The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-09-18
HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE HYDRO
PHOBIA.

Under the significant title, ''Revela-
tions of a Madman, scientific journal
of Paris publishes an account as inter
e>ting 10 the public as to the scientific
world. y man worthy of all confidence,
bitten by a mad dog, and who has sui.
iered all the spasms of madness, relates
hi> Sutferings, and how he was cured.
/ We take up the recital at the comusnes-
/ nent of the hallueination.
Il was surprised to see appear- from a
black cabinet, people who spoke to me;
then enormously long rats ran along the
furniture, always by the side. The illu-
sion was such that at first often changed
my position TO convince myself whether
it was an illusion or a reality. After
ward falling stars appeared at moment
when least expected them, always from
the internal TO the external angle of the
eve. which forced me instinetively to
turn my head. simultaneously l was
seized with trembling of the skin and
a feeling of unspeakable horror. In the
place of darkness, or during the night,
my room appeared illuminated as by
a flash of lightning At last, seeing that
nothing would arrest this mysterious
agent, | had recourse to the DQtHrH
StTGmOHiUHi, or thorn-apple of Peru a
Catholic missionary had informed me OF
its wonderful efficacy fifteen years ago.
| took a strong dose of it, four or five
leaves, and commenced to write, al
though with some difficulty. Half an
hour after, the remedy had not taken
effect, when suddenly a strong electric
CONFUSION, like fireworks, or, rather,
like puff of steam, ran through all nv
limbs, from head to foot, producing in
the entire surface of the skin general
trembling and sensation of heat, accom-
panied by disposition to fly and an fnV
deiinable feeling of terror 1t segmed
to me had fireworks in my eyes. = ~
bounded, as if impelled by spring. 1t
seemed to me ! was engaged in deadly
combat between the vital and morbid
principles, the latter of which endeay-
Ored to impose itself tyrannically ike
dominating power, against which all the
active forces reacted with superhuman
energy. At the same moment became
deliriOus and lost all consciousness.
The patient retains in the delirium the
dominant idea of restraining himself,
and of endeayoring to repOssess his
faculties. Nevertheless, in this state
the cOnvulSiOns become more frequent.
They are always accompanied with the
same sentiment of fear, and the neoessi-
ty of reaction and fight. The muscular
force is PrOdigiOusly increased; he is
without fatigue; the weight of the body
is no impediment to the limbs; it seems
only necessary to make the attempt, to
skim over the earth, as in certain
dreams. The contraction of the muscles
of the legs causes a sudden fall, when he
becomes perfectly rigid. He realizes
thai he has fallen when he is restored to
consciousness by the shock of the fall,
and he arises quickly. The nervous eT-
citement is such that he is very nearly
insensible to pain. The figures of the
most familiar persons appear furious,
threatening and provoking; and, con-
trary to the general sentiment of terror
which one feels internally from concus-
sions, one is intrepid and ready to brave
all exterior dangers. The paroXysms
commenced at $50 o'clock in the after
noon. At 10 o'clock in the evening the
remedy began to take effect, and the
next day only a great prostratiOn was
felt The invalid attributed all the
phenomena of the delirium to the gas
produced in the organic tissues by the
influence of the virus