Still more adventures in research
My goodness.
I've come to the mad-house portion of Mr. J Goes to Washington (working title) and dug out the massive folder I compiled of photocopied bits from books about Victorian mad-houses, from when I was writing The Emancipator's Wife. (I was able to use bits of it also in Days of the Dead).
Here's a partial list of causes of insanity (in case you were wondering).
Physical Causes: congestion of the brain, nervous irritation, bilious fever, scarlet fever, gout, suppression of hemorrhoids, suppression of perspiration, suppression of secretions (!), ill health (really?), ill health and family trouble, ill health and pecuniary difficulties, ill health and lawsuit (makes sense), mesmerism, sedentary habits, idleness, bathing in cold water, sleeping in a barn filled with new hay, tight lacing, excess of quinine, pregnancy, suppressed menstruation (and how do you do THAT?), excessive labor, loss of sleep, intemperate use of snuff, vice, immorality, and want of exercise (among many other things).
Moral causes: mental labor and excitement, mental shock, mental perplexity, excessive study, study of metaphysics, study of phrenology, politics, excitement of the Mexican War, excitement of visiting (depends on who you're visiting, I guess), preaching sixteen days and nights, reading vile books, blowing fife all night, faulty education, hope, day dreaming, ecstatic admiration of works of art, seduction, bad conduct of children, infidelity of spouse, false accusation, difficulty in neighborhood, avarice, speculation in stocks, speculation in lottery tickets, loss of money, murder of a son, anxiety, home sickness, unrequited love, want of employment (explains some of the politics lately, certainly), want of occupation, mortified pride, ungoverned passion, virulent temper, struggle between the religious principle and power of passion, and Mormonism (among many other things).
So now you know.
I've come to the mad-house portion of Mr. J Goes to Washington (working title) and dug out the massive folder I compiled of photocopied bits from books about Victorian mad-houses, from when I was writing The Emancipator's Wife. (I was able to use bits of it also in Days of the Dead).
Here's a partial list of causes of insanity (in case you were wondering).
Physical Causes: congestion of the brain, nervous irritation, bilious fever, scarlet fever, gout, suppression of hemorrhoids, suppression of perspiration, suppression of secretions (!), ill health (really?), ill health and family trouble, ill health and pecuniary difficulties, ill health and lawsuit (makes sense), mesmerism, sedentary habits, idleness, bathing in cold water, sleeping in a barn filled with new hay, tight lacing, excess of quinine, pregnancy, suppressed menstruation (and how do you do THAT?), excessive labor, loss of sleep, intemperate use of snuff, vice, immorality, and want of exercise (among many other things).
Moral causes: mental labor and excitement, mental shock, mental perplexity, excessive study, study of metaphysics, study of phrenology, politics, excitement of the Mexican War, excitement of visiting (depends on who you're visiting, I guess), preaching sixteen days and nights, reading vile books, blowing fife all night, faulty education, hope, day dreaming, ecstatic admiration of works of art, seduction, bad conduct of children, infidelity of spouse, false accusation, difficulty in neighborhood, avarice, speculation in stocks, speculation in lottery tickets, loss of money, murder of a son, anxiety, home sickness, unrequited love, want of employment (explains some of the politics lately, certainly), want of occupation, mortified pride, ungoverned passion, virulent temper, struggle between the religious principle and power of passion, and Mormonism (among many other things).
So now you know.
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