Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-07-14

luuSC vi uCdkn uISCONCiuDlCs yCt tnlS Wei
circumstance was peculiar to his case and
such was his memorable destiny, that he must
die the next morning, without any visible
morbid symptoms. In this dilemma DR.. Hu-
leland proposed to treat him as a PATIENT
Polileness induced the latter to accept of
such offer, but he assured the physician that
medicine would not operate.
As no time was to be lost, there being on
ly 24 hours left for his life, DR.. Hufcland
deemed proper to direct such remedies as
prove powerful exci,ants, in order to rouse
the vital energy of his pupil and relieve him
from his captvated fancy. Hence he pre-
scribed a strong emetic and purgative; Or
dered blisters to be APPLIED 10 both calves Of
the legs, and at the same time stimulating
oysters TO be administered. Quietly SUBJ
hitting TO the Doctors treatment, he observ-
cd that his body being already half corpse,
all means Of recovering it would be in vain
Indeed DR.. Hufeland was not little sufprl-
sed, on his repeating his visit IN the evening,
to learn that the emetic had but very little
operated, and that the blisters had not even
serious; and the supposed victim of death
began to triumph over the incredulity of the
professor and his friends. Thus circum-
stanced, DR.. Hufeland perceived how deep
ly and destructvely that mental spasm must
have acted on the body, to produce degree
of insensibilty from which the worst conse-
quences might be apprehended. All the in
quiries into the origin Of this single belief
had hitherto been unsuccessful. Now only,
he disclosed the secret to one of his intimate
friends, namely that on the proceeding eve
ming he had met with white figure in the
passage, which nodded to him, and, in the
same moment he heard voice exclaIming
- The day after tomorrow, at nine o'clock
in the morning, thou shalt diet He con,ln-
ued to settle his domestic affairs made his
will infinitely appointed his funeral; and
even desired his friends to send for clergy
man (which request, however, was coun-
teracted. Night appeared-and he began
10 compute the hours he had to live, till the
ominous next n,ornng.
His anxiety evidently increased with the
striking Of every clock within hearing. DR..
Huieland was not without apprehenson,w when
he recollected instances in which mere inn
agination had produced melancholy effects
but as every thing depended on procrastina-
ting or retarding that hour IN which the event
was predicted and on appeasing the tenn
pest Of pcrtubed imagination, till reason
had obtained the ascendcncy, he resolved
upon the following expedent: Having a
complaisant patient who refused not to take
the remedies prescribed for him, because he
seemed conscious of the superior agency of
his mind over that of the body,) DR.. Hufe-
land had recourse to laudanum, combined
with the extract of hem bane, twenty drops
of the former, and two grains of the latter
we're given to the youth, with such effect
that he fell into a profound sleep, from
which he did not awake till eleven O'Clock
on the next morning. Thus the prognosti-
Gated fatal hour elapsed; and his friends
waiting to welcome the bashful patient, who
had agreeably disappointed them, turned the
whole affair into rdicule. The first ques.
ton, however, after recovering from his ar.
tifcial sleep was, What is the hour of the
morning? On being answered that hi.
presages had not been veriliedby experience
he assured the company that all these tran.
sactions appeared but dream. After tina
time, he enjoyed long state of health, ant
was completely cured of morbid imagina.
ton.
Had this youth fallen into less sagaciou.
hands the event would, it is more than prob.
able, have answered to the prediction anc
the occurrence would have stood as irrefra
gable evidence of that creed which imagine.
that the times have not long since passed O
individual and immediate communication be
bn ,,n.lJ sc ,,I a..
spirit. How the fancy originated it is diff
cult to say /; but it is not less difficult to ex
plain the phenomena Of dreams"
But the most extraordinary case, showing
the power of the mind upon the body, whicl
we ever met with, is the following, related
by DR.. Warren, in one of his medical lee
lures, delivered, we believe, in 1882:
"Sometime since, female friend pre-
scented herseltlo me with tumor or swell
ing of the submaxllary gland of the neck
> Which had become what is called wen |
was about the size of an egg, had lasted tw
years, and was so very hard, that l consid
cred any attempt to disspate it by medicin
: to be vain, and advised its removal by ope
ration. To this the patient could not brin
ner mind therefore to satisfy her wish d
rected some applications of considerable &C
tvity 10 be made to the part, and these sh
pursued for a number of weeks, without an
change. After this, she called on me, an
D with some hesitation begged 10 know, whetl
err an application recommended to he
would in my opinion be safe.
+, This consisted in applying the hand of
q dead man three times to the diseased par
One of her neighbors now lay dead, and sl
l. had an opportunity Of trying the experiment
if l thought it not dangerous. AT first l WI
disposed to divert her from it; but recolec
II ing the power of the Imagination gravely a,
j. sured her she might make the trial wilho'
@ apprehension of serious consequences
Awhile alter,she presented herself once NOR
= and with a smiling countenance informe
: me that she had used this remedy and on G,
: aiming for the tumor, found il had disaI
It peared."
h Many we'll attested tales are told of cur
IS for scrofula, having been performed by Il
is touch Of gifted Northumberland the seyen
'r son, and more particularly the serenth son