any simple

speciality

must have a

public,

is

or

practically excluded

For

so of necessity.

recital of facts

bulk of the

of the

this reason

connected with this

certain value, even if not leading to

direct practical issue.

It

has been

my

endeavour to place be-

fore the reader a series of pictures of insane minds,

by themselves, and

it

is

from the study of them.

of

some

years'

me

ments, and

that

to

painted

draw what lessons he may

Looking back myself, with the

who

wrote the

aid

the insane, on the

letters I

have given,

it

can recognise each case in these docu-

hope, therefore, that others

useful impressions

from

to speak for themselves,

with

him

familiar experience of

histories of the patients

seems to

for

any

their perusal.

and

many comments. There

may

The

derive

cases are

some

meant

have avoided encumbering them

is

no

particular novelty in them.

though

am

published,
to

any

not aware that any such

and there

is

cannot find that anyone

lay claim

else

has be-

to the alteration the handwriting under-

goes in this disease, and

first

the diagnostic value of the handwriting

I

fore called attention

demand

has been before

only one point on which

originality, viz.

in general paralysis.

series

it

strikes

me

as so distinctive as to

consideration in the observation of such cases.

noticed this subject in a few remarks in the Lancet of July

a4th, 1869, in which paper the figures in Plate IV. appeared.

In the

first

place

and exhibited

room

it

had the writing photographed on

glass,

with an ordinary magic lantern in a dark

to the medical

students of the University.

By

this

plan the irregularities in the writing, being magnified, show

more

clearly

still.

have no wish to attribute undue im-

portance to this matter;

but

it

seems to

me

of some value

in the early stages of a disease so difficult to recognise at that

period.

With

judgment of

these explanations

others.

County Asylum,
Fulhourji, near Cambridge.

leave the matter to the

0^ THE WRITIM OF THE

Of the three modes

human beings possess,
last

communicating

of

telling,

is

least notice.

more connected

scientific investigation

mind with fortune-

superstition or deception,

yet there

is

much

to learn

the study of even such a common-place phenomenon.

of writing,

when once

that

ideas

Indeed, the study of

in one^s

and other forms of popular

than with

their

speech, gesture, and writing, the

viz.,

one has received the

hand-writing

IMMK

by

The act

the habit has been acquired, seems so

easy as to be almost intuitive, and

combinations are necessary to

set in

we

are apt to forget

what

motion the pen which runs

and what complicated processes are

simple an act.
Without dwelling on the

so glibly over the paper,

involved in

so

mechanism of the hand,

it

the other requisites for this

will

be enough to

mode

to

call

of expression.

mental conception, then the volitional impulse and

mind

First,
its

mission along the proper track, and then the muscular

the

transeffort.

All this implies a brain capable of originating the idea, and a

sound nervous system to carry

it

out

and any

failure

one or the other mars the execution of the purpose.

instance, certain

changes in the brain would

alter the

in the

For

modes

of expression, showing an incoherency or perversion of idea,

or disease in

track might debar a person from

formed and substitute another, or

the nervous

expressing the idea

really

certain muscular defects

might impair the execution of the

making the

purpose^

So much

&c.

^ny

reflection,

written words shaky or badly formed,

self-evident to

is

any one giving the subject

and these considerations tend to show that the

may

writing of a person

deserve a two-fold study

point of view the writing may, then, have

value,

as to the

From

method of execution.

subject-matter, and the

either

psychological

its

whether a person be sane or insane, and serve as an

Most

indication of character, of health, or of disease.

far better interpreters of

it

people

though some are

are sensible of the force of this indication,

than others. Writing

of course,

is,

the direct reflection of a person^s mind, except in cases where

there

a deliberate purpose to mislead or conceal, and from

is

permanence

its

is

sometimes more valuable than the fleeting

impression produced by actions or spoken language.

My

present

object

is

merely to speak of the value of the

study of the writing of the insane, and that in a two-fold

the subject-matter and the

aspect; viz.,
is

conveyed, that

There

is

in

which

class,

amount

and require to be approached with a

live

are

supported

and caution,

of suspicion

their motives or even

who

in order to

by

fathom

discover their weaknesses; but those

amongst the insane know well how

The

facts.

vast

little

such notions

majority of the insane,

what way they

indeed, are unconscious in

differ

from the

of the world, and have, therefore, nothing to conceal.

of

them indeed would be

deception.
devices,

it

a popular notion that the insane are a very wily

and cunning
certain

manner

to say, the hand-writing.

is

Still,

there are

when they

words and conceal

able to carry out

will

some who

will

rest

Few

any system of
resort to

such

put a certain constraint on their

their real thoughts

but this

is

a difficult

part to play, and one that they seldom perform with success.

