| Description Of Item | Illustration from the collection of Alexander Morison. Plate 79 of Morison’s 'The Physiognomy of Mental Diseases' (1840). Signed A J [Alexander Johnston].
'Portrait of E. S. aged 40, a tailor.
This patient has been ten years insane. Previous to his insanity he complained of head-ache, quarrelled with his friends, fell into habits of drunkenness, and frequenting the theatre, after which he was observed to stand for a long time together in theatrical attitudes; he then became melancholy, had great apparent debility, a feeble pulse, and torpid bowels, and he exhibited a tendency to Catalepsy. He would, for half an hour or longer, remain in any position he might be placed, such as that in which he is represented J during which time he could hold weights to the amount of 14 lbs. in his hand, the arm being placed forward from the body; he would take food when put to his mouth, but was generally an hour over each meal.
Soon after his admission into the asylum, he fell down on the floor and remained in a comatose state for some days, after which he never spoke for a month, and required to be fed for nearly three months, taking his food very slowly. In about six months after the fit of coma he began to walk, dragging very slowly one leg after the other, so that it was twenty minutes before he walked about eighty yards he also answered a few questions and occasionally read aloud; a relapse soon took place, and the same train of symptoms appeared, followed by a second improvement, during which he was able to walk and ride a little on an ass ; and on one occasion, his clothes being taken off, but against his will, he jumped into a pond, in which other patients were bathing, and swam about for several minutes; soon after this occurrence a third attack of coma took place, succeeded by the same train of cataleptic symptoms; this lasted for nearly seven months, at the end of which time he began to take his food, to get out of bed and dress himself, and to work a little in the garden, he also would sing a song, and read the newspapers aloud to other patients; he has continued in this improved state for some time : his mind is much enfeebled, and he is unable to take care of himself; he seldom speaks at all, and never asks questions. He works as a tailor, diligently if well supplied with tobacco, of which he is very fond, but as soon as his tobacco is expended he gives over work until he is supplied; now and then he will hold up one of his legs, and keep it in that position for a considerable time, this seems to be the only vestige of a cataleptic tendency left.
Purgatives — tonics— electricity — the douche — friction of the spine— the production of pustules — carbonate of iron in very large doses— blisters— sinapisms, &c. were tried extensively in this case, but without apparent benefit.' |