At the general meeting of the British Medical Association, held at Belfast last autumn, I read a paper in the Psychological Section “On Insanity connected with Spasmodic Asthma.” In that paper I described some cases as appearing “to point to an occasional connection between Insanity and Spasmodic Asthma, the nature of which seems to be—if the term may be allowed —metastatic, or alternating.” I also stated that though I was aware Dr. Savage had had some cases of a similar nature, yet up to that date the subject had excited little attention, and no mention of it was to be found in English medical literature.

The important clinical researches on Epilepsy during the last decade have contributed to afford a sound criterium for a correct discernment of the curious physical phenomena connected with this dreadful neurosis, in cases where it becomes of great moment, for a legal decision, to establish the positive grounds for a just estimate of the sanity or insanity of a culpable act committed by an epileptic. To the important bearing of the matter to be here briefly discussed, we have been fully alive for many years past, laying upon it particular stress, in the light in which we present it, as our contributions on the subject testify.

Few, I think, will attempt to deny that it is desirable that all medical students should attend a course of lectures on the important subject of Mental Disease. And further, that these lectures should be compulsory, no matter what the university or medical school may be at which the students matriculate, or where they may intend to take their degrees or diplomas. Some there are who may object to these lectures being compulsory, for the reason that this course of lectures would be the addition of another subject to the already lengthened curriculum of medical studies. I think we are all agreed that the medical student of the present day has enough, and more than enough, of subjects to occupy the short term of four years that is usually allotted to his studies.