Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Beetle-Hunter
"Mypoorbrother-in-lawisoneofthebestfellowsuponearth,alovinghusbandandanestimablefather,buthecomesfromastockwhichisdeeplytaintedwithinsanity.Hehasmorethanoncehadhomicidaloutbreaks,whicharethemorepainfulbecausehisinclinationisalwaystoattacktheverypersontowhomheismostattached.Hissonwassentawaytoschooltoavoidthisdanger,andthencameanattemptuponmysister,hiswife,fromwhichsheescapedwithinjuriesthatyoumayhaveobservedwhenyoumetherinLondon.Youunderstandthatheknowsnothingofthematterwhenheisinhissoundsenses,andwouldridiculethesuggestionthathecouldunderanycircumstancesinjurethosewhomhelovessodearly.Itisoften,asyouknow,acharacteristicofsuchmaladiesthatitisabsolutelyimpossibletoconvincethemanwhosuffersfromthemoftheirexistence.
"Ourgreatobjectwas,ofcourse,togethimunderrestraintbeforehecouldstainhishandswithblood,butthematterwasfullofdifficulty.Heisarecluseinhishabits,andwouldnotseeanymedicalman.Besides,itwasnecessaryforourpurposethatthemedicalmanshouldconvincehimselfofhisinsanity;andheissaneasyouorI,saveontheseveryrareoccasions.But,fortunately,beforehehastheseattackshealwaysshowscertainpremonitorysymptoms,whichareprovidentialdanger-signals,warningustobeuponourguard.Thechiefoftheseisthatnervouscontortionoftheforeheadwhichyoumusthaveobserved.Thisisaphenomenonwhichalwaysappearsfromthreetofourdaysbeforehisattacksoffrenzy.
