The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-29
rs IT A DRoPsY OR A HEDGEHOG


The illusions of the human mind present
some of the most remarkable and instructive
phenomena which have excited the wonder
of the world and enlisted the attention and
Investigations Of scientists. The medical
text books and periodicals of every nation are
replete with the fanciful and grotesque ideas
sometimes beautiful, sometimes tender and
affecting and at others disgusting and lu-
dicrous OF monomaniacs
| Perhaps no branch of medical science is SO
rich in facts and 50 mournfully fascinating as
that which treats of these mental hallucina-
tions. Many of them are famous even In
history. Eminent statesmen, illustrious
princes, and writer's whose genius is immor-
tai. have been afflicted by them. In more
than one instance they have taken such pro-
found and overwhelming possession OF the in
tellect of individuals that they have
wrought the possessed into enthusiasts 50
earnest and violent that they have become
dsturbers of whole kingdoms. The mem
bers of our medical faculty no doubt remem-
Der the case of Joanna Southcote, an aged
and nfirm English maiden, who, something
over q century ago, conceived the idea that
she had been embraced by the Divinity; that
she was encet,,te and would soon give birth to
son who would be the conqueror and Saviour
of the world. BY her preaching she made
many converts; the people Of the neighbor-
hood became infatuated her fame
spread to the utmost limits of the
kingdom and won converts in great
numbers among the ignorant and super
stitious. One Of the most eminent
physicians of the day examined the old and
decrepit girl, and declared that she was in
deed encei,te. This scientific testimony added
fuel to the flame, and Joanna Southcote
seemed likely to run the English nation
crazy. The promised Messiah however,
failed to make his appearance at the proper
time; days and weeks rolled on; the enthu-
siasm began to die out. and finally it trans
pired that the old woman was afflicted with
tumor or dropsy, we have forgotten which.
A short time ago friend Of ours belonging
to the medical faculty related to us case, in
some respects, more remarkable than that of
the venerable Joanna, though it was too alb
surd to enable the deluded creature, like her,
to form sect or party even among the most
ignorant.
Our friend told us that many years ago
his father, then q phi stefan in Kentucky,
had patient old man-who fancied that
he was e,,ceinte. The conviction was over
whelming, and possessed its victim day and
night, for weeks and months. The doctor
used every argument, every persuasion to
undeceive the unfortunate man. but in vain
Finally the physician determined to attempt
to heal the dstemper Of his demented pa
TENTS fancy by humoring his Illusion. Ac-
cordingly the good doctor examined his pa
tent, determined the time at which he would
be delivered and attended him with all the
usual gravity and formality. AS the event.
full day approached the doctor purchased a
young hedgehog and kept it in readiness.
The day dawned the doctor and his attendants
were on hand. So powerful was the effect OF
the poor wretch's imagination that he suf-
fered all the terrible pains incident to his
fancied condition, when finally his accouch-
eur told him the child was born and presented
the hedgehog to his view. "Ah!' exclaimed
the poor fellow, cit is damnably ugly, but 1t
is mine and suppose must love it.
We have a case in New Orleans familiar to
almost every one, even more remarkable
than the two we have related. The Ptcdyupe
newspaper has been for several years al
Hicted with a hallucination similar to those
of old Joanna and the Kentucky lunatic.
1t has long been afflicted with the illusion
that it is pregnant with new party.
1t has preached OF its coming young Mes
siah for several years. The people in every
part of the State heard, for several years be-
fore the last election, Of the promised Mes
siah that was to spring from the womb
of this infatuated and lunatic sheet to save
the country. But the miraculous infant
came not. There were political doctors by
the dozen, who, like the one that was called in
to see Joanna, swore the symptoms were
unmistakable and that the old lady's proph-
ecy would be fulfilled. But alas the Pea
/ yune's party, and its
/ --''followers, like
] Inanna Sonthcote's Shiloh and her sect.
/ We're things which in this Country did not stfike
| The nubic mind, SO few were the elect:
| And the new births of both their stale vlrglni-
ties ,
| Have proved but dropsies taken for divinities. =
The infatuation has again seized our veneer
able contemporary. 1t is now large with "a
new departure" Monday morning its clarion
] voice rang out to rally its old sect. The trou-
BILE a year or two ago was dropsy Or 9
tumor. But our contempt rary has not par