Indeed, most of such

position

by

patients

escape from this

relieving their feelings in writing,

unnatural

and then the

Dryden

productions of their pen have an unusual value.

relates of

Nathaniel Lee that the

some bad

latter, in reply to

who observed that it was very easy to write like a

" It is very difficult to
madman, made this shrewd remark
write like a madman, hut it is very easy to write like a fool."
poet,

It is

not necessary that

'^

should here define

the insane/^

want

as I only refer to a class recognised as such, and do not

on any disputed

to dwell

somewhere between the

The

cases.

line

and insane

sane

public convenience, but such a boundary

value to medical men,

and nervous systems

an

ideal standard of

who have

must be drawn
purposes of

for

mark has but

as they are, without

much

into

divided

as

sane and insane, more or

less

reference to

Indeed, the

mental health or capacity.

habit of regarding society

little

look at people's minds

to

two camps, the

opposed to one another,

is

very mischievous one, as well as being founded in error, for

it is

those

who occupy

the neutral

the physician to know,

ticketed as insane.

among women,

cularly

nervous

unstable

more than

still

There

ground that

is

it

a large class of persons, parti-

of limited mental

power,

concerns

it

does those already

whose

ailments

related to the condition called insanity,

and of

capacity,

are

very closely

and who ought to be

studied clinically in that category; yet to call such people

mad

is

posed of people

sunk in

patients

is

will,

in

dementia;

easily recognised

many

any large public Asylum

who have permanent

or less

a good

The

to unsettle all existing systems of nomenclature.

great majority of cases

and without any

condition hardly

differs

and the mental

and defined

others of feeble
special

delusions,

is

com-

or are

more

state of

such

but there are always

mind and with

little

power

perversion of intellect,

from the

''

or

whose

nervous'^ and hysterical or

susceptible people that exist free in the world.

This inter-

mediate class deserves especial study, and forms, as

it

were.

mental

a connecting link between those of vigorous

health

and those whose minds are obviously off the line. But such
are just the persons who are the most wearisome patients,

The

and who feed the numerous forms of quackery.

way

to understand such cases

of a permanent

At

treatment.

and not objects

state,
all

to think of

is

them

proper

as victims

for pharmaceutical

more aggra-

events, the experience of the

vated forms of such a state, as seen in the insane, throws the

on

best light

This
I

is

their interpretation.

well illustrated

by the following extract from a

from the

of a

received

sister

man who was

letter

convalescing from

an attack of mania, and wrote to her saying that he wished

This

to see her.

had
years

he was

man

had been on good terms with her, but

wandering

led a

and had not seen her

life,

and wrote her a

quiet,

In reply

sensible letter.

she excused herself from doing anything for him, saying

principal reason being
I

from extreme nervous

suffer

daily

my own

my

which

debility,

several

life (or

my

but an interview with

it

may

which renders

my

men

eminent medical

worse,

my

it

can

necessary.

reason)

unfortunate brother.

ever

if

pray

It

had

God

be averted, for only the reading of his letter has com-

pletely prostrated me.''^

"

^^the

lamentable state of health.

and are willing to confirm, should you think

would endanger

no one but myself can form the

duties a trial that

faintest idea of, but

some

for

must

answer to

leave

my

it

to

The inevitable

P. S.

was

as follows:

your kind consideration to frame an

poor brother for

me

it is

not in

my

power to

answer him."
This woman, married, and able to attend to her family,
partly earned her living by teaching music,
letter it

though from her

might be supposed she was incapable of any exertion.

Now, such

a state of mind

than anything

else,

is

and some

more nearly
light is

allied to insanity

thrown on

its

nature

The mere

by the fact of her brother being insane.

insanity

not enough

is

to

deprive a

writing usefully and serviceably^ as

known
''

life

proved by

fact of

power of

many

well-

wrote the

interrupted three or four times by

work behind him which remains

attacks of insanity, but

left

of considerable value,

Cowper, the poet,

of the

Cruden, who

For instance, A.

cases.

Concordance/-" had his

is

man

too,

another case

is

in point.

Clare, the peasant poet of Northamptonshire,

J.

sane for

many

Asylum.

He

depict with

Charles

I.,

is

execution

accuracy the

of

which he professed to have been an eye-

of

he was one of
life.

and wrote very good verses while in the

most minute

the

would also

describe,

in

nautical phrase,

the

and the death of Nelson, and used to say

battle of the Nile

in his

in-

had, at that time, various delusions, and would

He

witness.

years,

was

his

sailors,

though he had never seen the sea

These instances show how, even when the mind

permanently

affected,

men

can

write

on many subjects

without giving signs of their infirmities.

