Feeding the Beast

[A.P. Wolf]

My first thought on reading the Broadmoor files on THC - and my thanks to Robert for sourcing and sending them - is that it sounds very much like he was suffering from Hyperthyroidism... the bulging eyes, insomnia, weight loss and his obvious Photophobia.
This would explain much of his known behaviour up to 1891 - and later.
What really strikes me though is that it does seem he may have been Autistic, and this would really help to explain his bouts of extreme violence followed by long periods of relative calm.
I'm aware that the subject of violence and Autism is a sensitive one today, but I would remind people that we discuss the LVP where such conditions were either unknown or seriously misunderstood.
I myself am mildly Autistic which allows me to speed read documents with astonishing rapidity, for instead of reading words I see the rivers that run through the words, and the word I seek as a stone in that river.
The curious mannerisms and speech defaults in the Autistic do also seem to sit nicely with Thomas, as they do with me... and just like many Autistic souls I am prone to extreme outbursts of self destructive behaviour which - when not controlled are likely to split families and communities - and then can sometimes harm those around the afflicted soul in a terrible manner.

[A.P. Wolf]

This quote from a case history of an autistic soul grabbed my attention:

'the violent interaction had become a ritual. It was consistent and predictable. It gave order to his otherwise chaotic and disorganized interactions and provided him with attention from another person. Often, people with autism would like some kind of attention, but they have no clear idea how to get it, how to control it, or what to do with it once they have it. Joe had unintentionally played a part in positively reinforcing Kevin’s behavior, by giving Kevin the reaction that Kevin wanted when Kevin kicked him.
After years of escalating violence, Kevin began a period of intense swings from generally compliant and engaged, to occasionally very violent...'

[Robert Linford]

Hi AP

It could be that Jack was trying to establish some kind of order by killing these women - to compensate for disorder in other areas of his life - and that these women simply crossed his path on days of maximum disorder, i.e. when he most needed to reassert order, or his own identity, or his sanity....

[A.P. Wolf]

You mirror my thoughts, Robert.
This quote expands them:


07/12/2006
Teenager with Asperger's syndrome jailed for 20 years for knife attack on classmate
MUNCIE, Indiana, USA: A teenager with Asperger's syndrome who pleaded guilty in a knife attack on a high-school classmate was sentenced to 20 years in prison on December 7.
Travis A. Marlett, 18, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in August to a felony charge of criminal confinement in exchange for prosecutors dismissing a more serious charge of attempted murder and battery with a deadly weapon.
He was charged with attacking Leigh Ann Vorhees in a Muncie Central High School classroom in Sepember 2005. Vorhees, then 16, suffered a 4-inch cut across her neck and needed stitches for hand wounds. She was released from a hospital within hours after the attack.
Police said the attack had happened after the boy complained of stomach pains and was excused from class to go to the nurse's office. Instead, he went into a classroom where Vorhees was working as a teacher's helper but was alone after the teacher left to make copies. Police said he got a tissue, left and then returned and attacked her from behind.
Vorhees and her family were present at the sentencing hearing in Delaware Circuit Court but did not speak.
"It was a good resolution, not having to put the victim through the stresses of a trial," Deputy Prosecutor Mark McKinney said.
Special Judge Peter Haviza of Randolph County imposed the maximum penalty, but Marlett will receive mental health treatment during his time in prison. Experts previously testified that Marlett suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism that causes people to have narrow and excessive interests. A psychologist testified that Marlett's interests included knives and swords.Police officers found about 50 knives in the boy's bedroom during a search of his home.
(Source: Associated Press, December 7, 2006)

[A.P. Wolf]

And, wait for it, there is a study coming up soon that reckons that almost all of the serial killers in the USA were autistic.

[Natalie Severn]

One important feature of autism in children is their narcissism.They need to see their reflections in a mirror----and according to the story about the old man that was thrown down the stairs---Thomas Cutbush spent a lot of time looking at his own reflection.

