discussion of Aaron Kosminski's psychological profile

[Chris]

Just to recap: Kosminski"s doctors did not refer to masturbation in the summary of symptoms for his diagnosis.

I really don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this, but the fact is that Jacob Cohen's statement about self-abuse is included in the list of symptoms on which Dr Houchin founded his conclusion that Aaron Kozminski was insane, under the heading "Facts communicated by others." Obviously someone later singled this as the supposed cause of insanity - we don't know who did that or on what basis. You're correct in saying it's not otherwise mentioned in the surviving records.

[Natalie Severn]

Chris,
Just to recap: Kosminski"s doctors did not refer to masturbation in the summary of symptoms for his diagnosis.They stick quite rigorously to addressing the type of hallucinations and delusions he was experiencing .Later notes make no mention of it at all.
The references to masturbation arise from statements made by his family.

[Chris]

I think the actual text is "Widal test negative"... ie it was a test for typhoid.

Yes, that's correct. I posted some corrections to these transcripts a while ago on the "A to Z" thread:

[p. 270]

The extract on pp. 270, 271, like the notes on pp. 271, 272, are from the Colney Hatch Case Book Male Side new series no 20 (LMA H12/CH/B13/39), not the admission register.

[p. 271]

Two sentences are omitted from the summary of Cohen's information, after "He took up a knife and threatened the life of his sister":
"He says that he is ill and his cure consists in refusing food. He is melancholic, practises self-abuse."

Doctors' names and addresses aside:

In the note about his condition on admission, his instinct is said to be probably "aural hallucination," not "mental hallucination."

[p. 272]

The entry for 15.4.12 reads "Widal test negative," not "Didn't test negative." (This is a test for enteric fever.)

[p. 273]

I read the entry for 13.3.19 as "Ha[s?] right hip broken down," and the final entry as "sore on left hip & left leg."

[robhouse]

I think the actual text is "Widal test negative"... ie it was a test for typhoid.

[corey123]

Hello Observer,

I am neutral in this matter. I believe you, and Maria, are right.

However, we may not be able to diagnose his disorder, but we may make a striking conclusion of his mental state.

[Observer]

Hello all,
from the Colney Hatch/Leavesden records that Corey so kindly posted, what most plainly jumps out to me is that Aaron Kosminski seems to have suffered from frequent “mixed states“. I can't even dream of thinking of being in a position to “diagnose“ him, but his symptoms appear to me as more typical for schizophrenia (possibly of the paranoid or undifferentiated kind) than for a very pronounced mixed state of bipolar disease -which is extremely rare anyway, as manic depression usually tends to fluctate between different states of mind over longer time frames than Kosminski's records document.
PS. I find the suggestion of ergot poisoning fascinating (but quite a bit far fetched as theories go!).

Hi Maria

I think you've hit the nail on the head, it is impossible to diagnose Kosminski now, Barnaby, who is after all a qualified psychologist said as much in post 5. I do agree with you however that Kosminski more than likely suffered from schizophrenia, as opposed to bipolar disorder.

Observer

[Tecs]

Hello Tecs,


What an interesting fact. I never thought of that. I have to admitt, however that the entry for the date 15.4.12 is in the 2010 edition of the A-Z. Signed by a FH.

Yours truly

Ah.

I haven't got the new A-Z, I'm still using the 1991 edition for two reasons:- 1 it's a signed copy! and 2, it is of course unpolluted by any Maybrick nonsense! So is a nice document to have! And there are plenty of other research tools available to double check things.

I'll have a look at Begg's book tomorrow. (Later today!)

Regards,

[corey123]

Hello Tecs,


What an interesting fact. I never thought of that. I have to admitt, however that the entry for the date 15.4.12 is in the 2010 edition of the A-Z. Signed by a FH.

Yours truly

[Tecs]

15.4.12 Didn't test negative. FH

[/I]

Hi Corey,

I haven't got time to check as it's late and I'm off to bed in a minute! But I'm sure in Begg's book he lists Aaron's bi-yearly reports as you have above and in the 15/4/1912 entry it says nothing.

