Excerpt from A Treatise on the Nature, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment of Insanity In some, it is attended with the highest degree of maniacal excitement, excessive muscular strength, and extraordinary vivacity of intellect; in others, the greatest depression is found, not a word is ut tered, and the patient remains like an automaton for weeks together. In some, the senses are quick ened, and the sight and hearing are morbidly acute in others, they are excessively obtuse, and the whole nervous system becomes in a great measure insen sible to feeling. Indeed, from our observing, that circumstances apparently similar produce results diametrically opposite in different individuals, we might be led to conclude, that, in this disease nature is at variance with herself, and that, although in all other cases she is uniform, insanity forms an excep tion to her rule. A further inquiry into its nature will show us that, when fully examined, these incon sistencies do not exist; and that they are to be traced to our classing under the name of insanity a set of diseases, which really act in totally different ways, and most probably affect different parts. It will be seen, that an attempt has been made in the following pages, in the first place, to investigate the nature of insanity. The results of this investi gation are offered with much diffidence. It is felt, that the theory is liable to many and plausible oh jections, and that it is incapable of demonstration; and it is also felt that even if the view be correct, not more than the first step has been advanced in the inquiry. If it be true that insanity is really. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.