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. 1843 edition. Excerpt: ... morbid images which had fastened themselves on his imagination--it was founded upon existing facts; and while under the dominion of violent passion (not insanity), he committed the murder. In many cases of persons unequivocally insane, it is impossible to trace the connexion between the particular ...
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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. 1843 edition. Excerpt: ... morbid images which had fastened themselves on his imagination--it was founded upon existing facts; and while under the dominion of violent passion (not insanity), he committed the murder. In many cases of persons unequivocally insane, it is impossible to trace the connexion between the particular hallucination of the mind, and certain acts which are considered criminal in the eye of the law. There may be a direct relation between the two, but which the lunatic, not being under any apprehension of the consequences, cunningly conceals from observation. In some of these cases of homicidal insanity, the unfortunate patient is driven to the commission of the crime, under the notion that conspiracies are formed against him, and that it is necessary to take away the life of some human being in order to preserve his own. This kind of illusion is a common feature in cases of insanity. For some period before the disordered condition of the imagination becomes very apparent, and often long before medical treatment or confinement are considered necessary, the patient may fancy that his nearest relatives and dearest friends are leagued against him. A person labouring under this form of monomania has been known, for a considerable length of time, to conceal it. Esquirol relates a case of a patient who attempted several times to commit suicide. He would ask for a pistol in order to shoot himself, saying, "I am tired of life." He displayed no illusions, and was of a cheerful turn of mind. It was not until after the lapse of two years that he confessed himself to labour under hallucination both of sight and hearing. He believed himself to be pursued by officials of the police; he saw and heard them, as he imagined, through the apertures of his...
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