The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-11-01
| From Die Quarterly Rtricp,t No. ss.I
SINGULAR NARRATIVE.

Dr.. kIfp's first cssay ION Nervous If
leeilons) considers the question how far
Nervous diseases can be resisted by .le
will. Patients are told not 10 give way to
their complaints and Buchan conclude.
the treatment af hypochondriacism by ad-
vlsIng thr sufferer above all things TO keep
UP ms spirits--as ii the essence Of the ma
lady did moi consist in inability TO do so.
DIR. Roid, however, cites some strange IN
sinnees of The power Of the will over The
actions of the body particularly, thu fol-
lowing extraordinary narrative;
Or, Cheyne in one of his medical trea-
ilses, nsrra'es case, the accuracy Of which
Is established by an irrefragablc comhnp
lion of evidence, of man THAI could dr..
20 all appearances, at any time ne chose
aud after having lain for considerable Pc
rlod exactly as u corpse, was able, il seem
cd, by a voluntary effort, Ia restore to him
sell the appearance and all the functions OF
animation aud inlellcts II is to be infer
red from tbr latter part OF the story, that
the nnnainrl and pannA cxertons by
which this person assumed the appearance
OF lecease, produced at length a fatal re-
suit Death would no longer be Knocked
with IMMUNITY. The counterfeit corpse, a
few hours after his last revival, relapsed in
Ia state which was capable of no longer
restiseitaton. But the case is so interrs-
ting and tenlalkaIl. ~ TO deserve our s-
wing II in all the detail with which Or.
theyne presents IL 10 his readers.
lie could hie ar expire when he nlsa-
scd and yet, by an effort, or somehow, he
could conne to life again lie insisted 40
much upon aur seeing the trial made, that
we were nj last forced To comply. We all
three felt his pulse fsts II was distinct.
tho small aud thready, and his heart had
its usual heating. lie composed himself
on his back, and lay in still posture foe
= me tune. While ] held his ri,,ht hand,
Dr. Hayward laid his hand on his heart, and
Mr.. Shrine held a clear looking glass tohfs
mouth. ! found his p,il,c sink gradually.
I'LL nj last could not feel The least motion
IN his heart, nor could Mr.. Shrine perceive
thu l.aI sort of breath on the bright mir
ror held 10 his mouth. Then each ofus by
turns examined his arm, aud breath but
could not, by the incest scrutiny, discover
IN him the least symptom Of life. We
reasoned a long time, rs well ns we could,
aboni this odd appearance aud finding be
continued IN thai stnte, began to conclude
that he carried the experiment too far. At
last we were satisfied that he actually was
dead, and were ready TO leave him. This
continued hall an hour. BY ninc o'clock
N the morning US we were going away we
observed some motion about the body,
aud, upon examination found his puise and
the motion of his heart gradually returning;
he began 10 breathe gently and speak soli-
~. We were nstonished at this uncxpce-
led change, and after some further CONVEX
satlon with him and with each other, won't
away fully satisfied as to all the particulars
ofthis fact, but mol able 10 account for il.
lie afterwards called for an attorney, ad,
ded u codicil TO his will, aud calmly and
cornposedly died, about OF o'clock that
evening"