Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-11-11

brletness ard obvious constr0lnt with whrh he
swercd the iuterrogafions of his medical uSvieer,
induced my friend to take other methods FOR prose
cutting his inquiries. lie applied to the sufferers
family 10 learn, II possibe the scarce of that
grief which was gnawing the heart and sucking
the btc--blood of his unfortunate patient The per
sons applied To. after eonyersine together pre-
viously. denied all knowledge Of any cause for
the burden which obviously affected their rela
tive. SO tar as they kn-w--snd they thought
they could hardly be dcceived--his worldly af-
fairs were prosperous; no family loss had occurred
which could be followed with such persevering dis
tress; no entanglements of affection could be sup
posed to apply TO his age. and no sensation of Sc
vsre remnrse could he consistent with his character
The medical gentleman had finally recourse To scr-
Gus Argument with the invalid himself and urged
to him the folly of d'yo'ing himself to lingering
and melancholy death rather than tell the subject
1 OF afiliction which thus wasting him He
specially pressed upon him the injury which he was
doing to his own character, by suffering il to be in
arred that the secret Of his detection and its
consequences. was something too scandalous or
hagitlous to be made known, bequeathng in this
manner to his family suspected and dishonored
name, aud leaving memory with which might be
ussociated the idea Of guilt which the criminal had
died without confessing. The patient, more moved
by this species of appeal than BY any which had We
baen urged expressed his de ire speak out frankly
to Dr. -. Every else was removed, and the
door OF the sick-room uade secure, when nc began
hts confession in the following manner: = You can
not, my dear friend be conscious than l.
that am in the course of dying under the oppres-
sion OF the fatal disease which CONSUMES nv vital
powers; but neither you understand the ma
tore of my complaint, and in which it
acts upon me; nor. If you did, I fear, could your
zeal and skill avail 60 rid me OF it, 1t is pos
sibc, said the physician, that my skin may not
equal my wish of serving you; yet medical science
has many resources, OF which hose unacquainted ylh
It's po ~ers never can form estimate. But until
you plainly tell me yo: r symptoms of complaint II
Is impossible for either Of us to say what NAV or
may MT be IN my power, within that of medicine
n may answer you, replied the patient, that ny
case is singular one since we read of il y,
the famous novel of LIE Sage You remember
doubtless, the disease of which the Duke d'Olyarez
is there stated to have died.' of the idea. an
swercd the medical gentleman, that he was haun-
ted by apparition, to the actual existence nj
cause he was overcome aud heart broken by its ina
gairy presence Il. my dearest DOCTOR said the
sick man, 'am in that very caSe and so painful and
ahhorent Is the presence of the persecutng v;sion
effects OF my morbid imagination, and am sensible
am dying wasted victim to an ina oinary disease
The medical gentleman listened with anxiety TO his
patients statement and for The present iudciuislv
avoiding any contradiction of the sick man = preco
ccived fancy contented himself with more minnie in
curry, into the uature of the apparation with WHICH
he conceived himself haunted, and into the history of
tho mode by which so singular a disease had r1ada
itself master OF his imagination secured as seemed
by strong powers ofihe understanding against an M
tackso irregular. The sick person replied by STATING
that ITS advances gradual and at first not of
terrible or even disagreeable character T0illus,rate
TINS he gave the following account Of the progress OF
his disease. My visions, he said, commcnced
two or three years since when found myself from
time to time embarrassed BY the presence of largc
cal, which came and disappeared could not exactly
tell how, till the truth finally forced upon me and
was compellsd to- regard it as no domestic h,,so
hold cat, but as bubble of the elements which hat
no existence, save IN my deranged visual organs N
depraved imagination. Still had not that positive
objection to the animal entertained by late DalIon
Highland chei1ain, who has been seen to change %
al the colors of his plaid. if cat by occidcnt
happened to be IN the with him even though he
dld not see u. On the contrary, am rather friend
to cts, and endured with so much eg,Iauinitv tbe
presence OF my imaginary attendant that 1t had be
come almost Indifferent TO me; when within The
course OF few months it gave place to- or was sue
ceeded by, spectre OF more important sort or
"nlch al least had more imposing appearance. This
was no other than the apparilion Of gentleman ush
CT, dressed as if 10 wait upon Lord Lieutenant ~
ireland, Lord High Commissioner of the Kirk or
any other who bears on his brow the rank and stamp
OF delegated sovereignty This parsonage, arrayed
~ conrt dress. with a bag and sword tamboiired
waistcoat, and chupeau bras, glided beside me like
the ghost Of Beau Nash; and whether IN nv own
house or IN another assembled the stairs before me as
II 70 announce me IN the drawing room; aud at some
times appeared TO mingle with the companv thoucrh -
was sufficiently evident that they were not aware Of
bis presence, aud that alone was sensible Of the
ionary honors which this imaginary benp seemed do
srous to render me- This freak of the fancy did NOT
produce much impression me, though il led me 10
entertain doubts the nature of my disorder, and
arm for the effect It might produce upon my inielects
But that modification OF my disease also had its an
pointed duration. After few months, the phon
tom OF the gentleman usher was seen no more, hnt
was succeeded by horrible to the SIGHT. nod die
tressIng to the imagination, being no other than the
image Of death tself--the apporiton Of n skeleton
Alone, or in company, said the unfortunate invalid
the presence of this last phantom never onits
me in vain tell myselfa hundred times over .hst
It IS no reality, bat mersy image summoned I'D by
the morbid acuteness Of my own excited Imagination
and deranged organs of sight. But what avail such
reflections, while the emblem once and If
mortality is before my eyes and while feel myself
though in fancy only, the companion Of phantom re-
presenting ghastly Iubabitont of The grave. even
while yet breathe on the earth' Science. philoso
ply, even religion, has cure for such aSdisorder,
and feel too surely that shall die the victim tn 60
melancholy disease although have no belief Vbat-
ever IN the reality Of the phantom which it places be-
fore me-. The physician was distressed to psrceive
from these detailss how strongly this visionary anna
rition was fixed in the Imagination Of bis patient
lie ingenousy urged the sick man, who was then In
bed, with questions concerning tho circurnet oro &