The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-12-01

| Parr was cured oil his aguelsh sensations
or not. l cannot tell but have known
several instances of mental remedies ap
piled with success to say nothing Of
having actually seen the incident dis.
played by old Bunbury's caricature of a
rheumatic man enabled to jump over a
high fence by the presence of mad
bull. | will give you one instance of a
complete. though temporary cure. per
formed upon young lady by what eau
only consider mental agency One Of
the daughters of Roman Catholic fam
lily. named v. a very beautiful
and interesting girl, had entirely y lost the
use of her limbs for nearly three years
and was obliged to be fed and tended
like child. Her mind was acute and
clear, however. and as at that time the
celebrated Prince Hohenloe was pertor.
ming. by his prayers, some cures which
seemed miraculous. her father entered
into correspondence with him, to see il
anything could be done for his daugh-
| ter. The distance IF some thousand
miles lay between the Prince and the
.
say mass for her on a certain day, and
at certain hour. and directed that
mass should also be celebrated in the
city where she resided, exactly at the
SINE moment. AS the longitude of the
two places was very different, great
deal of fuss was made to ascertain the
precise time All this excited her imag-
nation good deal. and at the hour APP
pointed the whole family went to mass,
leaving her alone, and in bed On their
return they fouud Miss v, who
for years had not been able to stir hand
or foot up, dressed and in the drawing
room. For the time she was pefcctly
cured but have been told that she
gradually fell back into the same state
as before
Mental medicine does not always sue
coed. however, and once in my own case.
failed entirely When travelling in Eu-
rope. in the year 1925. l was attacked
with very severe quaratan fever. was
druggcd immensely between tie parox-
ysms. and the physician conspired with
my friends to persuade me l was quite
cured They went so far as, withol t
my knowing it. put forward striking
clock that was on the mantel.piecc, and
when the hour stuck, at which the fit IT,
sually seized me. without any appear
ancc of its return, they congratulated
me on my recovery, and actually left me
Nevertheless. at the real hour, the fever
seized me again, and shook me nearly to
pieces. Neither is it that mental med
lcne sometimes fails but it sometimes
operates in a most unexpected and dis
astrous manner especially when appli-
ed to mental diseases and | am rather
inclined to believc.that corporeal malady
may often be best treated by mental
means mental malady by corporeal
means.
\ friend Of my youth. poor Mr.. S.
lost his only son in a very lamentablc
uianner. He had but two children this
son and 1alghtcr. Btti were exceed,
lngly handsome, full Of talent and kind
y affection; A. d the two young people
were most strongly attached to each 9th.
err. Suddenly the health of young S.
was perceived to decline lie b came
grave-pale-sa His pa
rents took the alarm Physicians were
sent for No corporeal disease of any
kind could be discovered The doctors
declared privately that there must lie
something on his mind. as it is called,
and his father with the utmost kindness
and tenderness besought him to coniidc
in him. assuring him that if anything
within the rcacn of fortune or influence
could give him relief, his wishes should
b. accomplished, whatever they might
be
You can do nothing for me, my deal
father replied the young man sadly
but YOU deserve all my confidence, and
| will not withhold it That which j.
destroying me, is want Of rest. Every
night, about an hour after | lie down q
figure dressed in white, very like the
figure of my dear sister, glides into tn,
room, and seats itself on the right sid,
Of my bed where it remains all night
If | am asleep at the time of its coming
am sure to wake. and | remain awak,
all night with my eyes fixed upon it.
believe it to be delusion but | cannot
Danish it; and the moment it appears
am completely under its influence, Thi
is what is killing me-
The father reasoned with him. anC
took every means that could be devised
either by friends or physicians, to dispe
this sad phantasy. They gave parties
they sat up late; they changed tn
scene but it was all in vain. The fig
ure still returned aud the Young maj
became more aud more feeble He wa
evidently dying; and as last resourc
it was determined to have recourse to
trick to produced strong effect upol
his mind The plan arranged was n
follows: His sister was to dress hersel
in white, as he had represented the fg
urc to be dressed and about the hour h
mentioned, to steal into his room an,
seat herself Oh the other side of tn
bed, opposite to the position which tn
phantom of his imagination usually o,
cupicd while'the parents remained nea
the door to hear the result She under
took the task timidly; but executed i
we'll Stealing in with noisless tread
she approached her brothers bed-sid,
and by the faint moonlight, saw dis eye
fixed with an unnatural stare upon VI
cancy, but directed to the other side
She seated herself without making tn
least noise, and waited to see if he woul
turn his eyes towards her. lie did no
stir in the least however but lay as
petriicd by the sig ght his fancy presented
AT length she made a slight mqvemen
1 to call his attention, and her garment