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Show DISEASES OF THE WILL. Bomo Strango Manifestations of Mental Aborration. Persons Who "Wish to 'Do tho Simplest K . Acts of Everyday l.lf j Aro Stopped by M JS a Falllnc Will Pownr- Man Who I Couldn't Tut on lfls Coat. I : & r Persona who are interested in the eu-B eu-B rious side of human nature should look B into the work of tho French doctor and scientist Itibot on the diseases of tho H human will, where are to bo found some B extraordinary instances of men and BV women losing tlieir powers of volition in AY regard to certain ucts while they keep K fully active and healthy in all others, B 1 Eschewing nil research as to first BE causes llibot takes volition as a form of H; activity and btudies It in a purely path- H, ological sense. That strango power in 1 ub which every day says "I will," that R power which "summons, suspends or dis- HJ misses," as another Frenchman, Kcnou- vier, doQnes it; that force in us and bo-Bj bo-Bj hind us which, in its ultimate possiblli-B possiblli-B tics, can hardly be limited, is shown in Bj this work to bo subject to tho strangest fl diseases and to bo modified In the most fl peculiar munucr. H There nro some persons, snys the Chi- fl- cago Times, and tlioy enter into all the daily circle of Jlfe, whoso wills are so fl foft and pliant tliat they need tho B strength of another will to bo joined Bj to theirs before they can act. This common phase of a weak will is accen-B accen-B tuated in disease to a degreo hardly B d6emcd possible by tho nonobscrvunt. fl Persons suffering from this form of B .diseased volition can will themselves B 'according to tho dictates, of reason. Thoy can feel a desire to act, but they Bi cannot make a move toward that end. Bj Thcyaru powerless to translate that BI desire into an act. B Esquirol mentions in this instance Bj the ease of a magistrato highly distin- j guished for his learning and his powers M, .as a speaker, who was seized with mo-B1 mo-B1 nomania in consequence of certain Bi "troubles of tho mind, lie regained his Bfc ' reason, but would not go into the world m again, though he acknowledged him- fl clf to be iu tho wrong in not doing ho. m When advised to travel or to attend to 1 his much-neglected affairs ho would mt say: . fl "I know that'l ought to do so, but J W am unable.. Your udvico is very good, K, "U1 1 wish I could follow it. It is cer- fl tain that I havo no will save not to will, j for I havo my reason unimpaired. I M know what I ought to do, but strength fll fails mo when I ought to act." , Bj The cuso of the magistrate, however, j is hardly as strango us that recorded ' by Trof. J. 11. Ucnnett of a man who m could not carry out what ho wished to H porform, oven to tho simplest acts of fl! daily life. Bi Often, on endeavoring to undress, Bj this man was two hours before ho could fl B his coat off. All his mental fueul- fli tles were perfect, but his will whs im- Wp paired. ' |