It

is,

however, the exception for those

who

are permanently

insane to be able to carry on any sustained labour in composition.

The

letters

of the insane are worth study

reliable evidence

of the state of the patient^s

as

the most

mind

for the

time being ; they are a sort of involuntary photograph, and

for this reason

it is

as to converse with
I
it

often useful to

them when

make

patients write, as well

investigating cases of lunacy.

propose to give a few examples of such compositions, and

may

heads

be convenient to consider them under the following

As

illustrating chronic insanity.

2.

As

illustratins;

3.

As

(rarely) the sole evidence.

1.

acute attacks.

10

As a sign of convalescence.
As indicating an on-coming attack.
As illustrating the phases of cases of ordinary mania.
As showing the changes the handwriting undergoes in

4'
5.
6.
7.

general paralysis.

The

(i)

following letter was written by a

under

several years

He

my

man who was

and had permanent delusions.

care,

workman, and quiet and well-behaved, but

was indignant at what he considered his unjust detention.
Before admission to the Asylum, he went to the police to
was a

skilful

complain of shrieks he thought he heard from a

Duke

time telegraphed to the

after a

to his being placed under certificates.

letter describing his arrest,

here

about

last three

Catholics.

months by a set of
They are about 2

they watched

me

ladies often

all

over the

little

devils

who

feet 6 inches to
;

they parade the

I

this place, I
I

suffer

assure you

it is

exist.

betray

erroneous tnis

would go to London and

have written thus to

let
if

could get

tell

you more

if

you know that

they allow this

^^

After a time this

as delusions,

or

a fact

the working classes will lose their liberty

tyranny to

martyrdom from hunger and

However fabulous

fiends.

are

and torture

appear to some,

about these

House

they attempt

Their Highnesses

away from

fields

have heard screams

if

them.

themselves

feet in height

these tyrannesses they stop

away from
Sec.

call

the Princesses of the Royal

to get

may

he wrote a
have been

obliged to wander about these fields frequently

fatigue.

"

have been tyrannized

about London and C.

after,

adjoining this building day and night.

from

Soon

and went on to say

weeks, and

six

and

cellar,

of Cambridge, which led

man found

out that his ideas were treated

and was chary of expressing them, but would

them when writing a

recital of his hardships.

only

a.^^

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1^^

iPt^i-^

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t^

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-;-.><li<

II

quote this as a sample of a case of chronic mania^ and

it

has

otherwise no special value.

woman who was

In another case^ a
fit

to be at liberty wrote thus

"

am happy

but one thing

to say that

thought by her friends

am

in a sound state of

have to state to you^ that there

mind

is

several

wicthes conceiled in this Asiliam_, and dockter Backen

knows

nothing about
I

it

they have been playing on

from my toe to
and
know toung can

have been here

suffered,,

tell

my
I

head.

me ever
What I

since

have

have had a great deal of

money sent on here from Weymouth 50 millions^ thousand

more and a Hat Box and Box of clothes, and 4 Thousand
pounds besides this, the Queen 50 million Pounds, and the
The woman that wrote
wicked witch here have got \t," &c.
this, I may add, had had two husbands, both of whom com-

mitted suicide, and

after this two-fold

matrimony she became mad

cares of

In cases

like the

two

last,

diagnosis

from the

liberation

herself.
is easy,

but no descrip

minds

tion can convey so good an idea of the patients^

their

own

as

expression of their thoughts.

Plate I represents a portion of a letter written by a

(2)

The incoherency of

man

during an attack of acute mania.

idea,

broken purpose, and want of consequence in the words,

is

shown

in the

odd scrawl and fantastic

better picture of his mental state than

could.

This

letter

was addressed

figures.

It gives

any verbal description

"To Her

Majesties

Humble Hannah B., or Mrs. Benja., High St.,

Clare, Suffolk C, East L.E.C. By Six Mile Bottom.
to return unpaid.

Most

Ipswich,
.

^^

This patient was admitted in a state of considerable excitement, and remained for two or three months talkative, unsettled,

and incoherent, and with a good deal of emotional

excitement.

The above

letter

was written during

this stage.

12

By

months he had got much calmer, and was

the end of six

working

and got

at his trade,

better by keeping to a regular

employment.

