The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-03-31

them over to the priesthood, whose appro-
propriate duty it was to expel devils. There
were no emeties sufficiently strong for that
purpose, then known to the faculty, nor did
the priests succeed any better than the doc
tors. The dance was called the "DANcE OF
ST. VIRUS For this name there was no rca-
son, except that ST. VIRUS was appealed to
and solicited TO check the epidemic, and
hearkened not unto the prayers of his peti-
TONERS, but is suspected of having been at
the bottom of it. This dance, DIR. Hecker
says, attacked people of all stations, espe-
cially those scho Ted a sedentary life, such as
shoemakers and taiiors.' The prayers and
exorcisms of the priesthood failing to check
the epidemic that universal and unfailing
soother of pain, Music, was employed, and
with great success for whilst it itincreased the
excitement, it fastened the crisis of the dis
ease. Musicians were hired by the magis-
tratcs " for the purpose of carrying the dan
GERS the more rapidly through their attacks
and strong men were sent to the patients to
put them through the dancing with extra en-
ergy"
For the prolongation of q nervous disease,
SO acute as that of the ST. VIuTs dance, was
to render it fatal. DR. HEcKER, upon the au
thority of one FELIX PLATTER, mentions a
young woman who danced for the space of
four weeks, almost ncessantly-broke down
all the men commissioned to dance with her,
and then recovered-althOugh with very sore
heels and toes.
The dancing mania, as we have hereto
fore observed, appeared, and was generally
prevalent, in Italy some years before it put
Germany and the North of Europe to caper
ing. 1t was called "TARANTIsM" 1t seized
those who lad been bitten or who IMAGINED
they had been bitten by spiders and scorpi
ons. Dancing was, in this epidemic, tile re-
lief and not the cause of the pain and suffer
ins. The flute and the cithern alone afforded
them relief Excited by music, they forgot,
in the delrium of their wild dances, their real
and imaginary sufferings. Bands of musi
clans made it their business to march over
Italy, from province to province, and town
to town, for the purpose of curing TAEAN-
TIsM in all its frightful forms.
DR.. HECKER says:
Cties and villages alike resounded throug ghout the
Summer with the notes of flies, carinets and
Turkish drums and patients were everywhere to be
met with who looked to dancing their only reme-
dy. Alexander alb Alexandra, who gives this
count, saw young man in remote village. who
aeized with violent attack ofTarantism He listen
ed with eagerness and fixed stare to the sound of
drum, and hi5 graceful NOV ments gradually became
more and more viclent until his dancing
verted into succession of frantic leaps, which
quired the utmost exertion of his whole strength In
the midst of this overstrained exerton of mind and
body, the music suddenly ceased, and he Immediately
fell poweress to the ground, where he lay senseless
and motioness until its magical effect again aroused
him to a renewal of his impassioned performances"
Persons afflicted by the ST. Virus
dance, abhorred any garment of the color of
red whilst those attacked with TANTARlsM,
were particularly attracted to that color
The victims of this epidemic were also inva-
riably fond of the sea. Some actually cast
themselves into the waves, so great was this
fascination. This epidemic continued for
nearly century, and then disappeared