Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-01-30
DISEASED IMAGINATION.

DISEASED IMAGINATION.
The power Of diseased Imagination over
the body, or, as il is scientifically called,
hsllucination, was never perhaps more
strongly verified than in the case of that dis.
soln,e young nobleman, and extraordinary
genius The younger Lit,eton. The story is
we'll known 10 most Of our readers. He, one
night, saw in a dream ayonng lady, who told
him tina! on certain Sunday evening, a, 10
o'clock, he certainly would die this he re-
lated to some of his intimate acquaintance,
and invited number of them 10 pass the
appointed evening with him and witness the
falsehood of the prediction. They did so;
tile evening came, he cnleavored to make
himself merry as the hour approached, bu, it
had fastened OH his Imagination with frmer
hold than he was aware Of; just before 10,
he co implanted of being indisposnd, proposed
to retire, and died in the act of getting into
bed. A clergyman, who then lived near
Hagley, told the writer of this, that DR..
johnson, of whom Liueton speaks in very
high terms in one of his letters, as rhysi-
clan in his neighborhood, told him, that had
he been sent for in season, he could have
saved him. The Quarterly Review, of last
November, contains the following striking
Instance.-N Y. Eue. Post.
"One Of the most striking instances of the
amazing influence which The Imagination
possesses, not over the feelings merely, but
upon the actual state and functions Of the
hodiiy oresniza'ios, is rs!a,cd by professor
Hu,eland; this case is so interesting, and we
may add, so instructive, that we are tempted,
notwithstanding its length, to lay i, before
our readers"
"A student at Jena, about 16 years of
age, having a weak and irritable nervous
frame, but in other respects healthy. left the
apartment during twilight, and suddenly re-
turned with pale, dismal countenancc, as
surfing his companion that he was doomed to
die in Sc hours, or at nine o'clock in the
morning. of the second day. This sudden
change Of cheerful young mind, naturally
alarmed his friend; hut no explanation was
given Of its cause. Every attempt a, ridicul.
ing this whimsical notion was fruilless and
he persisted in affirming that his death was
certain and inevitable. A numerous circle
Of his fellow. students soon assembled, with
view to dIspel those gloomy ideas, and 10
convince him of his folly, by arguments,
satire and mrih. He remained, however,
mistaken, inanimate in their company, and
expressing his Indignation at the frolics and
witticisns applied TO his peculiar sluation.-
Nevertheless, it was conjeclured that calm
repose during the night would produce more
favorable change in his fancy; but sleep was
banished, aud the approaching dissolution
enerossed his attention during the nocturnal
hours. Early next morning he sent for pro-
fessor Hufeland, who found him employed in
making arrangements for his burial taking
an afectionate leave Of his friends; and on
the point of concluding letter to his father
in which he announced the fatal catastrophe
that was speedily to happen. After exam
lining his condition of mind and body, the
professor could discover no remarkable de-
Walton from his usual state of health, except
ing = small contracted pulse, pale counte-
nance, dull or drowsy eyes, and cold extrem-
tiles; these symptoms, however, Sufficiently
indicated a general spasmodic action of the
nervous system, which also exerled its innu'
ence over the mental facullies. The mos
serious reasonin! on the subject, and all the
philosophical and medical eloquenco OF DR.
Hu(eismd, had not the desired effect anC
though tue student admitted that there nigh
be no ostensible cause of death discoverable
yet this very circumstance was peculiar Il
bis case; and such was his memorable dest
ny, that he must die next morning, wilhou
any visible morbid symptoms. In this di
lsn,ma, Dr.. Hufeand proposed TO treat hin
q patient. Politencss induced the latte
to accept Of such offer, but he assured tht
physician that medicines would not operate
As no time was 10 he lost, there being only
"a hours left for his lie, DR.. Hufeland deem
ed proper TO direct such remedies as prov,
powerful excitants, in order to rouse the vita
energy of,he pupil, and to relieve him ofhi
csp,iva,ed fancy. Hence he prescribed
strong emetic and purgatve ordered bills
tiers to be applied to both calves of the legs
and al the same time stimulating clys,ers l.
bs administered. Quietly submitting 10 III
doctors treatment, he observed, that, hi
body being already half corpse, all mean
of recovering it would be- in vain. lndee
DR.. Hufeland was not liulo surprised, o
repeating his visi, in the evening, to lear
that the eme,c had but very little operated
and that the blisters had not even reddene
the akin. The case become more serious
and the supposed victim Of death began
triumph over the incredibly of the proiessc
and Ills friends. Thus cTcumstanced, ID
Huf.lsnd perceived how deeply and des,rue
tiveIy that mental spasm must have acted o
the body. to produce degree Of insensio'i
~ from which The worst consequences m'sf
be apprshended. All the inquiries into III
origin Of this singular belief bad hitherto bee