New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-05-28
OBsEssE ID.

We are indebted II the gentlemen ana ladies'
who call themselves "Sprituasts" for the revival
of an old word, viz: "obsess," which is from the
Lstin obs,dso-oJsss,us, and which sg,iGes, among
other things, "to besiege," "to compass about
Obsession, in theology, means "the first attack OF
Satan, antecedent to possession" That is to
say, tue victim of demoniacal ~iles is first "ob-
" sessed" and then "possessed;" after which he
begins to 90 through the regulation tactics to tear
bjs hSir. to break the dishes to gable gibberish,
spd. according to hs fee bic human abilities, to
. act like the devil" Nurses and schoolm,sters
have heretofore noticed the phenomena OF "obses-
sion" and Of possession in the conduct OF their
tender charges and have prescribed for it either
vigorous application of the open hand (rmgariter,
spapking) or q judicious bircben aagellation.
90 Obsessed' children are not only very trouble
some, but they sometimes q little mi-chlevous;
IA they were in Salem, where their cunning tom.
f,olrries made wild work for Mr.. John ketch.
Those of our readers, therefore, who are unfcrtu
nate enough t. have "obsessed' children. will
please to take notice that there is csrtaa Doctor
Child 10 Boston Who is rs sure death on "obses-
sjcu" as the Western medical gentleman was
death on fts;" aud who will at any time travel
thousands Of miles for the pleasure Of routing
b mrschieyous devil. The Doctor has published in
The Banner of Light new psper 9 singular nara
tive of bis adventures and achievements While
sitting in bis flee in Boston on the 5tb OF jan
uaIy, 1855, the Doctor received u letter from tho
widow Catln of CLINTON, N. Y, informing him,
first. of her existence, of which he had previously
had 10 suspicion; secondly, that she had been
Developed as a medium" and had established
a circle;" thirdly, that loose young mana
studeut-had in an unfortunate moment of mis-
placed confidence been admitted to the family raps
fouythiv. that tho Influence Of this young man had
been such that OZARK spirits had "obsessed"
her daughter q young woman of fifteen; aud
ffhly. that her husband the late Professor Catln
had come all the way from bis sphere, aud had
directed her to send at once for Dr. Child. At
first the Doc or thought that this might be hoax
devised BY some m,cbiey"us sophomore Of Hamil-
ton College; but when hr George ". Keene came
in. and offered TO foot the travelling expenses aud
accompany the Doctor, he determined to obey
"the yoic. that spoke from his inner, deeper COO
yicion," and to take the eight O'clock morning
train over the Western Railway. HE reached
Clinton He raped at the door OF the late Pro-
fessor Catln He found that his |" sours unspoken
conviction" had not bOaxed him. 1t Was all
right. There Was widow CatGn, ADD there was
a little "obsessed" Miss Catlin; ard the Doctor
ackuo~ lodges that after making sure Of this " his
heart beat freer" To cap the climax of his graft
ifcatioD, the " obsessrd" young woman went lnto
fits lmmedistely. She cursed and swore IN
an Emphatic and profuse" manner she
Kissed and frothed +" her eyes became
&" Ike balls Of fire." she pulled the hair OF the by
ISLANDERS; she brandlshed the poker, and seemed
81 bent upon the destruction Of every one present.
she sapg and screamed, and bo~led, aud shouted
fire." Whereupon the Doctor proceeded to
have tussle with the devil who was tOrmenting
this poor creature He therefore began by making
a speech 10 the t0rmt DtOr, Ia which De Informed
that goblin that " il rayless Development there
dwels the sacred spark, the nmanation of the
81 God. principle;' which seemed to strike the
obses.ing" spirit favoraby for be, she or It be-
came ut once reasonable, merely inqulring II the
Doctor "Was q minister" Being answered ia
the negative, the spUit at once became exceedingly
friendly, and after listening patiently to loog
lecture op The impropriety OF his, her or It's COZ
duet promised to brhsyr better in the future, aud
to give up the business Of obsessing' altogether.
Thep the mother cried; the children cried; the
Doctor crird the gentleman who paid the e1-
penses Of the expedition made prayer; the widow
Catlln summoned the DeigbbOrs; there was what
tie Doctor calls "a profuson Of trance speaking,
writing and Visions" and Ito quote his quotaton)
Bish. shining.
Frssr-n, wres;ks twinins"
Having accomplished his work. he took the ii
o'clock night train for home. recent letter from
Mr Catln informs him that the cure is complete.
l." The 'obsessed' daughter is love, all love"
Whereupon the Doctor comes to the following pro-
found conclusion: "No wave Of the ocean rolls on
" alone: millions move on from the first commo-
&" ton, dashing the shores of time" This is the
rich philosophical result Of bis midnight journey
ings, of which Mr. George Keene paid the expenses
What the total outlay was is not stated, but we
sincerely hope that Mr X. is satisfied that he has
received his moneys worth.
For our own part, considering the usual passion