The Wilmingtonian., 1823-11-06
EFFECT OF IMAGINATION.

A youth of sixteen Of weekly constitution
and delicate nerves, but in other respects quite
healthy, quilted his room in the dusk OF the eve
ming, but suddenly returned, with face as pale
Jas leath and looks be,raying the greatest terror,
and in trcnulous voice, told fellow student
who lived in the same room with him, that he
SHOULD die at nine o'clock in the morning of the
LAY after the next. His companion naturally con.
lsiIered this sudden transformation Of cheerful
youth to candidate for t e grave as very extra
lordinarv, he enquired the cause of this notion,
land as he other declined to satisfy his curiosity,
lhe strovc at least 10 laugh him ont oft HIS ef-
Forts, however, were unavaiing All the answer
lhe could obtain from his comrade was, that his
ldeaih was certain and inevitable. 4 number Of
lwell meaning friends assembled about him, and
lcntleavoured 10 wean him from this idea By lively
conversation, jokes, and even satircsl remarks.
!ie sat rnong them with gloomy, thoughtful
Hook took no share in discourse, sighed. and at
'llength grew angry when they began TO rally him.
IL was hoped that sleep would ,lispel this melan-
lcholy mood, bu, he never closed his eyes, aud his
thoughts were engaged all night with his ap
'Iproaching decease. Early next morning, was
sent for. found, in fact, the most singular sight
lin the word--a person in good health making all
lthe arrangements for his funeral, taking afiect
ling leave Of his friends, and writing letter to
This father, to acquain, him with his approaching
-Idissolu'ion, and to bid him farewell examined
Ithe state of his body, and found nothing unusual
bui the psleness of his face, yes dull and rather
|inhamed with weeping, GOODNESS Of the extremi
tiles, and low contracted pulse-indications of 6
general cramp of the nerves, which was sui
'IcieDtly manifested in the state ut his mind. len
,1leavoured. therefore, to convince him, by the
lmost powerful arguments, of the futility Of his
lno,ion, and to prove that person whose bodily
lhesl'h was so good. had no reason whatever tc
lapprehend speedy death in short, cxerted al
ln,y eoquence, and my professional knowledge
without making the slightest impression flt
Willingly admitted that I, as physician, conlt
mot discover any cause of death in him; but this
> lhe commended, was the peculiar circumstance o
Ibis case. that without any natural cause, merel,
flor an unaterable decree of Fate, his death mus
I ensue; and though he could not expect us t.
share this conviction, still it is equally certain
hat it would be verified BY the event Of the fol
flowing day. All that | could do, therefore, wa
10 tell him, that under these circumstances.
must treat him as person labonring under di
D sease, and prescribe medicine accordingly 'Fer,
pIwell,' replied he, 'but you i'll see not only tha
= lyour medicine will not do me any good, but tia
they will not operate at ALL
There was no time TO be lost, for had only 9
hours left to effect a cure. I therefore Judged
y it best to employ powerful remedies in order t
r release him from this bondage 0f his imagination
n With this view, a very strong emetc and cathal
7itic were administered, and blsers applied to bot
Thighs. He submitted to every thing, but witt
the assurance that his body already halfhead
D land the remedies would be Of no use. Accord
9 s|ingly, to my utter astonishment, learned whe
called in the evening, that the emetlc had takel
but little or no effect, and that the bisters ha
'-lnot even turned the skin red. He now triumph
ed over our ncredulity, and deduced from this in
yIe fficacy of the remedies the strongest conviction
that he was already little better than corpse
4 10 me the case began to assume very seriou
u|aspect. ] saw how powerfully the state of tn
slmlnd had affected the body, and what degree q
J. -'nsensibility it had produced, and had Just rea
e son to apPrehend, that an imagination which ha
!. Produced the bodyto such an extremity, was capa
BILE OF carrying matters to still greater lengths.
Z All our enquiries, as to the cause of his belief
J, Ihad hitherto proved ahortive He now discose
tito one OF his friends but in the strictest conf
q dence, that the preceding evening, on quittnI
. his room. he had seen figure in white, whic
= srIbeckoned to him, and at the same moment
'I|voice pronounced the words 1.-THE day afie
d TOMORROW, at nine in the morning, thou shal
n die! and the fate thus predicted, nothing coul'
enable him TO escape. He now proceeded to Sc
his house in order, made his will, and gave par
''ticular directions for his funeral, specifying VIII
l. were TO carry and who were to follow him to th
,|grave. He even insisted on receiving the sacra
,f|ment--a wish, however, which those about hin
q evaded complying with Night came on, and h
.began to count the hours he had yet to live, til
II the fatal nine the next morning, and every TIM
the clock struck. his anxiety evidently increased
i began to be more apprehensiye for the result
r recollected also the feigned execution, which
had once witnessed-when he criminal, after
solemn trial, wss sentenced to be beheaded, aI1t
)when, in cxpectation Of tine fatal blow, his necl
glwas struck with swftch, on which he fell llfsles