I always thought that this was an interesting bit of history as of course that is the day that the Titanic sank and I've always imagined the asylum staff sitting around discussing this amazing story and forgetting about poor Aaron.

I don't know if the story would have been available that early to them though with the limited communications of the time (no Sky news then) but it stood out, as it was the only entry missing.

Is Begg wrong? If you got the above entry directly from the records then I bow to your superior research!

Kind regards,

[mariab]

Hello all,
from the Colney Hatch/Leavesden records that Corey so kindly posted, what most plainly jumps out to me is that Aaron Kosminski seems to have suffered from frequent “mixed states“. I can't even dream of thinking of being in a position to “diagnose“ him, but his symptoms appear to me as more typical for schizophrenia (possibly of the paranoid or undifferentiated kind) than for a very pronounced mixed state of bipolar disease -which is extremely rare anyway, as manic depression usually tends to fluctate between different states of mind over longer time frames than Kosminski's records document.
PS. I find the suggestion of ergot poisoning fascinating (but quite a bit far fetched as theories go!).

[Marlowe]

Hi

You would think that frequent masturbation would raise histamine -- so I wonder if his levels were actually very low, meaning he had an excess of copper?

Perhaps that explains why he felt "controlled"....possibly. Excess copper?
All we can do is guess.

Thanks for your reply Mike...I find that subject more interesting than the copper-blooded Kosminski....

Marlowe

[corey123]

Lat posting:

Register of Patients Leavesden Asylum[loose papers]
1894.

Name:Aaron Kosminski
Date of Admission:19 April 1894
Parish:Mile End
Religion:Jew
Age on Admission:29
Mental Diagnosis: Dem Sec [Secondary Dementia]

1.4.14 Patient has hallucinations of sight and hearing, is very excitable and troublesome at times, very untidy, bodily condition fair.

1.3.15 No improvement.

1.11.15 Patient has a cut over left eye caused by and knock on tap in washhous.

8.7.16 No improvement.
5.4.17 No improvement.
26.5.18 Patient put to be passing oos motions with blood and mucous.
27.5.18 Transferred to 8a.
3.6.18 Diarrhoea ceased. Ordered by Dr.Reese.
28.1.19 Put to be with swollen feet
20.2.19 put to be with swollen feet and feeling unwell. Temp 99.
13.3.19 Hip broken down
22.3.19 Taken little nourishment during day, but very noisy.
23.3.19 Appears very low. Partaken of little nourishmen during the day.
24.3.19 Died in my presence at 5.05a.m. Marks on body, sore right hip and left leg. Sighned S. Bennett, night attendant.

[corey123]

Continuation:

1892 Jan 9: Incoherent; at tomes excited & violent- a few days ago he too up a chair, and attempted to strike the charge attendant: apathetic as a rule, and refuses to occupy himself in any way; habitys cleanly. health fair. Wm Seward

Nov 17: Quiet and well behaved. Only speaks German[?Yiddish.]. Does no work. Cecil J. Beadles

1893 Jan 18: Chronic Mania: intelligence imaired; at times noisy, excited & incoherent; unoccupied; haibts cleanly.; health fair. Wm Seward

April 8: Incoherent; quiet lately, health fair. Cecil J. Beadles

Sept 18: Indolent, but quiet and clean in habits, never employed. Answeres questions concerning himself. Cecil J. Beadles

April 19th Discharged.Relieve.Leavesden. Wm Seward
(Middlesex Asylum. Conley Hatch. Male Patients Day Book. New Series. No.20)

His notes from the Leavesden Case, registered in the London Metroploitan Archives:

10.9.10: Faulty in his habits, he does nothing useful & cannot answer questions of a simple nature. BH poor. AKM

29.911: Patient is dull & vacant. Fauly & unhealthy in habits. Does nothing useful. Nothing can be got by questions. B H weak. H.C.S

15.4.12 Didn't test negative. FH

6.9.12: No replies can be got; dull & stupid in manner & faulty in his habits. Requires constant attention. BH weak. AKM

