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  • May 1, 1879
  • Page 16
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The Masonic Magazine, May 1, 1879: Page 16

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    Article INSANITY AND FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Page 16

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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 ?

“The Masonic Magazine: 1879-05-01, Page 16” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 12 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmg/issues/mmg_01051879/page/16/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
LIST OF LODGES (CONSTITUTIONS), 1756. Article 1
A CATALOGUE OF MASONIC BOOKS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. Article 6
A CHANT OF SPRING. Article 14
INSANITY AND FREEMASONRY. Article 15
SPEECHES. Article 17
TURF SMOKED. Article 18
PAST AND PRESENT. Article 26
THE MASONIC CHARITIES. Article 30
BEATRICE. Article 36
THE HEROIC DEFENCE OF RORKE'S DRIFT. Article 40
FAINT HEART. Article 41
JOY OF MY LIFE. Article 42
WHY WE HAVE ANTI-MASONIC CONVENTIONS IN AMERICA. Article 43
MASONIC NOTES AND ODDS. Article 46
THE DYING MASON TO HIS BROTHER. Article 48
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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 ?

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