The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-05
Hallucinati0ns.

Strange, even incredible, a. il appears,
sane people are subject TO hallucinations
which are sometimes as wild and grotes-
que as those Of any patient in lunatic
asylum. For instance, New York gen.
ilemAn OF good social standing, every
summer imagines himself victim Of
hydrophobia. He is perfectly aware
that this is hallucination; nevertheless
he suffers terribly from it. He win suf-
fer for hours before he will dare to
quench his thirst by swallowing a liquid.
OF course, ultimately, BY q strong effort
of the will, this imaginary hydropho-
biac will wash his hands and experience
no real difficulty; be will drink water
and wine at last without any evil result.
But ,he amount Of suffering this per-
fectly sane and healthy gentleman un-
dergoes from this hallucination has been
something fearful to contemplate. An
other case is that Of young lady who
for certain portion, of every day, fanc-
les that all the people she meets wear
masks. There is no madness here, no
disease, no nervousness. She will talk,
eat, write, walk or dress in a perfectly
natural manner, though her mother, her
servant, the people she meets in the
street, will all seem to be wearing masks.
Another case ia recorded in which a
person perfectly sane would alway speak
in q whisper, convinced that when so
doing be was speaking in an ordinary
tone. II any one bent down or came
near to catch what he had TO say, he
would look IN wonder, or construe it as
an impertinence. The hallucination
lasted for several months.
The constant presence of a hullucina.
ton, although it il known to be such
will in some cases induce suicide. 81
knew" said Wigan, "a very inteligen
and amiable man who had the power o
placing before his own eyes himself, ant
who often laughed at his double, who il
turn would laugh at him. For SOM
time this was subject Of amusement
q joke-but the ultimate result wa
terrible. He became gradually convinc
ed that he was haunted by himself, an,
so, to avoid this terrible double, bleN
his brains out. The classes denomin
aied nervous people are generally re
garded as more prone 10 become th
victims of hallucinations than person
Of phlegmatic temperament. Yet, q
has been shown. the latter class is sut
ject to such hallucinationa. The ill
sions to which the nervous are prom
are, however, more intense or more en-
,, during, it would seem. A perfectly sar
woman, French lady Of education, bu
very nervous, imagined herself for yea
to be possessed by devils. Another lad
said that her over-skin always looked
her rs il il was covered with scales
Another female always felt that a snail
was crawling along her person. Anoth
or female fancied that all the meat 81
:. saw was fish. A fourth person, ma
was persuaded that he had lost b
stomach, yet he was eating all the tim
fully expecting after eating each me
that come terrible intestinal difficulty
disease would arise within him. Hos
of similar illusions could be cited,
!. ordinary intelligent and healthy person
In fact, so many ofthis kind come wit,
in the observation of medical men, tn
they agree in deciding that hallucin
tions are by no means a sign of ment
disorder.