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Article INSANITY AND FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Insanity And Freemasonry.
customs of those whom the current ei'ents of the clay bad brought into notice . To an accurate estimation of national character he could add those delicate touches in his drawings Avhich revealed a cultivated mind and a grotesque fancy , producing results which Avere perfectly bewitching . Excessive mental and bodily fatigue brought this man to a pauper asylum . Ambitious in his youth , he had always endeavoured to rise in Avhatever he undertook . Possibly with bad judgment , he expended a large proportion of bis slender income iu taking Masonic degrees . Tbe secrets of these be never
forgot , except for a short time , when he Avas suffering from what is known as acute delirious mania . He soon realised his position in the asylum . He sent for his sketch-books ancl draAving materials , and immediately began to design an illustrated record of his OAvn life . Mixed up ivith good and artistic drawing Avere the expressions of the delusions under which he suffered . In one 2 > lace be represented himself entering into Masonry , this picture being crowded with policemenelectricians with their batteries
, , fumes of noxious vapours , teeming Avitb witches ancl hobgoblins , good and evil spirits , ancl other incongruous objects . In another , be was under fire in a ship at sea , the shells ancl cannon balls which fell thickly around him having demons of unknown form sitting astride of them . Again , be ivas dreaming of his fatherland in a tent . Some
tawny Indians \ A'ere creeping stealthily up to rob or attack him in bis sleep . The leader Avas represented as starting back , AA'hen be beheld a Masonic emblem suspended over the door of the tent . His book Avas full of interesting sketches , which he Avould explain at length AA'hen in a good-natured mood . Another case , somewhat different , was that of a man AVIIO , not being a Mason , pretended to know all the secrets of this ancl , indeed , of every other order . This
individual Avas suffering from what is called General Paralysis of the insane , a disease in Avhich a prominent symptom is that delusions of pride are developed . He told the writer that he ivas iu training for the championship of tbe Thames , that he had a horse Avhich Avas certain to Avin the next Derby , ancl that he had a peculiar strength of his own , AA'hich enabled him to perform any feat , liOAveA'er difficult , although be had never attempted to clo it before . Amongst other delusionshe professed
, to knoAV the secrets of every Masonic degree , ancl to be able to impart them to others . He then proceeded to initiate bis physician and some of bis attendants . The signs were varied and difficult of execution , but unfortunately were different for each candidate for admission .
We all declared ourseh'es much satisfied with tbe knowledge which had been imparted to us , and left hhn in the best humour possible . This very individual soon altered , liOAvei'er , in character . He became morose , secreting a stone in a stocking , with the intention of knocking the physician on the head with it . He also refused food , a symptom not common amongst genuine Masons , and concealed his victuals under the stair-carpets . Such a disease is ordinarily fatal within a IBAV yearsancl such patients are liable to succumb easilto a slig ht accident .
, y This man fell as bis disease advanced . Erysipelas set in Avhere tbe limb bad been bruised , and he died shortly afterwards , still full of his old delusions . At Charenton Asylum , in Paris , the Avriter made tbe acquaintance of a colonel , also a Mason , suffering from Paralysis of the insane . He could utter but one word , as he was in the last stage of the disease . His delusion , the only one left from the wreck of bis intelligenceAvas that hea colonelhad been made a general . When
, , , spoken to , he could only answer " Qenerale , Generate , " and this single Avord he repeated till tbe end . To return to our first case , Avbere the old man was stirred from a condition of complete mental apathy into a state of intellectual excitement by discovering his physician was a Mason . Far be it from us to say that this man would not have recovered if he bad not met Avith a Masonic medical attendantBut we fairl . say
. may y that tbe accident by which this discovery was made accelerated the cure in this case . The man might have gone on for months without finding anything in common between himself and those around him , and Avho knoAvs but Avhat the disease might have taken a wrong turning , and not found the right path again ?
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Insanity And Freemasonry.
customs of those whom the current ei'ents of the clay bad brought into notice . To an accurate estimation of national character he could add those delicate touches in his drawings Avhich revealed a cultivated mind and a grotesque fancy , producing results which Avere perfectly bewitching . Excessive mental and bodily fatigue brought this man to a pauper asylum . Ambitious in his youth , he had always endeavoured to rise in Avhatever he undertook . Possibly with bad judgment , he expended a large proportion of bis slender income iu taking Masonic degrees . Tbe secrets of these be never
forgot , except for a short time , when he Avas suffering from what is known as acute delirious mania . He soon realised his position in the asylum . He sent for his sketch-books ancl draAving materials , and immediately began to design an illustrated record of his OAvn life . Mixed up ivith good and artistic drawing Avere the expressions of the delusions under which he suffered . In one 2 > lace be represented himself entering into Masonry , this picture being crowded with policemenelectricians with their batteries
, , fumes of noxious vapours , teeming Avitb witches ancl hobgoblins , good and evil spirits , ancl other incongruous objects . In another , be was under fire in a ship at sea , the shells ancl cannon balls which fell thickly around him having demons of unknown form sitting astride of them . Again , be ivas dreaming of his fatherland in a tent . Some
tawny Indians \ A'ere creeping stealthily up to rob or attack him in bis sleep . The leader Avas represented as starting back , AA'hen be beheld a Masonic emblem suspended over the door of the tent . His book Avas full of interesting sketches , which he Avould explain at length AA'hen in a good-natured mood . Another case , somewhat different , was that of a man AVIIO , not being a Mason , pretended to know all the secrets of this ancl , indeed , of every other order . This
individual Avas suffering from what is called General Paralysis of the insane , a disease in Avhich a prominent symptom is that delusions of pride are developed . He told the writer that he ivas iu training for the championship of tbe Thames , that he had a horse Avhich Avas certain to Avin the next Derby , ancl that he had a peculiar strength of his own , AA'hich enabled him to perform any feat , liOAveA'er difficult , although be had never attempted to clo it before . Amongst other delusionshe professed
, to knoAV the secrets of every Masonic degree , ancl to be able to impart them to others . He then proceeded to initiate bis physician and some of bis attendants . The signs were varied and difficult of execution , but unfortunately were different for each candidate for admission .
We all declared ourseh'es much satisfied with tbe knowledge which had been imparted to us , and left hhn in the best humour possible . This very individual soon altered , liOAvei'er , in character . He became morose , secreting a stone in a stocking , with the intention of knocking the physician on the head with it . He also refused food , a symptom not common amongst genuine Masons , and concealed his victuals under the stair-carpets . Such a disease is ordinarily fatal within a IBAV yearsancl such patients are liable to succumb easilto a slig ht accident .
, y This man fell as bis disease advanced . Erysipelas set in Avhere tbe limb bad been bruised , and he died shortly afterwards , still full of his old delusions . At Charenton Asylum , in Paris , the Avriter made tbe acquaintance of a colonel , also a Mason , suffering from Paralysis of the insane . He could utter but one word , as he was in the last stage of the disease . His delusion , the only one left from the wreck of bis intelligenceAvas that hea colonelhad been made a general . When
, , , spoken to , he could only answer " Qenerale , Generate , " and this single Avord he repeated till tbe end . To return to our first case , Avbere the old man was stirred from a condition of complete mental apathy into a state of intellectual excitement by discovering his physician was a Mason . Far be it from us to say that this man would not have recovered if he bad not met Avith a Masonic medical attendantBut we fairl . say
. may y that tbe accident by which this discovery was made accelerated the cure in this case . The man might have gone on for months without finding anything in common between himself and those around him , and Avho knoAvs but Avhat the disease might have taken a wrong turning , and not found the right path again ?