sessor of very large and valuable landed property, as well as from many other sources, suddenly became, in his own estimation, not worth a shilling, and the only prospect before him was that of interminable imprisonment. To reason with him was unavailing; for although at my professional visits I would demonstrate to him, upon his own showing, that he was worth many, very many hundreds ayear, yet inevitable ruin impended over him; cerebral disorder increased; irritation of the brain became more conspicuous; other insane ideas were added to the dread of penury, which however always remained supereminent; and, after a short and a painful attendance, I was summoned one morning in great haste, and learned that he had found means for a single minute to elude the vigilance of his attendant, and was a corpse by his own hands. For the last act of his life, doubtless, he was not responsible; but let us learn a lesson of usefulness from this melancholy relation.

In the first place, we see the germ of disease, the origin of cerebral irritation, in the influence of moral causes, and the subsequent history shows that, even in this life, the path of sin is one of unmingled bitterness and misery; it has its providentially ordained punishment, and

though we would be far from limiting the mercy of God, and though we would hope that lucid intervals may be devoted to repentance, humiliation, and prayer, yet we cannot but see that irritation of the brain, and the paroxysm of insanity, must be fearful barriers in the way of seeking God, and turning to him with full purpose of heart. May we watch and pray to be preserved from sin, and all its awful consequences! The Holy Spirit will not always strive with man: may we be saved from tempting that Spirit to depart from us, or from provoking our long-suffering Creator to leave us to an afflictive dispensation, which goes far to quench the light of spiritual life in the soul, by shutting it out through the material veil of diseased organization.

Secondly, let us observe, that that which originated in moral causes was continued and extended by the disordered action of the brain; and that then other manifestations of mind became perverted; false premises and inferences usurped the dominion of mind: the patient at length ceases to be an accountable agent, and closes a life of misery in the most melancholy manner; for if we deprecate sudden death at all times, how much more the death of the suicide!

Thirdly, we notice that the brain being once disordered, there is no setting bounds to the distorted images which it will produce, or to the creation of its wild associations.

And, fourthly, let us learn the value of religious principle: this would have saved the victim from the first cause of brainular irritation; it would have offered a healing balm in the all-powerful blood of Christ, even after that irritation had commenced, and would have led to peace and reconciliation with God; and even after insanity had been produced, could the bodily disease have been subdued, or could the hope of the Gospel have been embraced by the mind during a lucid interval, it would have given that best medicine, which might have confirmed the results of physical treatment, and afforded a prospect of permanent peace to the wretched sufferer.

CHAPTER VI.

Same subject continued.-Early and slight changes of character accompanying this state;-varied influence upon the bodily functions ;-intermittent or remittent character of its maladies ;-epilepsy;-possession ;-causes producing this state; original malconformation ;-wounds;-concussion;-compression ;-fever; -local inflammation ;the entire class of nervous diseases ;-hypochondriasis; -general inferences.

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BUT again: perhaps long before the symptoms are fairly cognizable, there is a slight change of character, or manner, or habit, which ought always to excite alarm on the part of friends; as, for instance, where the prudent suddenly become prodigal; or the mild and benevolent, vindictive; or the good-tempered, morose; or the cheerful desponding; or where the manner of confiding openness is exchanged for distrust or suspicion; or the reserved become accessible; or the taciturn loquacious; or where habits of retirement have been superseded by a love of company, or, on the contrary, a desire after

society has given place to habits of seclusion, and abstraction from mankind: in fact, whenever, in any way, a deviation from original and established character is observed, then let cerebral disorder be suspected, and it will almost always be found. As it proceeds, and as the shadows of departing reason are deepened, delirium will be noticed as a frequent accompaniment; sometimes only as a transient symptom for a few moments; at others prolonging its insidious visitation, varying very much as to character, from the determined and exclusive raving of the monomaniac, to the ever-shifting mutability of him who wanders hither and thither, without object, without end, without guide, and without purpose.

As disorder of the brain advances, there may be increasing mental darkness proceeding to a total suspension of intelligence; and the individual becomes a mere wreck of himself; his glory has departed from him, and he has exhibited the most pitiable example of the wrath of the offended Majesty of heaven against sin. Yet, be it remembered, the case is not hopeless; and even this state of misery and destitution admits of relief. The wretched victim of cerebral disorder may yet be restored to himself, to society, to his duties, and to the enjoyment of

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