Excerpt from American Eclectic Medical Review, Vol. 7: For the Year Ending June, 1872 We all have heard of the ruling passion strong in death, and, perhaps, have witnessed its display. The hypothesis pro pounded here, it seems to us, accounts fully and satisfactorily for the remarkable phenomena. They pertain, we doubt not, rather to the department of psychology than of physiology as the lat ter science is usually taught and understood, and are closely allied to the modern mesmeric or spiritual Operations in which the will of one person is able to steady, or disturb, or even para lyze the nerves and muscular system of another. Many of the problems of insanity are also thus to be explained. An individ ual, through disease, disappointment, anxiety, self-indulgence, mental idleness, the disturbing influence of others, becomes more or less unable to control or direct his own actions his strength is reduced or abnormally excited, and he is rendered morally impotent and imbecile. Almost any man can be made insane by the interference of others with his exercise of his own will and free agency. Medical science has been greatly at fault in this matter, and jurisprudence has fallen short of occupying legitimately its province of action. 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.