Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1893 — “Great Wit Akin to Madness Lies.” [ARTICLE]

“Great Wit Akin to Madness Lies.”

| Whether or not all great gen"lfiSfes were not really crazy is aquestion that all the doctors will one day Jfind a very interesting problem. To judge from some of their symptoms su ch seems to be the case. Mohammed was an epileptic, so also was Peter the Great and Julius Cmsar. Napoleon had long faintiug fits that greatly resembled catalepsy Isaac Newton was so nervous that he impressed those about him as being half crazed. Byron was at times undoubtedly insane. Pascal had fits. Luther saw visions; so did Ben Jonson. Dante was a hypochondriac. Michael Angelo at times appeared inspired or deranged, whichever you please. Victor Hugo was exceedingly peculiar, and no wonder, for on his mother's side he had a crazy uncle and several mad cousins, and his brother and his daughter were both lunatics. The dividing line between genius and insanity appears to be almost imperceptible.