Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-03-23

real occasion. fright, which / did not learn TIL
long afterwards. The laundress tod the that she
found Mr.. NJ, to her great terror. sttetch-
Ell motioness along the floor, III his CLOAK ana
full dress, and with candlestick lying beside
him. She at first supposed him drunk; out on
finding all her efforts to rouse him unsuccessiui,
and seeing his fixed features and rigid frame, she
hastily summoned to her assistance isiio" 'auh-
dress, whom she had left in charge OF Tie corpse
next door, undressed him, and LAID hun on the oed.
4 neiyhboring medical man was then calied In,
who pronounced it to be a case OF epiiePsy; ana
he was sufficiently warranted by the appearance
of little froth about the llps-proionged stupcr'
resembling sleep-& frequent commissions OF the
most violent kind. The remedies resorted to
produced no alienation of the symptoms, and
matters continued to wear such threatnng ami
alarming ASPECT, that was summoned IN by his
brother. and was at his bedside at two O'clock
His conntenance was dark and highly intelectu-
al: its linpaments were naturally tall of power
and energy; hut now overloaded with an ex-
preston Of trouble and horror. He was seized
with dreadful fit soon after entered the room.
Oh, it is pteous and shocking spectacle to see
the human frame subject 10 snch ,lemonlachal
twitchngs, aud cuntorions. which are SO sudden
so irresistible, as to give the idea OF some vague
terrible exciting cause, which cannot be discov-
cred; as though the sufferer lay passive IN the
grasp Of some messenger Of darkness - sent to
bVa him"
NJ was a very powerful man; aud du.
ring the fits, it was next to impossible Tor all
present. united to control his movements. The
foam at his mouth suggested to his terrified bro
Their the harroyin suspicion that the case was
one of hydrophobia. None OF my circumstances
or assurances to The contrary suficed to quiet him,
and his distress, added to the confusion of the
scene. After prescribing 60 the best of my abii-
", left, considering the case to be one OF sim
pie epilepsy. During the rest OF the day and
night, the Ats abated boh in violence and fire.
quency; but he was eft in state Of the utmost ex-
haustion. from which, however he seemed rapidly
recovering. during the.spaceof the four succeeding
DAYS: when was suddenly summoned to bis bed
side, which had left only two hours before, With
intelligence that he had disclosed symptoms OF
more alarming illness than ever. hurried to his
chamber, aud found that the danger had not been
masnified. One of lis friends met me on the
staircase and told me that about halt an hour be-
fore, while he and Mr.. c. NJ. the pa
tents brother. were sitting beside him, he sud
denly turned to the latter, and enquredin tone
full Of apprehension aud terror Is Mr.. i
deal?"
"Oh dear, yes-he died several days ago'-
was the reply.
..lhen it was he''-he gasped-''It was he
whom saw and he ia sure y-damned!-fe s,
merciful Maker!-he s!-he is.''-he continu-
ed, elevating his voice to a perfect roar and
the flames have reduced his face to ashes!-
Horror! horror. r!"-He then shut his eyes
and relapsed INTO silence for about ten minutes:
when he exclaimed" Hank you there-secure
me! tie me- make me fast, or shall burst upon
YOU and destroy you all--ior I'm going mad
feel n!''-fie ceased, and commenced breathing
fast and heaviIy-his chest heaving as though un-
der the pressure of an enormous weight; and his
swelling quiver'ng features. evidencing the dread
sul uprcar within. Presently he begaa 10 grind
his teeth. and his expanding eyes glared about in
all directions. as though following the motions of
some frightful object, and muttering fercely
through his closed teeth" Oh save me from
him-save me-save me-" 1t was fearful thing
to see him lying in such state-grindiug his
teeth as though he would crush them to powder
his !iyid lips crested with foam--his features
swo!en-writhing- blacknng; and which gave
his face peculiarly horrible aud iendiSh express
sion, his eyes distorted, or inverted upwards, so
that nothing but the glaring whites OF them could
be seen-his whole frame highland his hands
clenched, as though they would never open again!
1t is dreadful tax on ones nerves to have to
counter such objects, familiar though medical men
are with such and similar spectacles; and in
the present instance, every one round the bed
side of the unfortunate patient, stood trembling
with pale and mcmentarily averted faces. The
CHASTITY, fixed. upturnng of the eyes in epileptic
patients. fills me with horror whenever recall
their image to my mind.
The return of these epileptic fits, in such vio-
ence. and after such an interval, alarmed me
with apprehensons. lest. as is not unfrequenty
the case, apoplexy should supervene, or even Ill
innate insanity. 1t was rather singular that NJ
was never known to have had az epileptic fit pre-
,ious to the present seizure. and he was then in
his twenty fifth year. was conjecturing what
sudden fright or blow, or accident of any kind,
or congestion of the vessels of the brain from
frequent inebriation, could have brought on the
present tit-when my patient, whose features
had gradually sunk again into their natural dis
position. gave sigh of exhaustion-the p'rspi-
ration burst forth. and he murmured-some time
before we could distinctly catch the words" Oh
spectre smftten! --sPectre -sn,itten!' (which
expression have adopted as the title of this pa