De Nardo v. De Nardo

We are concerned, in this case for annulment of a marriage, with the meaning of the words “ lunatic ” and 11 lunacy ’ ’. Formerly insane persons were divided into two categories: lunatics who, having been of sound mind, have lost their reason and were supposed to enjoy lucid periods, and idiots, who were without understanding from birth (1 Blackstone’s Comm., 302-304). In the trial of this case-the Trial Justice used and defined “ lunatic ” as a person of unsound mind who is mentally deranged but may have intermittent lucid intervals. But in this lawsuit the term has a meaning defined by…