The

(3)

cases are rare in

which patients give no evidence

their insanity, except in writing, but they

however, this

the case,

is

When^

do occur.

only for a time

it is

for, as

of-

the symp-

toms get more confirmed, the mental perversion becomes more

intense,

and masters the previous resolution

Not

to conceal.

my

long ago a woman, whose husband was under

care for

mental symptoms due to a blow on the head, called to see him,

and

was asked to give an opinion as to her

done

In talking to her,

lately.

what

wrong with
and

had been

told, and, indeed,

though

her,

altered in appearance.

ing letter from her

" Since

The next day

have made up
that

gracefully connected with

any

man

will

but

what

my

am

can to

delusions,

with her.

To my
letter,
T

cient

I will

right."

set it

received the follow-

my mind

go to

see

surprise

as follows

that

my
it

that he have his

dis-

These expressions

few days

know
shown

then do

will

referred to her
in

conversation

later,

entirely.

second

sorry

why was

way

scarcely

you again soon, and

received, a

S.

can clear mvself, and

had not touched on them

to

never was in any

She could not, however, conceal them

was very

affair, so

truly thankful for the kindness

I feel

after.

but

could find nothing

so completely stunned that

feel

poor husband.

all I

"

will believe

from her corrobora-

thought her haggard, and anxious,

me

hope you

and

saw you

said

took great care to avoid ex-

citing her suspicions, but could get nothing

tive of

having

sanity,

been furnished with an account of what she had

was not made acquainted with

this

poor husband might have had food

not stated to
proper

me

meals, and

in a right

what

is

way

suffi-

required

beg
for

^3

him

not right that he should be treated hke

it^s

had no idea
after this

what purpose

for

she was placed in the Asylum^ and

had a notion that people

and scandalizing

is

an early

an opinion

knowledge,

When

church

in

period_,

but^ of

as

a powerful

is

where

course,

under daily observation, and her sayings and

can be noticed

doings

found she

her

talki^ng of

In such case the writing

aid in diagnosis at

Shortly

and interpreted everything she saw

her^

directed at herself.

the patient

were

this.

was taken there/'

delusions

are

by

about her without her

those

much more

is

and

active

enter

being so as to form a part of his daily

he cannot conceal them long; he

easily

may do

arrived

the

into

at.

patient's

and thoughts,

life

from the many,

so

but in the end he chooses some confidant.

knew a gentleman who was for many years

who mixed daily with a number

in a private

asylum, and

would confide to one of the proprietors

had

who
and who

his thoughts,

positive delusions of a distressing character.

I

(4)

was

of persons

the smallest degree, but

without betraying himself in

mentioned before that the character of the writing

in addition,

progress a patient

shown

is

that

it

often serves to

making towards

in the following letters,

who was under my

sixteen,

and

cases of acute mania,

indicative of the stage in

would observe,

recovery.

show the

This

is

which were written by a

well

girl

of

care last year for a rather sharp

months before

attack of acute mania, lasting eight

entire re-

covery.

The
sion,

first letter

and was

uneducated

"

My

was written about

as follows, but

five

months

after

admis-

badly spelt, &c., as she was

dear Father and Mother,

you, hoping to find you

present time, as

all

write these few lines to

quite well, as

am happy

to say

it

it

leaves

leaves

me.

me

at this

Tell

Aunt

14

M.

want a new

dress for Sunday.

not forget the

shall

spree we had in the bed-room

we must be silly
we was going to leave home for a few weeks, so

to think that

my

a good long letter from

I

think

was

know where

came

to see

Mother

me

a few days back.

fire

burn so

fellow-servants.

and get

forget the

them

love to

me,

I suppose,^^

The next
"

and

all

wait table for Mr. B.,

want

to

of us.

cats

go

up the

My

to.

loft.

kindest

Tell

leave off working;

think

I shall

all friends.

it

is

all well,

you before because

come home.
Sister Mary to

The

go to D. with

same yourself; you know

didn't write to

It is

as

it

was

very cold in the

me

please to write to

time to have a

work to-morrow,

letter

so please give

did not think of seeing

from

my

kind

Aunt O.

was dead and buried," &c.

was written two months before her

so

in to see, she

third letter

There

is

a very nice

dis-

charge from the Asylum, thus

" I write these few lines,'' &c., &c.
:

cold.

to

she wrote, to her parents also, was this

you.

coming

old

me, uncle, for waiting

and feed the

receive the

before

love to

and dear

&c.

letter

time.

well,

saddling ready for hunting, but

waiting to get well, to

summer

J.

from B.

write these few lines, hoping to find you

leaves

Brother

my

whip and horse-rug

all,

to

the

home and

me

is

Mary

Tell

will forgive

for a ride in the dog-cart,

Don^t

me when

sister

I am so happy to see
my love to all my

you must not forget Mary and me.

you

my

petticoat

Give

fierce.

of you, so you must go

squire at Hall,

Tell

hope he

expect

he will write to me.

did frighten

things, as

hope you

my

want

me my

dear uncle to send

if

be glad to hear from her.

