Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1824-05-06
NO MIRACLE!
Fl ON he Medical Adui

uC IOliOWHIS case was COlutiubiSd
ted to US by gentleman who is never
so enthusiastic in his doctrine as to EN-
belish them with that which dose not
belong to them. Dr., Eusaba de Sell
lie, of whom we speak, treated the
man himself and he related it to US, in
order to. show the benefit OF, humour
ing the patient, as we'll as the proba
BILE use of the shower bath in hypo.
condriac cases The patient was a
Partisan gentleman, about 35 years oil
age, and had suffered mentally from
the death Of a. dearly beloved young
lady, to whom he was to have been
married. He was two years gradu
ally growing more. and more inelan-
choly and emaciated; and would lie
in bed for three, four or five days to
gether regardless of sustenance, which
he took more by the. persuasion Of
friends, than from any call of nature.
The doctor was sent for by his elder
brother, on account of a paper which
he wrote upon hypocondriac having
fallen into the latter's hands. On Wis
ting the patient, the doct or found him
in the state of deep dependency, al
though not of extreme debility. He
said it would be impossible Scr. any
physician to cure him, unless he could
extinguish the fire, which he said was
confined 3, within him. a. At firstil ne
though he. spoke figurative, meaning
the fire of his feelings, but on further
explanation, he proved to the doctor,
that ne meant nothing figurative, but
bona fdc t.rrestial fire. He declar.
ed he could feel the flames beating in
ternaly against his ribs, and fancied
that his breath was the smoke which
assembled from it. He was perfectly
rational on,s every other subject, bit
always showed wish to return to
that of his disorder, of which he would
reason ingeniously. -. The doctor pas
sed an hour in conversation with him
for the first time, and endeavoured
to convince him that the fire could not
possibly exist within him, it would
soon consume him; This the hypocon-
driac met by saying that the reason
why he was net burnt had been be-
cause there wasno- aperture to admit
the air into his breast below, which he
said clearly accounted for the phenom-
enon. Thus would he argue, nor
could all the doctor say convince him
of his. error. Upon /, the second
Wis it, the pacient still more depressed
than on the preceding, and informed
the doctor with a tone Of sorrow, that
he would burst at twelve o'clock the
next day, and be blown to atoms;
that he wished to make bis win, and
to be brought into the court yard a lit
tie before the explosion, IN order that
the house might not catch, :, The doc
tor paused moment as if he had been
digesting the consequences Of the APP.
preaching catastrophe, which he sud
denly addressed the patient in the fol,
lowing manner. "My friend,'' said
he, Il am now convinced that what
you have said is true, but ] think [
have hit upona remedy against go un.
happy accident" This was received
with sigh and shake. of the head
"But," continued the docter,. .'iisten
10 my plan and,I am shure you will
approve it. l propose to have you
taken in the court yard few minutes
before twelve o'clock and on the in
slant that you expect the fire TO burst
out on YOU, quantity of water shall be
poured over you, SO as completely to
extinguish The fire. / have read of a
case similar to yours, which was efec
tually cured by such means; and / have
no doubt Of success in yours" The
hypocondriac seemed delighted with
the proposal; hope shot across his
countenance, and he smiled for the
first time in two years. The whole
of that day and night his spirit wee
lighter than before, and an hours con
versta on with the doctor next morning
gave him full confidence. This friend
Of the patient being made. acquainted
with the remedy intended to be employ
ed, Fall things were duly prepared, and
at minutes before IL he was led into
The court yard. e-
AS it was the middle. of summer,
little bad effects could ensue from strip.
ping the patient; so accordingly he was
placed upon chair, the doctor be
side him. AS he was taken ieaye of