Madness and delirium
To be more particular: suppose a soul, however holy, to dwell in a distempered body. Suppose the brain is so thoroughly disordered that raging madness follows: will not all the thoughts be wild and unconnected as long as that disorder continues? Suppose a fever occasions that temporary madness which we term a delirium: can there be any just connection of thought till that delirium is removed? Yea, suppose what is called a nervous disorder to rise to so high a degree as to occasion at least a partial madness: will there not be a thousand wandering thoughts? And must not these irregular thoughts continue as long as the disorder which occasions them?
1771 text
3. *To be more particular. Suppose a soul, however holy, to dwell in a distempered body. Suppose the brain be so throughly disordered, as that raging madness follows: will not all the thoughts be wild and unconnected, as long as that disorder continues? Suppose a fever occasions that temporary madness, which we term a delirium, can there be any just connection of thought, ’till that delirium is removed? Yea, suppose what is called a nervous disorder, to rise to so high a degree, as to occasion at least a partial madness, will there not be a thousand wandering thoughts? And must not these irregular thoughts continue, as long as the disorder which occasions them?