a week—­once for violent shouting and disturbance in the street, and once for an attempt at suicide by drowning.  As he had attempted his life by hanging the last time he was locked up, and had afterwards seriously injured himself by trying to dash his brains out, he was adjudged insane, and a watch set on him all night.  In the morning, when taken before the magistrate, he was violent and abusive, using the most frightfully obscene and profane language.  There he was held for examination and sent to Bellevue in a “straight-jacket,” which was found to be necessary in order to control him.  From the padded cell there he was sent here.

“Upon examination he is found to be suffering from acute mania, alternating with periods of intense melancholia in which he invariably attempts to take his own life.  His language when excited exceeds in obscenity anything ever heard.  During the intervals of quiet he is constantly practicing the vile habit which has undoubtedly been the cause of his insanity.  He has lost all sense of shame and continues to practice before visitors, attendants and physicians.  He makes no effort to go to the water-closet, and his clothes and cell are in a filthy and disgusting state.  Ever since admission he has refused all food, and it has been necessary to feed him with a stomach pump.  He is losing flesh and strength every day, and is fast wasting away.

“From his relatives who have twice called to see him it was learned that his mental trouble came on very suddenly, although his memory and faculties have been failing for some time past.  They say that he complained of sleeplessness, numbness and tingling sensations in the arms and legs, headache, and a peculiar itching of the skin, for months before any distinct symptoms of insanity appeared.  They attribute it all to self-abuse, which he has admitted practicing from an early age.

“AUGUST 28th.—­Is now paralyzed in both lower limbs.  Still violent.

“SEPT. 3d.—­Died this morning about 1 A.M.  Is so emaciated that he is little more than skin and bones. Rigor mortis entirely absent.  Shortly after death the skin of the whole body changed to a dark chocolate hue.”

Truth is often stranger than fiction.  What end more terrible than this!

CHAPTER IV.

SPERMATORRHOEA, OR LOST MANHOOD.

SYMPTOMS.

Spermatorrhoea may be conveniently divided into three stages.

FIRST STAGE—­IRRITATION, CONGESTION.

In this stage the sexual organs of the brain and nervous system first begin to feel the strain of early abuse, overwork, confinement, sexual excess, or whatever the cause may be in this particular case.