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THE KENT FANATICS.
558
Mr. Thomas Abraham, the individual to mands that means should be taken to pre. whom I allude, has, if I mistake not, but vent a recurrence of crime. Every medical man must be familiar with very recently passed his examination, and I would strongly recommend him, until infor- the cases of what your correspondent calls ination acquired by practice shall have bet- " contagious hysteria," and he also knows ter qualified him to judge of new and ano- full well that this is a disorder wiiich malous cases, to refrain both from writing admits of ealeulution of consequences, and critical and invidious remarks on well au- that the readiest mode of arresting its pro. thenticated statements transmitted to you gross is to act upon the intimidating planof by practical men, and from offering gratui- the sagacious Boerhaave. If, on trial,the tous opinions, which, emanating from sucha parties implicated in the disgraceful Kentish juvenile source, will be entirely disregarded. affair should really be pronounced noD Deeming it unnecessary to recapitulate my compotes mentis, let them be taken careof former statement of the case, and intending as lunatics, but do not, by an act of absoto have no further communication with Mr. lution, hold out a premium for a fresh out. Thomas Abraham, I will conclude, Sir, by break of this sanguinary " intermittent." I am willing to give Mr. Hunt every cre. expressing my thanks for your early and kind insertion of this letter in your widely dit for his philanthropy, as well as the circulated and excellent Journal. I am, zealous phyzician who has so Kindly lent Sir, with great respect, your most obedient his name to his friend’s paper, but I sin, servant. cerely hope this letter may accompanyltiain HENRY WILKIN, M.R,C.S.L. circulation, and prevent either counsel, Walton, near Ipswich, judge, orjury from being biassed by its ad. June 30, 1838. vocacy of such a one-sided sort of huma. nity. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Ax ORIGINAL SUBSCRIBER TO THE LANCET. THE KENT FANATICS. London, June 24, 1838. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR :—Poor Dr. Uwins, who is dead and gone,
asserted, on oath, in a court of that in his opinion every living
once
justice,
UPAS TREE AND VALLEY.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. mortal was more or less mad. Your correSiR :- Your correspondent, llr. Cross spondent, Mr. Hunt’s, hypothesis will be considered by all sober-minded people as in a recent number of your Journal, treat scarcely less monstrous. Admit it in one with very little decorum the Javanese tra. species of crime, and would it not he urged vellers; and poor Foersch, in partkulal’, in justification of every other/ « Is there receives, certainly, more than his due share not in all crime (I quote the words of an of abuse. Notwithstanding the incredulity intelligent weekly journalist) an irration- of Dir. Cross, I can assure him, upon the ality, the highest degree of which is so near best authority, that the Upas valley does of kin to insanity as easily to be taken for exist, and that in certain parts of it, I was it? Upon analysis of every act of crime a informed bv a friend who visited it about considerable degree of delusion will be six years ago, skeletons of human beings, found. Coleridge wisely defines a kuave anI of inferior animals, are frequently to a fool with a circumbendibus,’ and capital be observed. My friend also stated, tht criminality is not a wiser thing than simple in the lower part of the valley, which is knavery." The delusions arising out of exceedingly beautiful, there is a streamoror evil temptations are often mistaken for the foot of water, through which gas bubble delusions produced by disease; and the up in large quantities, and that the air Oil murderer of Mr. and Mrs. Buuner is only its surface is of the most stifling satm. one of a large number of criminals who A dog when iutroduced into this locality], have accounted for their crime on the ground speedily asphyxiated. My friend, who was of sudden possession by the Devil. under the charge of one of the Princes of Those who have had most experience in the island, was anxious to breathe this at. the treatment of insanity will bear me out mosphere, but his conductor would not perin the assertion that it is in no instance con- mit the experiment. The whole of the bottagious ; but the eloquence of a madman may tom of the valley is infected with a similar lead astray weak minds, and this accounts exhalation, most probably attributable to for the fact, that whether in religion, the action of heat upon limestone rocks morals," or politics, a talented man is sure (for there are above twenty volcanic mounof his tail," however monstrous may be tains in Java, most of them in active opera. his tenets. But are these simpletons to be, tion). The fact, therefore, of the existence therefore, held irresponsible, if their leader of the Upas valley, as related by Foefsch, should incite them to acts of lawless out- cannot be disputed ; but the cause of the rage ? No, Sir, the safety of society de- desolation which occurs in that locality is a
