19 August.--Strange and sudden change in Renfield last night. About eight o'clock he began to get excited and sniff about as a dog does when setting. The attendant was struck by his manner, and knowing my interest in him, encouraged him to talk. He is usually respectful to the attendant and at times servile, but tonight, the man tells me, he was quite haughty. Would not condescend to talk with him at all.
All he would say was, "I don't want to talk to you. You don't count now. The master is at hand."
The attendant thinks it is some sudden form of religious mania which has seized him. If so, we must look out for squalls, for a strong man with homicidal and religious mania at once might be dangerous. The combination is a dreadful one.
Sniff about: To smell around inquisitively or searchingly. Setting: (Of a hunting dog) adopting a fixed, motionless stance upon detecting game. Struck by: Strongly impressed, surprised, or affected by something. Servile: Very submissive, eager to serve, or showing extreme politeness. Haughty: Arrogantly superior and disdainful; showing too much pride. Condescend: To act as though one is doing something beneath one's dignity or social rank. At hand: Nearby, approaching, or imminent.
Religious mania: An old fashioned psychiatric term for obsessive, unhinged religious delusion. Seized: Taken hold of suddenly or overwhelmed by a force, emotion, or illness. Look out for squalls: A nautical idiom meaning to prepare for imminent trouble, sudden conflict, or difficulty. Homicidal: Having or showing a violent inclination or tendency toward murder. Dreadful: Causing great fear, shock, or severe distress.
