New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-07-09
Abnornal States Of the Nervous sy,
tom and Spirltualisna.
Written for the Review by Q. P champlin

The first of which we will speak is
hysteria. A person affected with this
disease will endufe treatment such as
would cause death in the normal work
ing of the system. DR.. Hammond
book abounds in illustrations of this.
We give one or two. A lady in hys-
terical paroxysms would beat her head
with such violence against Il lath and
plaster partition as to make hole in
it with little or no injury to herself.
Another woman stcaused herself to be
tied one day as she lay on the table her
arms crossed behind her back and her
legs hexed to their fullest extent, and,
while six men struck her without ceas-
ing, u seventh choked her. After this
she remained insensible for some time,
and her tongue, inilamed and disc0).
ored, hung far out of her mouth
Another received 'shundre1 blows
upon the stomach with an andiron, and
these were so heavy they shook the
wall against which she was placed,
and upon one occasion u breach in it
was caused at the twenty.fiftn blow"
This seemed incredible Gas it was ply
sically impossible that the skin, the
flesh, the bones, and the internal or
gans, could resist such violence" This
was the opinion Of 4 physician who
was invited to test the facts and did
but with establishment. . He begged
to be allowed to administer the blows.
A strong iron instrument, sharp at
one end, was put into his hands; he
struck with all his might and thrust it
deep into the flesh, but the victim
laughed at his efforts, and remarked
that his blows only did her good
Here is an illustration or two of an.
other phase of hysteria. A married
lady believed she had visions and real.
" saw the spirits of various persons of
whom she happened to think. She
could not think ola person without
Immediately seeing. his image, and he
would speak toner, laugh, weep. walk
about and do whatever else she imag.
ined. 'sUnder a suitable hyginic and
medicinal treatment, this lady entirely
recovered.
Another young lady believed she
had q ''double, whom she saw almost
constantly and with whom she con-
versed whenever she pleased. At first
she was frightened, but after while
became used to her imaginary compan-
ion and was lonesome without her.
A generous treatment of strychnia,
iron, and whiskey and a full, nutritious
diet quickly banished the delusional
visitor and restored her health. The
witchcraft of New England in the 18th
century would now be classed with
spiritualism, or more properly, in some
of its aspects, hysteria chorea, and ca
talepsy.
DIR. Hammond claims that Gin cata-
lepsy we have an affection which is
well calculated to fulfil many of the
requirements Of spiritualism.
The catoleptic is usually without
sensation. Pins thrust into the body
are not felt; the open eyes do not see;
0dors are not smelt, or strongly sapid
substances tasted. In some forms OF
of catalepsy the affected individuals
though taking no cognizance of their
surroundings are capable of mental
action which passes with the vulgar
for inspiration and capitalization
There are numerous examples of this
We give one, where Che person, mai.
den lady of delicate health, and OF
plain, but substantial education fell in.
to the habit Of trance-preaching. Hel
mind had been much exercised on re-
ligion and her health somewhat affect
ed. The sermons which she preached
were published. They were highly
respectable in point Of style and an
rangement and were illustrated with
quotations from the Scriptures. Thai
which was at first regarded as a re
markable gift came, after a time, te
be considered as the result of disease
and when her health was restored she
L -, 49, 800 ~
lost her faculty Of rance-preach;ng
Such person would be called now a
..trance-medium. =
There is another power Of the mind
which some have, Of giving form to
mental images. Goethe states that
he had the power Of giving form to the
Images passing before his mind and
upon one occasion saw his own figure
approa aching him. " It is stated Of an
other man who was affected by the up
pearance Of Spectral figures that if hi
lmpt q friend on fhn street no f.n,,16 mi