[A.P. Wolf]

That's a damn good point, Natalie:

'
People suffering from Asperger’s Disorder lack empathy, are sensitive to the point of paranoid ideation, and are rigid with some obsessive-compulsive behaviors—all features of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. As a result, their social skills are impaired and their social interactions thwarted. The presenting symptoms of both disorders are very similar. It is easy to misinterpret the Asperger’s body language as haughtiness, for instance. Still, scholars today regard Asperger as part of a "schizoid spectrum" in common with the Schizoid Personality Disorder rather than the narcissistic one.'

Interesting is that the narcissist has what are termed 'mega-cycles' of mood swings that can last for months and even years.
What do you know.

[Robert Linford]

I'm wondering if Thomas felt that he looked odd - after all, his strange appearance is noted in newspaper articles and even the Broadmoor records. Such a person might have been bullied at school (hence the Broadmoor reference about protecting boys from bullying) and he might also spend time gazing in mirrors to assure himself he looked OK. His preference for night time activity when most people were abed would also fit.

[A.P. Wolf]

Indeed, Robert.
apparently it is quite common for those suffering from 'bulging eyes' to socially isolate themselves, shunning and avoiding contact with others, and venturing abroad late at night where they feel there is no danger of being seen. This is also met with in autistics who are unable to relate to others in a normal fashion, for instance being unable to recognise the difference in body language between a threat and a friendly gesture, thereby making everyone the 'enemy', even including very close family members.
One could imagine the reaction of a young man, suffering from such a condition, with a knife in his sheath to the 'friendly' approaches of a stranger. Unable to determine the quality and nature of what he was doing, he may have remarked that he was just 'laying them out'.

[Blade AM]

What kind of stuff is in them files? Anything about the Jack the Ripper killings or any pictures? Or just medical notes and that?

Cheers.

[A.P. Wolf]

Robert
there is a link between thyroid related illness and asthma.
But where did Thomas ever get the idea from that tinned sardines contained mercury?
Sardines contain the lowest level of mercury of any fish.

[Robert Linford]

AP, could he have imagined the tin coming into play?

Blade, just medical notes.

[A.P. Wolf]

Ah, Robert, HMS Terror and all that, then?

[Robert Linford]

He doubtless had trouble finding any of the passages in Broadmoor, AP. I can't really suggest anything. Nowadays it's a tuna scare.

[A.P. Wolf]

Indeed, Robert, he probably didn't bother with passages, just threw himself out of the bathroom window.
But remember Thomas didn't like lead, he wrote to the long suffering Dr Brookes in November of 1888 complaining of lead poisoning.
And Thomas knew his onions, and sardines, just like he knew his 'Terror'.
My thanks to Amanda for the following quote:

'In the 1800’s, the tin can was created which was made of a combination of lead and tin. A sheet of tin was rolled out and then formed into a cylinder shape. The ends overlapped each other and then were soldered inside and out. A flanged top with a filler hole was placed on the top of the can and soldered on. The can was then filled with the food product, either soup, meat or vegetables. The tin was next placed in boiling water, which included a trace of calcium chloride to bring up the cooking temperature. Lastly the food was capped while it was still hot so that when the tin cooled it formed a vacuum to prevent spoiling. The solder that sealed the tins was made of a combination of ten percent tin and ninety percent lead. Canners used lead because it did not melt the way most metals did, it did not "run" while it was hot. The lead used in the solder was a deadly choice; however at that time, lead was nothing more than a useful material to work with.
Lead is a poisonous material with deadly consequences. Lead causes lead poisoning, which affects the body in many severe ways: delusion, weakness of muscles and bones and the inability to make good decisions. With a combination of other factors lead caused the deaths of the 129 men aboard the Franklin expedition. A study by Owen Beatie[1] (http://www.jtrforums.com/l%20_ftn1) was done to prove that lead poisoning was one of the main killers of the men aboard this expedition. With the help of forensic scientists, Beatie was able to test the hair of the bodies that were perfectly preserved in ice; the results were astonishing. One man had a reading of over 200 ppm (parts per million) of lead in his hair follicles. This is over 100 times the acceptable amount. The men’s’ bones were also tested for traces of lead and high levels were found. There is simply too much scientific evidence to discount the thought of lead being their killer.'

[Robert Linford]

Having looked at the relevant page again, I now think Thomas meant that he would eat sardines instead of his Broadmoor food, because he believed they were poisoning his food with mercury.