On the writing Of the Insane

One of the earliest and most intriguing intersections of medicine, psychology, and forensic observation, On the Writing of the Insane by G. Mackenzie Bacon, M.D. offers a pioneering study of how mental illness reveals itself through handwriting, language, and written expression. Published in the late nineteenth century, this groundbreaking work explores the physical and cognitive traces left by disturbed minds on paper—analyzing letters, notes, and documents as mirrors of the psyche.

Drawing on his experience as a physician and asylum superintendent, Bacon presents examples of handwriting by patients suffering from delusion, mania, and melancholia, examining their form, rhythm, and structure as clinical evidence of mental disorder. His observations mark an early attempt to connect neurology, psychiatry, and linguistic behavior, laying the groundwork for what would later become psychological graphology.

At once clinical and compassionate, this study remains a cornerstone in the history of psychiatric diagnosis, revealing how even in madness, the written word becomes a testament to the inner life of the human mind.

Complete edition of G. Mackenzie Bacon’s pioneering 19th-century psychiatric study

Examines handwriting and written language as reflections of mental illness

Among the first works to link graphology and psychiatry

Essential for readers of medical history, psychology, and forensic studies