The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-11-25
POWER or THE IMAGINATION.

sOnc ofthe most striking Instances OF the
amazing influences which the iMmaSinat"n
POSSESSES, not over feelini, merely, but upon
the actual state and functions of the bodily
organization, is ralatcd by professor Hnic-
land; this case is SO interesting, and, we may ,
add, so instructive, that we are tempted not
wthstanding its length, to iay It before our
readers.
I" \ student at Jena, about sixteen years oil
age, havinga weak and irritable nervous
frame, but in other respects healthy, lcit
his apartments during twilight, and sudden /
" returned with pale, dismal countcnahcc,
assuring his companion that he was doomed
to die in thirty-sx hours, or at nine O'Clock
in the morning OF the second dav.-1hls sud |
den change of u cheerful young mind. nat
urally alarmed his friend; but no eAplana-
ton WAS given of It's cause. Every attempt
al ridculing this whimsical notion was FRUIT
less, and he persisted in affirming that his
death was certain and inevitable. numcr-
Gus circle OF his fcliow-stutientS soon assem-
/ b!cd, with view to dispel those gloomy ideas
and to convince him of his folly, by argu-
ncnts, satire and mirth. He remained,
however, mistaken in his strange conviction;
being apparently inanmatc in their compa-
/ ny, and expressing his indignation at the troll
ics and witicisms applied to his peculiar
situation. Nevertheless, it was conicctured
that calm rcpose during the night would
produce Il more favourable change in his
fancy; but alccD was banishcd, and the ap-
proach!ng dissolution cnsrcssed lis attention
during the nocturnal hours. Early next
morning, he sent turprofcssor i!utcland, who
found him employodin making arrangements
Cor his burial taking an aiectiouate leave oi
his friends and on the po'nt OF concluding
4 letter 10 his father: i'll which he aiinoul-
cct the fatal catastrophe that was speedily
TO happen. After examining his co'"!itloh Of
mind and body, the professor could d'scov- :
or TO remarkable deviation from h'a nSa"l
state Of health, excepting a small contracted
palsc, a pale conntenance, dntl on dro"sy
: ewes, and cold cHtremctics these symptoms,
however, sufficiently Indicated general
: spasmodic action Of the nervous system,
which also excrs.d it's influence over the
mental faculties. The most serious reason
ing on the subject, and all the philosophical
and medical eloquencc OF DR. Hufeland had
: not the desired effect and though the stN-
!. dent admitted that there might be no oste'l-
i. sible cause Of death discoverablc, yet this
very circumstance was peculiar to his case
ard such was his ineXorable destiny, that
, he must die next morning, without any v.sl-
= bic morbid symptoms. III this dilemma, l'r
! IIutclaud proposed to treat him as patient
=. i'oli;cness induced the latter to accept 81
such oiicr, br. he assured tho physician tha'
medicines would not operate. AS no tmc
Was to be lost, there being only twcnty-tuui
hours lett soi' his life, DR.. Hufeinnd deemed
Il proper u direct snch remedies rs prove
i powerful e>citai.ts, in o,derto r"sc the vita
9. eAergy Of his pupil, and TO relieve him iroa
K his captiydtcl t..ncy.--Hencc he prcscrihe'
c a strong cmetic and purgativc; ordered blls
ID tcrS to be applied to both calves ct ilIs Icy
1t and ut the same tiae stimulating cly atcrs 4
+ be administered. Quietly submitting to tli
lc doctors treatment, he observed, that hi
Al body being already hall a corpse, all mean
70 Of recovering it would be in vain. lndcc
ID DR.. lInfeand was no little surprised, on hi
n repeating his visit in tho evening, to l2ar
that the cnetic had but vc,,' little operate
m and that the blSttrs had not even rCldcnc
n the shn--I'he case became moro serious
ri and the supposed victim OF death began t
er triumph over the incrcduhty OF the pro!c'
lie sor and his friends Thus circumstances
tc Dr. IIu.cland, saw how deeply and destruc
e lively that mental spaan must have acted u
rr the body, to produce degree Of inscnsibl
e- f. from which the worst consequences mgi
nd be apprchentlcd. All the inquiries into tn
as origin Of this singular belief had hithcif
been unsuccessful. Now uuly, nc disclose
IN, the socrect to one CT his intimate friend
ad namely, that on the preceding evening
.!p met witha Whit. igarc in the passage whit
nodded to him, and, i'll the sane Noment,
heard ayoicc exclaiming---" The day aft
nv tomorrow, at nine O'Clock III the mornin
he thou shalt die lie continued to sctt
lsc his domestic affairs made his will; mnut
iii Il appointed his funeral; and even dcsir
tie, his friends to send for a clergyman; whi'
the request, however, was c0untcrActCd--NiS
tic appeared, and hc began to compute t
orc hours he had to live, till the olunous ne
c. morning. His anxiety evidently incrcas
All With the striking of every clock Will
ned hearing. DR.. Ilulcland was rot without a
piehcns;ons, when he rccollccted insta
IN ccs in which mere imagination had pi
Her ducea melancholy effects; but, as exc
vi thing depended on procrastnating, or ret;
ject ding that hour III which the event was pl
mad dictcd; and ON appcasing the tempest o
lc a pcrturbcd imag gisaton, till reason had ag'
obtained the aSccndancy, he resolved up
i il the following eXpcdicnt. Having a co
H." plasant patient, who refused not to take :
ned remedies prescribed for him, (because
MS. seemed conCuus Of the superior agency
With lis mind over that Of his bodv,) DR.. HG
red land had recourse to iaudanam, combr
rid, with the extract of hen-bean: twenty drc
be- of the former and two grains OF the latt
were given to the youth, with such ctlc
,an- that he fell into profound sleep, from VIII
)uld he did not awake till eleven o'clock on