On the Causes and Symptoms of Chronic Diseases (1.6)

THE modes of mania are infinite in species, but one alone in genus. For it is altogether a chronic derangement of the mind, without fever. For if fever at any time should come on, it would not owe its peculiarity to the mania, but to some other incident. Thus wine inflames to delirium in drunkenness; and certain edibles, such as mandragora and hyoscyamus, induce madness: but these affections are never called mania; for, springing from a temporary cause, they quickly subside, but madness has something confirmed in it. To this mania there is no resemblance in the dotage which is the calamity of old age, for it is a torpor of the senses, and a stupefaction of the gnostic and intellectual faculties by coldness of the system. But mania is something hot and dry in cause, and tumultuous in its acts. And, indeed, dotage commencing with old age never intermits, but accompanies the patient until death; while mania intermits, and with care ceases altogether. And there may be an imperfect intermission, if it take place in mania when the evil is not thoroughly cured by medicine, or is connected with the temperature of the season. For in certain persons who seemed to be freed from the complaint, either the season of spring, or some error in diet, or some incidental heat of passion, has brought on a relapse.

Those prone to the disease, are such as are naturally passionate, irritable, of active habits, of an easy disposition, joyous, puerile; likewise those whose disposition inclines to the opposite condition, namely, such as are sluggish, sorrowful, slow to learn, but patient in labour, and who when they learn anything, soon forget it; those likewise are more prone to melancholy, who have formerly been in a mad condition. But in those periods of life with which much heat and blood are

associated, persons are most given to mania, namely, those about puberty, young men, and such as possess general vigour. But those in whom the heat is enkindled by black bile, and whose form of constitution is inclined to dryness, most readily pass into a state of melancholy. The diet which disposes to it is associated with voracity, immoderate repletion, drunkenness, lechery, venereal desires. Women also sometimes become affected with mania from want of purgation of the system, when the uterus has attained the development of manhood; but the others do not readily fall into mania, yet, if they do, their cases are difficult to manage. These are the causes; and they stir up the disease also, if from any cause an accustomed evacuation of blood, or of bile, or of sweating be stopped.

And they with whose madness joy is associated, laugh, play, dance night and day, and sometimes go openly to the market crowned, as if victors in some contest of skill; this form is inoffensive to those around. Others have madness attended with anger; and these sometimes rend their clothes and kill their keepers, and lay violent hands upon themselves. This miserable form of disease is not unattended with danger to those around. But the modes are infinite in those who are ingenious and docile,—untaught astronomy, spontaneous philosophy, poetry truly from the muses; for docility has its good advantages even in diseases. In the uneducated, the common employments are the carrying of loads, and working at clay,—they are artificers or masons. They are also given to extraordinary phantasies; for one is afraid of the fall of the oilcruets ..... and another will not drink, as fancying himself a brick, and fearing lest he should be dissolved by the liquid.

This story also is told:—A certain joiner was a skilful artisan while in the house, would measure, chop, plane, mortice, and adjust wood, and finish the work of the house correctly; would associate with the workmen, make a bargain with them,

and remunerate their work with suitable pay. While on the spot where the work was performed, he thus possessed his understanding. But if at any time he went away to the market, the bath, or on any other engagement, having laid down his tools, he would first groan, then shrug his shoulders as he went out. But when he had got out of sight of the domestics, or of the work and the place where it was performed, he became completely mad; yet if he returned speedily he recovered his reason again; such a bond of connection was there between the locality and his understanding.

The cause of the disease is seated in the head and hypochondriac region, sometimes commencing in both together, and the one imparting it to the other. In mania and melancholy, the main cause is seated in the bowels, as in phrenitis it is mostly seated in the head and the senses. For in these the senses are perverted, so that they see things not present as if they were present, and objects which do not appear to others, manifest themselves to them; whereas persons who are mad see only as others see, but do not form a correct judgment on what they have seen.

If, therefore, the illness be great, they are of a changeable temper, their senses are acute, they are suspicious, irritable without any cause, and unreasonably desponding when the disease tends to gloom; but when to cheerfulness, they are in excellent spirits; yet they are unusually given to insomnolency; both are changeable in countenance, have headache, or else heaviness of the head; they are sharp in hearing, but very slow in judgment; for in certain cases there are noises of the ears, and ringings like those of trumpets and pipes. But if the disease go on to increase, they are flatulent, affected with nausea, voracious and greedy in taking food, for they are watchful, and watchfulness induces gluttony. Yet they are not emaciated like persons in disease (embonpoint is rather the condition of melancholics) and they are somewhat pale.

But if any of the viscera get into a state of inflammation, it blunts the appetite and digestion; the eyes are hollow, and do not wink; before the eyes are images of an azure or dark colour in those who are turning to melancholy, but of a redder colour when they are turning to mania, along with purplecoloured phantasmata, in many cases as if of flashing fire; and terror seizes them as if from a thunderbolt. In other cases the eyes are red and blood-shot.

At the height of the disease they have impure dreams, and irresistible desire of venery, without any shame and restraint as to sexual intercourse; and if roused to anger by admonition or restraint, they become wholly mad. Wherefore they are affected with madness in various shapes; some run along unrestrainedly, and, not knowing how, return again to the same spot; some, after a long time, come back to their relatives; others roar aloud, bewailing themselves as if they had experienced robbery or violence. Some flee the haunts of men, and going to the wilderness, live by themselves.

If they should attain any relaxation of the evil, they become torpid, dull, sorrowful; for having come to a knowledge of the disease they are saddened with their own calamity.

ANOTHER SPECIES OF MANIA.

Some cut their limbs in a holy phantasy, as if thereby propitiating peculiar divinities. This is a madness of the apprehension solely; for in other respects they are sane. They are roused by the flute, and mirth, or by drinking, or by the admonition of those around them. This madness is of divine origin, and if they recover from the madness, they are cheerful and free of care, as if initiated to the god; but yet they are pale and attenuated, and long remain weak from the pains of the wounds.[*]