DELIRIUM FEBRILE. In Medical Jurisprudence. A form of mental aberra tion incident to febrile diseases, and some times to the last stages of chronic diseases.
2. The aberration is mostly of a subjective cha racter, maintained by the inward activity of the mind rather than by outward impressions. "Re gardless of persons or things around him, and scarcely capable of recognizing them when aroused by his attendants, the patient retires within himself, to dwell upon the scenes and events of the post, which pass before it in wild and disorderly array, while the tongue feebly records the varying impres sions, in the form of disjointed, incoherent discourse, or of senseless rhapsody." Ray, Med. Jur. 346. It comes on gradually, being first manifested by talk ing while asleep, and by a momentary forgetful ness of persons and things on waking. Fully aroused, however, the mind becomes clear and tranquil, and so continues until the return of sleep, when the same incidents recur. Gradually the mental disorder becomes more intense, and the in tervals between its returns of shorter duration, until they disappear altogether. Occasionally the past is revived with wonderful vividness, and ac quirements are displayed which the patient, before his illness, had entirely forgotten. Instances are related of persons speaking in a language which, though aequirei in youth, had long since passed from their memory.
3. The only acts which can possibly be affected by delirium are wills, which are often made in the last illness during the periods when the mind is apparently clear. tinder such circumstances it may he questioned whether the apparent clearness was or was net real; and it is a question not always easily answered. In the early stages of delirium the mind may be quite clear, no doubt, in the in tervals, while it is no less certain that there comes a period at last when no really lucid interval occurs and the mind is reliable at no time. The
person may be still, and even answer questions with some degree of pertinence, while a close ex amination would ahuw the mind to be in a dreamy conditioe and unable to appreciate any nice rela tions. Iu all these cases the question to be mot is, whether the delirium which confessedly existed before the act left upon the mind no trace of its influence; whether the testator, calm, quiet, clear, and coherent fie he seemed, was not quite uncon scious of the nature of the act he was performing. The state of things implied in these questions is not fanciful. In every case it may possibly exist, and the questions must be met.
4. After obtaining all the light which can be thrown on the mental condition of the testator by nurses, servants, and physicians, then the cha racter of the act itself and the circumstances which accompany it require a careful investigation. If it should appear that the mind was apparently clear, and that the net was a rational act rationally done, consistent one part with another, and in ac cordance with wishes or instructions previously express, d, and without any appearance of foreign influence, then it would be established. A different state of things would to that extent raise suspicion and throw discredit on the act. Yet at the very beet it will occasionally happen, so dubious some times are the indications, Ihat the decision will he largely conjectural. 1 Hagg. Lel. 146, 256, 502, 577 ; 2 id. 142 ; 3 id. 790; 1 Lee, Reel. 130; 2 id.
229. See INSANITY.