The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-17
Gh;o:sis.

Ghosts.
We are sorry to think that the belief IN
this class of apparitions is still prevalent
among our agricultural population and yet
fingers in the cities and towns. we arc not
DISPOSED to enter largely into the subject ut
present. but avail ourselves of the opportu-
nifty which is afforded bNa correspondent OF
stating some considerations which tend to
refer such appearances to the state OF the
rhost-scer's health Ur nerves: 1t tltay be
stated generally that it is not the young and
vigorous who witness such appearances, but
the old, the nervous, and the tifnid,
When thc nerves are disordered, either
naturally or otherwise, the patients become
subject to delusons and false sights, which
are as real to them as they may appear per-
verse and ridiculous to others whose nerves
are in pertert henltli, These patients are
naturally very ready to swear to seeing Il
ghost or spirit or living person not present,
because they do actually, in the day-dream-
ing of their minds eye, see what they swear
to. The nerves Of ghost,seerS ARP. slightly
disordered from tenrs broiigGt OH by having
heard SO many stories about them when
young, and from natural credulitv and ten
dency to indulge in the marvellous. When
the nerves are luuch diseased, the delusions
become more fixed and permanent, atld Tie
patient is then termed lunatic.
A Young clergyman who was given to
study, and who took but little exercise, Was
one morning visited by two friends. In the
passage beyond them he saWanother friend;
and"asked them why he did, not. come, in
along with them; aud he saW thai third
friend SO plainly that nothing would con-
vince him to the contrary, though he immc-
diately searched everywhere about the
house, until he was told by that third
friend afterward that he was ut the time
many miles of, The doctor told him that
he must take more exercise, or his nerves
would become disorderGd altogether
Sometimes these delusions are brought on
by bodily diseases, and when the patients
body is recovering, the nerves recover like
wise. The following story is remarkable
Instance of it : "a lawyer in Edinburgh
was very ill with fever, but nobody slept
or sat up in the rcom below. Being winter
time, he had fire in the room, and one
young lady he had formerly been acquaint-
ed with, but who had been dead two years.
He saw her so plainly, and the glare from
the fire played and flashed on her in such
strong light and shade, just the SAME As if
she was actually there, that he raped on
the floor with the end Of his stick to fetch
the nurse up; but she could see nobody in
the chair, nor was, there any impression on
the cushion since she placed it there. Every
night for three weeks this vision was repeat
ed distinctly he then began to mend rapid
ly, and as he mended, though the vision was
still repeated, it grew fainter and fainter
every night, and after his health was restored
never appeared again. \ lawyer, being in
the habit of reasoning and arguing and sift-
ing the truth, could, on mentioning such
to his doctor, become ut once
convinced that the young lady was no actual
vision or ghost, but consequence merely
of the nerves being diseased as well as the
body. An Ignorant person would never
have been convinced but that the vision was
real and not imaginary
Sir Walter Scott says, in his work on
circumstance Of Thomas, the second Lord
Lyttleton, prophesying his own death with
in few minutes, upon the information of
an apparition, has always been quoted a
true story. But Of late1it has been said
and published that the unfortunate noble
man had previously determined to take poi