Mr. Thomas Abraham, the individual to mands that means should be taken to pre. whom I allude, has, if I mistake not, but vent a recurrence of crime. Every medical man must be familiar with very recently passed his examination, and I would strongly recommend him, until infor- the cases of what your correspondent calls ination acquired by practice shall have bet- " contagious hysteria," and he also knows ter qualified him to judge of new and ano- full well that this is a disorder wiiich malous cases, to refrain both from writing admits of ealeulution of consequences, and critical and invidious remarks on well au- that the readiest mode of arresting its pro. thenticated statements transmitted to you gross is to act upon the intimidating planof by practical men, and from offering gratui- the sagacious Boerhaave. If, on trial,the tous opinions, which, emanating from sucha parties implicated in the disgraceful Kentish juvenile source, will be entirely disregarded. affair should really be pronounced noD Deeming it unnecessary to recapitulate my compotes mentis, let them be taken careof former statement of the case, and intending as lunatics, but do not, by an act of absoto have no further communication with Mr. lution, hold out a premium for a fresh out. Thomas Abraham, I will conclude, Sir, by break of this sanguinary " intermittent." I am willing to give Mr. Hunt every cre. expressing my thanks for your early and kind insertion of this letter in your widely dit for his philanthropy, as well as the circulated and excellent Journal. I am, zealous phyzician who has so Kindly lent Sir, with great respect, your most obedient his name to his friend’s paper, but I sin, servant. cerely hope this letter may accompanyltiain HENRY WILKIN, M.R,C.S.L. circulation, and prevent either counsel, Walton, near Ipswich, judge, orjury from being biassed by its ad. June 30, 1838. vocacy of such a one-sided sort of huma. nity. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Ax ORIGINAL SUBSCRIBER TO THE LANCET. THE KENT FANATICS. London, June 24, 1838. To the Editor of THE LANCET. SIR :—Poor Dr. Uwins, who is dead and gone,
asserted, on oath, in a court of that in his opinion every living
once
justice,
UPAS TREE AND VALLEY.
To the Editor of THE LANCET. mortal was more or less mad. Your correSiR :- Your correspondent, llr. Cross spondent, Mr. Hunt’s, hypothesis will be considered by all sober-minded people as in a recent number of your Journal, treat scarcely less monstrous. Admit it in one with very little decorum the Javanese tra. species of crime, and would it not he urged vellers; and poor Foersch, in partkulal’, in justification of every other/ « Is there receives, certainly, more than his due share not in all crime (I quote the words of an of abuse. Notwithstanding the incredulity intelligent weekly journalist) an irration- of Dir. Cross, I can assure him, upon the ality, the highest degree of which is so near best authority, that the Upas valley does of kin to insanity as easily to be taken for exist, and that in certain parts of it, I was it? Upon analysis of every act of crime a informed bv a friend who visited it about considerable degree of delusion will be six years ago, skeletons of human beings, found. Coleridge wisely defines a kuave anI of inferior animals, are frequently to a fool with a circumbendibus,’ and capital be observed. My friend also stated, tht criminality is not a wiser thing than simple in the lower part of the valley, which is knavery." The delusions arising out of exceedingly beautiful, there is a streamoror evil temptations are often mistaken for the foot of water, through which gas bubble delusions produced by disease; and the up in large quantities, and that the air Oil murderer of Mr. and Mrs. Buuner is only its surface is of the most stifling satm. one of a large number of criminals who A dog when iutroduced into this locality], have accounted for their crime on the ground speedily asphyxiated. My friend, who was of sudden possession by the Devil. under the charge of one of the Princes of Those who have had most experience in the island, was anxious to breathe this at. the treatment of insanity will bear me out mosphere, but his conductor would not perin the assertion that it is in no instance con- mit the experiment. The whole of the bottagious ; but the eloquence of a madman may tom of the valley is infected with a similar lead astray weak minds, and this accounts exhalation, most probably attributable to for the fact, that whether in religion, the action of heat upon limestone rocks morals," or politics, a talented man is sure (for there are above twenty volcanic mounof his tail," however monstrous may be tains in Java, most of them in active opera. his tenets. But are these simpletons to be, tion). The fact, therefore, of the existence therefore, held irresponsible, if their leader of the Upas valley, as related by Foefsch, should incite them to acts of lawless out- cannot be disputed ; but the cause of the rage ? No, Sir, the safety of society de- desolation which occurs in that locality is a