I shall

as well, &c.

parlour

You

am.

not forget you.

a-bed_, so I shall

write to me, for

dear uncle,

I shall

fire

'^

It is

very wet and

here this afternoon.

been expecting some of you to see

me

have

for this last fortnight.

15
I

go to the dance every time;

am

getting quite well now,

They

again.

my

all

are

all

enjoy myself very much.

I shall

soon be

me

very kind to

here.

fit

to

Give

my

love to

brothers and sisters/^ &c.

These

letters,

though simple, deserve

showing the variations

in Yorkshire,

and the

mental

in the

been staying with an uncle,

who was

first letter is

consideration,

This

state.

her uncle, and the details of her

The next

a great improvement, but there

some

is

Such a

(5)

series of letters

is still

letter

in a case,

An

is

useful, as

and

assists

anxiety to write

and

flightiness;

showing the gradual im-

one in forming an opinion

onset of an attack.

sentences.

frequently the sign of an ap-

mania, always takes to her pen at the

She writes

up every corner of the

unintelligible,

is

woman, who has been some time under

care, for recurrent

letters,

paper, and,

and

crosses

when finished,

and consist mostly of a

is

is

as sane,

fills

same

superfluous for a

concerned, but

it

useful in convincing others, as loquacious females,

no absurd

them,

they are quite

repetition of the

In such a case the writing

medical man, so far as diagnosis

(6)

shows

progress.

proaching attack.

my

visit to

quite sensible in tone.

provement
its

home

there, such as the stables,

the cats, and the ride in the dog-cart.

the last

had

girl

a curious jumble of

life

as

servant to a gentleman

impressions and feelings, with reminiscences of her

on

come home

might be

who have

delusions, are very apt to be regarded by the public

and only injured and misunderstood

creatures.

In ordinary cases of mania the patients^ letters are odd

and grotesque, exhibiting the same want of balance that their

actions do.
These productions are of little value in diagnosis,
but are curious illustrations of the topsy-tur\^ condition of
the writer's mind.
case

This

The patient was

is

well illustrated

in the following-

a respectable artisan of considerable

i6

and was sent

intelligence^

to the Cambridgeshire

Asylum after
As this

being nearly three years in a melancholy mood.

passed

ofF^

he showed a good deal of pride and self-esteem,

and gradually recovered,

two years he spent much of

verses, at others

long

end of two years more

so that at the

he was able to be discharged.

letters

During the
his

greater part of these

time in writing

sometimes

of the most rambling character, and

drawing extraordinary diagrams, of which the coloured

in

trations (the frontispiece and Plate

They

stances.
first

appear,

may

be

work

are not quite so incomprehensible as they at

on

for

made

illus-

III.) present striking in-

close

After he

out.

at his trade, and,

left

many

a good

inspection

ideas

Asylum he went

the

to

by steady application, succeeded in

but some two or

arriving at a certain degree of prosperity,

three years later he began to write very strangely again, and

had some of

his

odd productions printed

yet

all this

time he

kept at work, earned plenty of money, conducted his business

very sensibly, and would converse reasonably.

This

is

one of the

from a medical
in this

way

letters

man, who

he wrote at

this time, after a visit

him from writing

tried to dissuade

" Dear Doctor,

"
^tis

To

write or not to write, that

nobler in

bourn^ with

'

the mind

to follow the

the question.

visit

when he was

were

so little prepared to receive him,

here) that, as the Fates

do honour to his

visit.

would have

and to evince

My

Fulbourn

instant seen, like a meteor's flash, a blank

"

Ful-

'

drapery to

greet

it,

we

my humble

star,

but an

when gone.

The dust of ages covering my little sanctum

the available

Whether

of the great

chronic melancholy^ expressions of regret (with-

held

desire to

is

the Doctor,

parlour room,

stowed away

through the midst of the regenerating (water and scrubbing

cleanliness next to godliness, political

and

spiritual)

cleans-

PI

III,

17

ing of a

dimmed by

The

world.

little

the

'

Great

Physician

walked, be-

dark ages/ the long passage of Western

Enterprise, leading to the curvatures of rising Eastern morn.

