Cafard.

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"His madness may turn into a senseless explosion or fit of fury; men suffering from 'cafard' will run a bayonet through their comrade’s body, without any reason, without any outward cause.  Sometimes they rush out into the desert; sometimes they tear every piece of their outfit into rags, just to vex themselves and others thoroughly."

Once more from the Internet web site "Kaiser Cross" and thanks to same yet again a description of what is termed in modern parlance PTSD. Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder. Physiological and psychological breakdown of a soldier a result of extended exposure to extreme conditions of danger and deprivation. 

"The 'Cafard' in the Foreign Legion".

Within the ranks of the French Foreign Legion [FFL] hard and unremitting military duty in the remote areas of the North African desert exacerbated by extreme loneliness and isolation leading to insanity.

“'Le Cafard' is a form of depression . . . The 'Cafard' is described as a depression that feels like a cockroach crawling inside the brain, slowly driving the victim insane."

Those of you interested might want to view this PowerPoint presentation listing all those "WARRELATEDILLNESS" nowadays termed PTSD.

* Nostalgia. [Napoleonic Wars]

* Melancholy. [American Civil War]

* Soldier's Heart. [American Frontier]

* Shell Shock. [World War One]

* Combat Fatigue. [World War Two]

* PTSD. [Vietnam]

coolbert.