The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-01-23
SUDDEN FRIGHT.
Remarkable IlIustra tiOns of fs Effects
on the Nervous system.

! on the Nervous system.
/ From the hartford Times
One or two illustrations which have
| occurred here IL Hartford have sug
gested the idea Of noting them down,
as interesting facts which Will serve to
indicate the power and effect of fear
IN the nervous system. Other cases oc-
cur to us as we write: and here are one
or two before us, in Saturdays and to-
days exchange papers. First, take this
little incident, in which death from
fright was only narrowly escaped:
"Two women Watching with corpse
last Wednesday night, in Geneseo, lii
nois, were frightened nearly to death.
About II O'Clock, while they were quiet
ly munching their cake and slipping
their tea in the room with the body, it
rose, looked around the room, and re-
clined again. Those women got up
and went over fences and across lots in
the wild frenzy of their fright. Exam
inatiOn showed the person to be alive
but he died the next morning"
Those women were to be excused, cer-
tainly; though it would have been no
more than an act of common courtesy
to remain and see what the deceased
wanted. But here is a case of practical
city: A gentleman who is the owner of
a monkey, that was brought from the
lsthmus, took the creature to a friends
room to show him. 1t was agreed to
shut him temporarily inside the dark
cupboard or locker beneath the wash
stand and water-cock, and await the ar
rival of somebody else. This was done,
and very soon third person, a friend
- tha TT-ln IN
He was warmly greeted, and the ques-
ton was asked of him if he wouldn't
like some whisky. Not being tetotal
Ter, he replied that he would like lit
tie. swell, then, go to the cupboard
there (pointing), and bring out the dem
John, and we'll have some" He open
ed the cupboard door, and simultanc-
ously there came upon him piercing
shrek from the shadowy interior, and a
hairy but human looking shape bounded
out, with cleaning eyes, as if 10 light
upon bim. 1t was all the work of a
fractional part of a second. Bat that
seeker after a demijohn then and there
collapsed a fue." He fell back up
on the carpet, with pallid face and roll
ing eyes, speechless, but entirely "will-
ing to give mp his money if they would
spdIO I1S 1A4Os
Another case that haprene1 in this
city was that of q man who, from Ger
tain antenatal influences, had an in
born constitutional fear and horror of q
rat. Being a rough, devil-may-
sort of fellow, some of his hilarious as
sociates thought they would test the
question of his rumored dread of rats.
One of them, provided with a huge
dead sewer rat which he held by the
tail, waited behind a corner while the
man was coming down stairs. Just as
he reached the door, the rat was swung
round against him. He dropped as
dead ss a herring apparently. 1t
was found that the joke had worked a
little too strong. The man had tainted,
and was with difficulty restored.
A parrot, owned in this city, and
whose singular greetings and exclama-
tions in perfectly human tones have
sometimes so plainly indicated an intel
ligent mind as to astound all beholders,
was tested by the experiment of show
ing him a dead and stuffed parrot. He
was out of his cage, and on the floor.
The stuffed parrot was moved up near
him. He eyed it askance, and gradual
ly sidled off. The stuffed parrot was
carried along, Just about so near him.
He moved faster. The stuffed one
moved faster-keeping close to him.
Finally, finding that no effort of his
could save him from the pursuit of his
ghostly enemy in feathers, and at the
moment when, after a protracted effort
of hopping nimbly off had only resulted
in disclosing the defunct bird right
upon him, he suddenly "keeled over, -
lying fiat upon his back, and holding
up both feet, like hands in supplication,
burst out into an unmistakabe fit of
CRYING 1t was real human crying, too.
The old fellow was frightened nearly
to death.
Our concluding illustrations (both of
which also occurred in this immediate
vicinity refer to snakes. A man who
has no dread of these creatures Che is