The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-09-26
The Effects Of Fear.

DR. Batchelder in his work on Life, Mind and Mat
ter gives the following illustrations Of the effect Of fear
very strongly excited -
This passion may act incidentally in eases in which
the vessels are oyer.distended, as III Inflammation, &c g,
and there are not wanting in the records Of the profess
sion examples Of its efficacy, as u remedial agent. A
gentleman afflicted with govt, often cursed his foot and
wished it at the devil. In one Of these paroxyisms of
rage, a terrible agitation aud commotion occurred in the
chimney which began at the top and descended with
~frightful rapidity to the fireplace in the gentleman's
room, which was instantly filed with SCOT and dust, in
the midst of which up rose an imp Of din.inutive size,
who made the astounding announcement that his master
was coming and would soon be there. The gentleman
installing him for a little devil, (who was in fact only a
little chimney sweeps boy, that had been sent to explore
the chimney and give information Of the speedy advent
of his master, but who making a false step in the dis
charge Of his mission, had fallen from the top to the bot
tom of the Aue,) and concluding that the old devil him
self had taken him ut his word, rose and fled. The govt
W. are informed, left the gentleman quite as unceremoni.
ously as he had left the room.
George Grochanzy, "a Polander, who had enlisted as a
soldier in the service Of the King of Prussia, deserted.
A small party was sent in pursuit Of him, and when he
least expected it, they surprised him singing and dane
ing among a company of peasants, who were together in
an inn, and were making merry. This event, so sudden
and unforeseen, and at the same time so dreadful in its
consequences, struck him in such a manner, that giving
a great cry, he became altogether stupid and insensihle,
and was seized without the least resistance. They car
ried him to Giogan, where he was brought before Il coun-
ell of war and received sentence as a desertcr. He suf-
fered himself to be led an disposed Of at the will Ct
those about him. witIou, utteiing Il word, or giving the
least sign that be knew what had happened or would
happen to him During all the time that be was in Gus.
tody. he neither eat, nor drank, nor slept. nor had any
evacuation. Some OF his comrades were sent to see
him after that be was visited by some officers Of the
corps. then by some priests but still continued in the
sam state. without discovering the least sign of sensihil.
iV RrCruissa cnfrpa a anJ rb roatop1pUs ora orna1
" Intellectual. The physicians who were consulted upon
his case. were Of opinion that he was in a state OF hope
less idiocy. 1t was first suspected that those appear
ances were feigned; but these suspicious necessarily
gave way. when it was known that he took 90 sustenance,
and that the involuntary functions Of nature were in a
great measure suspended. After some time, they knock
ed off his letters and left him at his liberty to 60 whittier
be would. lie received his liberty with the same in.
s~ensibility that he had shown upon other occasions.
He remained fixed and immovable. His eyes turning
wildly here and there, without taking cognizance of any
object, aud the muscles of his face were fallen and fixed
like those Of a dead body. Being left to himself: he
passed twenty days in this condition, without eating,
drinking or having any evacuation, and died on the 20th
day. He had sometimes been heard to fetch deep signs;
and once he rushed with great violence on a soldier, who
had a mug of liquor in his hand forced it from him, and
drank off the liquor with great eagerness, letting the
mug drop to the ground. The foregoing furnishes one
of the most remarkable cases Of genuine fear and its
consequences on record In this case of the Polander,
no relaxation followed the previous contraction of the
, capillaries, consequently no hope sprang up in his
bosom.
Charles Gustavus> King of Sweden, was b~esieging
Prague, when u boor of most extraordinary vsage, de-
sired admittance to his tent, and being allowed entrance,
offered by way of amusement to the King to devour a
whole hog of one hundred weight in his presence. The
old General Koningsmare, who stood by the Kings side,
and who, soldier as he was, had not got rid of the preju-
dices Of his childhood, limited to his royal master that
the peasant ought to be burnt as a sorcerer.
Sire said the fellow, irritated at the remark, If
your majesty will but make the old gentleman take off
bis sword and spurs, I will eat him Immediately, before
| begin the hog General Koningsmare (who at the
head of a body of Swedes, had just performed wonders
against the Austrians, and who was looked upon as one
Of the bravest men Of the age,) could not stand this pro-
posal, especially as it was accompanied by a most hideous
expansion Of the peasants f%rightful jaws. Without ut
tering a word, the veteran general turned suddenly
round, ran out of the court, aud thought himself not
safe until be arrived at his quarters, where he remained
twenty.four hours, locked up securely, before he had got
fully rid Of the panic which had SO severely affected
him