This excitement of the depressing and exhilarating passions alternately, is the most striking characteristic of the insane. It is true, that both these states or stages of the disease, if long continued and not well managed, are necessarily followed by a third state of exhaustion. The systems of body and mind are wholly worn out by exertion, and require rest to recruit and manifest their renewed power, but changes from one state to another is only a partial exhaustion; another class of feelings become active, while the former are suspended, so that the melancholy and “high state” are for the most part, states of mind or changes in the direction of its energies, and not that the melancholy have less than the furiously malignant or joyous maniac, of that power which is equally necessary to mental activity of every description. For instance, I have known the same person sent at one time as patient under the influence of religious melancholy, originating in erroneous extreme Calvinistic views; and at another period in the most joyous state of religious excitement, from having come under the influence of extreme Arminian views. On the same principle, I have by the most laborious process of argumentation and the statement of what I conceive right views, produced a counter-impression, given another character and form to the disease, and in some cases, on this principle, effected a cure. {18} As these cases are much more common, and these views of much more importance than mankind, or even medical men imagine; and as many who possess a susceptible constitution of mind, similar to those whose cases I have described, are living in the world in this fearful and continual state of mental excitation, and of course, may be on the verge of the same precipice, it is right they should be warned of the danger to which they expose themselves. It need scarcely be mentioned, that the present constitution of society is not in a healthy state. It is not bound together by that order and sympathy which should exist, but on the contrary, discord and disseverment prevail to an extent which seem to threaten its decomposition and destruction. But too many individuals are intoxicated with the fury of their various passions and inordinate desires, and mad with the endless anxieties and reverses they produce. One part of society, as well as one part of the mind, is at war with another. I wish it, however, to be particularly observed, because I shall have to revert to the fact hereafter, that it is not so much these exciting causes, or even the sad effects of these feverish and wasting passions, that are in themselves so dreadful and fatal, as they are when accompanied or followed by the conflicts and condemnations of conscience. Wherever there is the endeavour to overturn and sacrifice some confirmed and good principle, that which is lowest is encouraged to struggle for pre-eminence, and the mind suffers extreme misery and distraction.