16.1.13: Patient is morose in manner. No sensible reply can be got by questions. He mutters incohernetly. Faulty and untidy in his habits. BH weak. AKM

16.7.14 Incoherent and excitable: troublesome at times:Hallucinations of hearing. Untidy. BH fair. G.P.

14.2.15:Pat merely mutters when asked quesitons. He has hallucinations of sight and hearing and is very excitable at times. Does not work. Clean but untidy in dress. BH fair. DNG

2.2.16: Patient does not know his age or how long he has been here. He has hallucinations of sight and hearing & is at times very obstinate. Untidy but clean, does no work, B.H. good/ JM

[corey123]

Hello Pontius,

I respectfully agree with thtat sir. I would also say, that being the case, we have discussed schizophrenia a bit, how about some discussion on Manic Depression?

Also, what records do we have of Aaron Ksominsky? As found in the A-Z(2010) I wish to transcribe the colney hatch records for the sake of investigation. I am sure you agree, Ponius, that this is wise?

Admission no.11,190
Date of Admission:7th February 1891
Date of Continuation of reception Order: 8th, Jan, 1893
Christian and Surname at length: Arron Kozminsky
Sex:Male
Age:26
Condition of Life and previous occupatino:Hair-dresser
Previous place of Abod:16 Greenfield St., Mile End.
Union, County, or Borough to which chargable: Mile End
By whose Authority sent the dates of Medical Cerificates: H.C Chambers
and by whom sighned: 6th Feb.1891. E.K. Houchin
Form of mental disorder:Mania
Supposed cause of Insanity
Bodily condition and name of disease if any :fair
Duration of existing attacks:six months
Age on first attack:25
Date of discharge, removal, or death:19.4.94

Middlesex county Lunatic Asylum, Colney Hatch Register of Admission. Males. Vol.3, f.31
Regd.No. of Admission:11,190
Duration of existing attack:6 months[added in red] six years
Suppposed cause:unknown[added in red] self-abuse.
Subject to Epilespy:no
Suicidal:no
Dangerous to others:no.

Facts indication insanity observed by Medical Man,

He declares that he is guided and his movements altogether controlled by an instinct that informs his mind, he says that he knows the movements of all mankind, he refuses foof from others because he is told to do so, and he eats out of the gutter for the same reason.

2. Other facts indicating insanity communicated by others:

Jacob Cohen, 51 Carter Lane, St Paul's EC says that he goes about the streets and picks up bits of bread out of the gutter and eats them, he drinks water fro the tap & he refuses food at the hands of others. He took up a knife and threatened the life of his sister. He is very dirty and will not be washed. He has not attempted any kild of work for years.

Signed E.M. Houchin
23 Hugh St. Stephney

Form of Disorder:Mania
Obserations

Ward 9.B3.10:
On admission patient is extremely deluded & morose. as mentioned in the certificate he believes that all his actions are dominated by an 'Instinct'. This is probally a mental hallucination. Answers questions fairly but is inclined to be reticent and morose. Health fair. F. Bryant

1891 Feb 10: Is rather difficult to with on accounts of the dominant character of his delusions. Refuses to be bathed the other day as his 'Instinct' forbade him. F.Bryant

April 21: Incoherent, apathetic, unoccupied; still has the same 'instinctive' objection to the weekly bath; health fair. Wm Seward.


If needed I shall continue.

[Pontius2000]

What I am trying to say is, when you have a case where psychosis is present, you must rule out certain disorders to present a concrete case for manic depression.

And the same is true that to diagnose schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, a concrete case would have to be made to rule out bipolar disorder. There's honestly not enough known info to rule one out from the others, other than hypersexuality is more commonly linked to bipolar and schizoaffective disorder than to schizophrenia. that, really though, is probably not a very important point in this particular case.

However, it is very safe to say that Kosminski had a mood affective disorder. And that is really the most important point of all, that he had a personality affective disorder and was not an imbecile.