| Description Of Item | Signed by J Millar, from the collection of Thomas Laycock. Note on the last page written in a different hand: ‘diagnosis correct. The case is an example of Dementia Juvenilis’.
Transcription of first part of casenote:
‘History
James Lynch, aged 18. of Irish extraction, is unmarried. His occupation consisted in assisting his father who is a mariner. He has passed through the various diseases of child hood. And lately had an attack of small pox. But otherwise has been healthy. By his 18th year his parents observed no indications of insanity. When he became morose, sullen. agonising at work, accompanied with a refusal at a [illegible] [quotations]. He has never manifested any tendency to strike and to be furious. But generally presented an imbecile appearance. As far as can be ascertained no sufficient reason or cause can be attained to account for this present attack although his father [illegible] as the cause, his having been bewitched, or brought under the influence of the evil one by some individual. His parents deny any hereditary tendency but Mr [Lehalmen] informed me that his father presented a ‘filthy appearance’. The patient has never been [illegible] and epilepsy on examination the patient appeared himself and [illegible]. But at intervals he became exceedingly agitated at one time crying at another [illegible] by a kind of curiosity, which was manifesting his [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] he mounted upon the windowsill, something having attached his attention. On enquiring how he was, he answered ‘middling’ but could not be got to [illegible] any other [illegible] part [illegible]. He appeared in full bodily health. Pulse 75 [illegible] tongue clean. He is taking his food well and [sleeps?] [later?] than he did before entering the asylum.
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