| Description Of Item | Illustration from the collection of Alexander Morison. Plate 50 of Morison’s 'The Physiognomy of Mental Diseases' (1840). Signed A J [Alexander Johnston].
'Portrait of C. S. aged 57.
This poor woman is the mother of a large family, in a fit of sudden frenzy she cut off the head of one of her children — no motive for this unnatural act could be ascertained; in a report sent with her, it was stated, that a short time previous to the occurrence a woman in her neighbourhood had destroyed one of her children by cutting off its head; a proof of truth of the observation, that the recital of crimes of this nature has had some influence in leading others to commit them; where the mind is disordered, and there is a predisposition to do something mischievous, it only requires some striking example to give that disposition a direction, and the vague inclination takes a specific form, and follows where the example leads; in this way suicide is occasionally committed.' |