Butte record., 1854-09-23

versation, yet carefully observing hin
lie while. He did moi move for half an
hour, and we thought he had fallen tc
sleep, when he slowly removed his
hands from his face once more. turned
towards the side where he had lately
pointed, and looking imploringly towards
US. exclaimed:
Won't YOU take that dog away p
For heavens sake, remove him, be
sticks to ma ike shadow y
"There is no dog here, lie Vert" we
all said.
"Fie, fie, gentlemen, do you think
you can deceive me %
'What sort of dog is it, lie Vert y
asked Willingly.
Cant yon see at glance that it is
a Newfoundland -
"Take a little wine, lie Yert-come
we'll drink all roand,'' | suggested, in
order to divert his mind.
''I can't drink while he is there.''
said my friend, seizing his ha. and has
tening away.
We had not studied medicine three
years in Paris for nothing; our expert
ence had been large for young men,
and the case was clear at once, now lie
Vert had spoken out, aud we had clue
to the matter. He was laboring under
monomania, and had fixed upon him an
/ optical delpsion which caused to appear
beside him large dog, and which, as
he described. followed him everywhere.
50 that whenever he looked to his left
side, there the animal stood rs large as
life. He could not shake him off. he
followed him through closed doors tn his
/ chamber, in the street, everywhere
To realize the horrible and persecu-
ting character of such an idea, one had
only to look upon my friends sunken
eye ard paliid cheek, 10 see his fine
form growing daily thinner and thinner,
aud his physical strength gradually sink
ing. His appetite was gone, and he was
to all appearances, rapidly sinking into
a fatal consumption. On all other mat
ters he was perfectly sane--there was
10 want Of sound common sense in eve
~ thing else an his business relations,
but that one spectre dog-it was always
there,
What was to be done medicine
seemed to be Of no use farther than to
introduce some quleting anodynes into
his wine, which we did, and he enjoyed
cry good sleep, but on waking, the
same trouble returned regularly We
tried to induce him 70 take some tonics
and other prescriptions, for supposed
dyspepsia, but he assured us tn t his
digestive organs were never in health
icr state, and this was probably the
fact, though dyspepsia had doubtless at
the outset been the cause of monomania,
the disorganizati Of the stomach in
some way thus affecting that sensitive
organ. the brain. We consulted care
fully upon the subject among ourselves,
and were resolved. If possible, to relieve
lie Vert from his haunting idea
1t was of no more use to attempt to
/ reason with him, than it would be to
reason with a confirmed mailman on
this one topic reason was not the pan
accea he required; his mind was not
capable of reason upon that point; he
Just as certainly saw the dog there by
his side whenever he cast his eyes at his
left side, as We saw him when regard
ing his face and person directly before
Us. Itwas no evidence the creatures
absence because he could not touch him.
He declared that he could not reach him.
for he was just out of arms length and
there, reccdiug as he advanced. These
facts we got from him at various times,
and resolved to resort to some stratagem,
if possible, to affect cure.
We had already succeeded in improv-
ing his bodily strength by judicious med
icines clandeshGely introduced in glass
of wine he had enjoyed good, refresh
ing and profound sleep for many nights,
and really, in all things save that one
dreaded dog, he appeared to be quite
like himself, the pallor of his cheek was
less striking, and the.e was something
of the old friendly expression of features,
though all was occasionally interrupted
by that insignificant shadow.
''I know what the end will be-" he
whispered to me, one day; "this crea-
ture will run mad, bite me, and | shall
die of ofhydrsphobia--what horrible idea