The rounded

configuration of

Lunar

(tics)

garden's lives an

o'ershadowment on Britannia's vortex/' &c.

The

coloured illustration facing the Title-page

of his strange productions.

It

would require no

is

another

little

inge-

nuity to conceive, and perseverance to execute, such a dia-

gram, and the curious feature in the case

is,

such disordered ideas should concentrate his

for such

an undertaking.

that a

man

with

efforts sufficiently

His industry in composition and

the odd illustrations by which

he accompanied his writings,

were marvellous, and on the whole

was a very extra-

his case

ordinary one.

The
piece

and that forming the frontisdrawn on both sides of the

sheet of paper, and the patient, as though

illustration in Plate III.

were,

in

same small half

the

original,

make

anxious, in the exuberance of his fancy, to

use of his opportunities, had

surface

On

not

to the very edge

looking at

it

Pope's Essay on
"

although

one

filled

leaving an

strikingly

is

atom of margin.

reminded of the

lines

in

Man

A mighty maze but not without a plan,

A wild, where weeds and flowers promiscuous

it

the fullest

up every morsel of the

may

shoot ;"

not be easy to find the key to this plan,

might have been, nor to distinguish which are the

which
the flowers in so tangled a " wild."
weeds and
whatever

In

it

course of another year he

the

troubles,

which upset him a good

drowning himself one day

he was

in

incoherent nonsense.

his

leisure

domestic

and he ended by

in a public spot.

was, that he could work well, and

tion, while

had some

deal,

The

peculiarity

not attract public atten-

moments writing

the most

Another case

had under

my

care recently,

The

strange peculiarities in this direction.

showed some

patient had been

of unsteady habits, and reduced himself to poverty, and was

sent to the

Asylum with

an army he had

owned
but

simile.

and refused

wrote the

later

That

command.

at his

wife,

his

After a time he dis-

communicate

which Plate

with her,
a fac-

II. is

in printed capitals he called the Italian version,

eleven months, but his

left,

and

in capitals,

He

it.

recovered completely in

symptoms underwent

several

them.

his letters varied with

letter just referred to,

word

to

of

letter

and the other the Key to

before he

and

certain delusions as to the Jews,

changes

After the

he wrote one with every second or third

the subject-matter being quite incoherent*

Shortly afterwards he wrote two more, composed wholly of

unmeaning marks and

ation.

and
his

When

strokes, of

which he gave no explan-

he approached recovery he wrote very sensibly

affectionately to his wife,

bad habits, and was also

showing genuine remorse for

of good intentions^ which I

full

believe were carried out.

The

cases

which the public cannot understand, and which

often furnish sensational instances, are chiefly those in which

no obvious delusions
simple questions

correctly,

detained in an Asylum,

has no

''

When

exist.

and

many

man

talk of his being

insanity" about him, but

sary to direct the actions, that he

own

three years had under

well.

The

patient

is

the while he

all

may

energy that

is

quite unfit to
I

be so

neces-

manage

have for the

last

care a case which illustrates this

a young

brought up, and had some

is

in the world.

my

unjustly

people are apt to say that he

deficient in will or self-control, or the

himself or hold his

can answer a few

man who

little

property.

has been respectably

He had

tried

some

occupation, and was for a few weeks a clerk in a bank, but

left

it.

He

then lived with an aunt, and had no employment.

In consequence of

some extravagancies of conduct he was

,ov>u

'

Pin.

VT ^/'/^/'^

A
-7

a^ful

i^^^-ii^krjUJ^

i^-o-i^>C

^i)^^[^i

o^^<^

.^:z>n.d^\^^^j^

/l^ -JjS^c^S^
^^ e^^mX

^tl^~

OTi,

19

down

placed in the Asylum^ and soon settled

His hours were spent

as if his time were so

thing: he had also

writing
gratis,

letters,

comfortably^

thoiigh he

in fussy idleness,

talked

up he could not undertake any-

filled

several

He was

projects.

silly

always

sending for catalogues which were advertised

almanacks, shilling books,

&cc.,

and orderingvariousthings

without any idea of paying for them, but was quite unaware of
After a time he wanted an

the inconsistency of his conduct.

estate,

was very anxious

a church on
versation

Lundy

and proposed

to get married,

Now

Island.

this

showed none of the absurd

to build

man^s ordinary con-

ideas that are expected

as signs of insanity, but his conduct, taken as a whole,

proof of the

made

of his mind.

real state

Had

he been

rich,

was
and

Lunacy Commission, probably the

jury which found Mr. Windham not insane would have given
this

the subject of a

man

His

a similar verdict.

letters, generally,

were very

On

amusing, and showed the condition of his mind.

occasion he wrote to a
dies

and paper, &c., and

intelligible.

