The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-01-28
Illusions.

Every day may be said TO bring to the
healthy mind practical instances Of the oc-
curences Of subjective sensations, such as in
more typical development constitute the oil
lusions" Of the curious. To select an ex-
ample within the practical reach Of all who
may be disposed to try the experiment, sup
pose we allow the head TO depend for some
time as in the STOPPING posture, we hear
noises i'm the ears, sounds Of "singing" or
Bringing" as we popularity term them;
flashes of light before the eyes-also beheld
In cases of direct irritation of the organ of
sight-and we may also experience variety
Of other sensations which are truly "subject.
i've" In that they are produced by no out
ward noises or sights, but by an internal
cause, most probably Temporary congestion of
the nerve centers. That there should exist
perfectly natural tendency to speak Of the
phenomena Just mentioned as heard and
"seen," respectively, Is a matter exciting no
comment. We continually refer TO outward
ana usual sources of sensations, the impress
sions which may actually be produced from
within. The effect of this perfectly natural
method of discerning the origin of sensations
becomes ludicrous In practice when, through
surgical circumstances over which the pa
tient has no control, change Of locality be-
falls the nerves In question. A subjective
sensation, for instance, refers pain at the ex-
tremity of q stump to the portion of the limb
which has been removed. Apatient who pos
sesses no leg may thus feel pain in his toes.
More curious still are the results Of the Tall
acotian operation for the restoration Of the
nose. In such procedure, flap OF skin Is
~--~--~-------s--~.s-es ss~rfs-a--vu
long as the flap remains connected with the
forehead, so long will the patient refer his
sensations TO the forehead when the new nose
Is touched. That things are not what they
seem may thus be illustrated physiological
ly In very perfect fashion. Subjective sem
sation here refers the impression TO the orig
inal seat Of the skin-namely, the forehead
although in time the nose-fap adjusts its sem
sibility to its new position So, also, in the
well-known experiment of crossing the fore |
and middle fingers and feeling the tip of the |
nose with the crossed digits, the organ of |
smell appears double. Here the surfaces of |
touch being altered and transposed, the |
double sensation Of illusion arises from the
mind referring to the impression received by
each finger to the natural and separate posi-
tion of the digits. Still more remarkable are
certain subjective sensations produced by a
potent belief In the existence of the condi-
lions which give rise to actual Tor objective)
sensations Of like kind. The late Prof. Ben
nett, Of Edinburgh, relates case in which
procurator fiscal, or public prosecutor, in
Scotland attended the exhumation of body
In case of supposed murder, and had to
from the scene on account, as he
alleged, Of the overpowering odor attending
he procedure, and emitted, as he believed,
,y the coffin. On the latter being examined
was found to be empty! Another case H.
ustrates, in an equally interesting fashion,
he ideational and internal origin of sensa-
ion through an intense belief in the real ma
ure of the external conditions which ordina-
ialy produce them. An Edinburgh butcher, y
ngaged In placing heavy joint OF meat on
hook situated above his head, slipped so "
hat the hook appeared to penetrate his arm, 0
nd suspend him thereby. Carried into a
ruggist's shop close at hand, he was pale,
ell-nigh pulseless, and suffering, as he said, q
'ute agony, which was intensified on the q
m being moved. When, however, the arm -
as examined, not trace of the injury was
be observed. The hook had merely pene-
ated the sleeve Of the coat; yet his subject
Q sensations referring the injury to his arm w
ere so real that the pallor and shock were
typically represented as II he had really DO
en- acknowledgement. ne