It is manifestly impossible to enter into the manifold forms and
instances of insanity in this volume, but there is one case,
seldom quoted, which may be of interest. It appeared under the
title, "A Modern Pygmalion." It recorded a history of a man named
Justin, who died in the Bicetre Insane Asylum. He had been an
exhibitor of wax works at Montrouge, and became deeply impressed
with the beautiful proportions of the statue of a girl in his
collection, and ultimately became intensely enamored with her. He
would spend hours in contemplation of the inanimate object of his
affections, and finally had the illusion that the figure, by
movements of features, actually responded to his devotions.
Nemesis as usual at last arrived, and the wife of Justin,
irritated by his long neglect, in a fit of jealousy destroyed the
wax figure, and this resulted in a murderous attack on his wife
by Justin who resented the demolition of his love. He was finally
secured and lodged in Bicetre, where he lived for five years
under the influence of his lost love.
An interesting condition, which has been studied more in France
than elsewhere, is double consciousness, dual personality, or, as
it is called by the Germans, Doppelwahrnehmungen.
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