" F.

M.

It

was

London tradesman
his letter

as follows

one

for specimens of

was sent back to

me

as un-

R. returns his best thanks and desires to acknow-

ledge the safe receipt of the letter containing the monographic

devices,
style,

will

and

if

Messrs. P. will have the die cut, in nice, exact

and 500 medium envelopes, half ream of paper, &c.

much

entire order at once,

this

you need not

the event of

If in

oblige.

you

my

much wish

shire coast,^'

" P. S.
"

on the Channel

credit,

and

in the centre of

the seal to have a light-house represented, as

to be enabled erecting one

me

will obligingly give

fear to do.

it

not paying the

wish so

side of the

much

Devon-

&c.

Should a G. use black

One incident, which

transpired yesterday.

wax ? "

may term

the second striking one,

was just intending to

seal

the letter;

20
I

had no vesta matches by me, consequently

my

left

writing

desk and proceeded into the next ward, where, quite unexpectedly to

With

An

me, a patient had departed

respect to the seal, let

it be,^^

this

life,

aiid

was

laid out.

&c., &c.

ordinary stranger might converse for some time with

such a patient as this without getting any answer which

would be inconsistent with

sanity, but the

above

letter

would

convince anybody.
(7)

There is one condition

which the character of the hand-

in

may be of great assistance

commonly known as "general

paralysis/^

term the disease characterised

chiefly

writing

in diagnosis, viz., the disease

mean by

this

by the existence

delusions of an extravagant nature at

paralysis

of

and followed by

first,

and general enfeeblement of the limbs and complete

dementia, running an average course of three or four years,

and always ending

fatally

asylum, but not at

In

this

disease,

the

known

a disease well

in every public

clearly recognised out of doors.

so

all

symptoms

early

on

creep

insidiously,

and are often only an exaggeration of the ordinary habits of

thought and action of certain over-confident and pushing
individuals

what

is

most

so that in

really

going on.

It

cases, people are deceived as

is,

that the recognition of this-disease

when

certain period,
selves,

the diagnosis

of the malady that

from which the

is
it

is

richer

is

important, for after a

symptoms

the physical
easy

enough and
;

it is

needful to interfere.

classes,

to

however, in the early stages

and those

declare

them-

in the first course

It

actively

is

a malady

engaged in

the excitement of speculation, or the harass of commercial

life,

particularly suffer,

commencement patients are

money and commit numerous extrava-

and

prone to squander their

at the

gancies which affect the interests of others.

when

friends

property,

This

is

the time

should interfere to save the needless waste of

and often

to control the actions of the individual,

and

?1

Eg./

/7t

^-'/~yy\.

ULd^
e^

'^^^-

^^
^

^^y>^,

(T,^

a.

h^'-y^ y.<^^^>.^^

^^n^

^L^.

4^'^
/ /i.<^

^^^J^.^^^^^
^^^^
^

-^

<f

^
F'cg- 3.

JL/"

^^c^^^

.^::>'

^.
"X-^^yzA^^
Fui4
^e^
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/"~y

^^^

^^
j^-^z,.^

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///-r^

^h"^

21

then that the medical

it is

man

is

consulted, but

that the latter likes to incur the risk or

seldom

it is

odium of consider-

ing the patient as insane at this stage ; he prefers waiting

till

the extravagancies become more pronounced, or the physical

weakness shows more

Now, any

clearly the nature of the disease.

fact that

would tend to

termination of such cases

the early de-

facilitate

of great value, and

is

may

direct attention to the aid that

be derived from study-

ing the handwriting under these circumstances.

seen that, in a

wish to

It

is

easily

progressive disease, attended by increasing

muscular weakness, the character of the writing must change

but
to

do not think that attention has been generally drawn

what

might call the progressive degeneration of the writing

Now, I do not hesitate to say that, excluding

in this disease.
local

disease,

which might impair the power of writing, and

mere effects of age, there is no other

setting aside also the

known disease which alters

way this is modified by what

the handwriting in the peculiar

is

called general paralysis of the

insane.
If this be true,

the study of the writing of such patients

The accompanying
show the extreme changes that occur ; but the point to
be remembered is this that if such changes are the natural

at

once assumes a fresh importance.

figures

result of a certain period of this disease,

how important

it

is

to be on the alert for the minor alterations which occur earlier.

Fig. I (plate 4)

from general

is

the writing of a gentleman

paralysis.

comparative health, and

Fig. 2 (plate 4)

is

This
it

is

was a

has died

bold, vigorous style.

What strikes an

observer in

the irregularity, the sliakiness, and the disconnection of

the letters.
as

who

his writing in

the writing of the same person only a few

months later; but how changed!

this, is

an example of

The contrast between

Fig,

and 2

is

as well

marked

can be imagined, but there must have been a time when

2%
the alteration began to be perceptible, and that was the period

when such

observation

forming an opinion,

it is,

would

have

been of value.

In

of course, necessary to be acquain-

ted with the patient^s writing in health, and also to consider

and then the comparison of the writing in health

his age,

and

in disease

becomes of great

This indication, too,

value.

among the rich and educated than

among the poorer classes^ who seldom have a distinctive style
of their own, and who are unpractised in the art.
Figs. 3 and 4 (plate 4) illustrate the writing of a man in an
humble sphere, who was under my care for the mania of
is

of far greater

service

general paralysis.
Fig.
in the

(plate 4)

words "

his writing in health

is

July^^

and "

with the words in Fig.

Fig. 3 (plate 4)

At that

mission.
in

an

early stage,

and there

is

a vigour

which contrasts strongly

Paid,^^

3.

a fac-simile of his writing soon after his ad-

is

time

and

diagnosed general paralysis, but

as the

it

was

muscular symptoms were not far

developed, the case was not one recognised by

all

as such.

The subsequent course, however, quite confirmed my opinion.

The last two lines are characteristic examples of the writing
of such patients.
before us,

would suggest

we cannot

of general paralytics

that,

with these instances

refuse the conclusion that the writing

is,

in a certain

stage, distinctive; that,

excluding certain local conditions, there

is

nothing

else that

produces such a gradual and decided change; and that, recognising this progressive degradation as a consequence of this
disease,

change

it is

well to

watch

for the earliest indications of such

as a material aid in diagnosis.

APPENDIX.

In the position

occupy

I receive

a good

the poorer class^ and have often had from

respondents very odd specimens.

The

from individuals belonging to what

is

of the public.

In No.

and those

the

marked

as

in

This

"

is

from a

man whose

is

perhaps not so well

I.

wife was in the Asylum^ but not

perfectly.

have takeing the Liboty to ask you

my Wife come

let

called the sane portion

enough to leave ; she subsequently recovered

Sir^

cor-

like to expect.

No.

well

my

some of

three following are

the contrast between T. R.^s style

preceding pages

one would

many letters from

out

if

come with her

cloths,

if
i

you

will

have paid

up to saterdy night, and was forced to rob a man of his

wages to pay you. i paid all
could get before, and then
i

handed out of the room

now

so

have declined paying any

mor; if you will keep her you must keep her on your own
money, for i have no more without Robery, and i cannot do
that as the laws are against

it

" please to right so that

if

you

that

will or

have

not

it,

consent,

if

you

will

have

it

not right

shall

my

might have had a

shirt

wife right
if

you

let

so

her

be plagued with her any more with

you could not keep her

you ought to have sent her home and

i

on Friday morning
let

but not force her to say no

come out you never

my

if

here.

washed

for 9 shilling a
i

would have

week
tryed.

for that other shilling.

" From T. R."

34

No.
This

is

from a person

2.

never saw, to

" dealer Frend gest a

line or tue ine

of the deth of Farther and

we canot Bee

poore peepel,

so

Bodey away

Bee Bered so

was aBell

to

to have

ame

it

god some of us

ing,

our kind reespects to

was

I right to

you

kind attension to

well

3.

my

for

received

your Letter, and

your truble and Likewise for

dear diseased wife, and If

shod

am

like her to

quite agreable.

If

it

be Interd about 13.

letters

addressed to

me

" Fulbon asulam,''

" Fulham Esylum."

" Fulbuon asyllum.''

J.

K.''

have received the

owing versions of the words " Fulbourn Asylum

:"

Fullbun Asilom."
" Foolbun Asilium."
''

" Fullem Asilem.''

" Fulborn Asalym."

The

is

wod be con-

" Yrs, &c.,

Among

all

be thair on Monday, and respection a poste

mortal examanation
I

we

healer ware

But we canot, and if

the silam on Friday morn-

all.''

Inform you that

you

veneant

are

Sir,

truly thankful to

shall

leter

we

of taken the

expence

the

Bee at

will

No.
" Respective

answer to youer

sorey to say that

must aboide

it

formal notice
:

home we would.

please

"

whom

Asylum

of his father^s death was sent from the

ingenuity in error displayed here

is

curious

fol-

<iU