Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-02-23
ECsTACIES AT REYIYALs.
Whole Congregations Frustrated BY "Jerks"
and Nervous Exhaustion.

an early day, by Il form OF convulsIye
disease, which, though it had been
witnessed elsewhere in the world, had
never assumed n shape SO decidedly
epidemic. The spectacle of persons
falling down in n paroxysm of feeling
was first exhibited at Casper River
Church. in one of McGready's coDgre.
cations in the summer Of 1879. The
movement proved highly contagious
and spread in all directions. After
rousing appeal to the feelings of the
listeners, and especially during spiri-
ted singing, one and another in the
audience would fall suddenly to the
ground and swoom away. Not only
nervous women, but robust young men
were overpowcred. Some, continues
the historian, fell suddenly as ifstruck
by Lightning, while others were seized
with auniversal trcmor before they fell
shriekiug. DR.. Blythe, who often
witnessed scenes of this. sort, assured
DIR. Davidson that he had once felt
the sensation himself, aud only over
came the tendency To Convulsiun 10y IL
determined effort of his will. \ iew
shricks never failed to put the assem-.
bly, in motion aud set men and women
to falling around. 4 sense of pins
and needless was complained of by
many of the subjects, aud Others felt II
uumbnes. of body. aud lost all volt
tional control of their mucles. II soon
grew into a habit. and those who had
once fallen were ready TO fall again
under circumstances 10y no means ex-
citing. The iir-t form in which these
spasmodic movements made their ap-
pearance was that of simple Jerking
at the arms from the elbow downward
When they involved the entire body
they are described a. something terri
bIe to behold The head was thrown
backward and forward with celerity
that alarmed spectators. causing the
hair, If it was long, TO snap like the
lash of whip"
The most graphic description Of the
Jerking exercise was written hy the
Rev Richard McNcmar, an cyc.wit.
ness ot the frenzy. ~ well rs an apolo.
gi,t, believing it to be Il display oi'
Divine favor. In his History Of the
Kentucky Revival" be SAYS: Moth.
ing in nature could better represent
this strange aud unaccouniabic opera.
ton than for one to goad another, al.
tcrnatcly on every side, with n piece Of
rcdhot iron. This exercise commonly
began IN the head. which would hy
backward and forward. and from side
TO side with a quick jolt. which the
person would naturally labor to sup.
press, but in vain aud the more any
one laborcd to stay himself aud bc
sober, the more he staggered, and the
more his twitchcs increased. lie must
necessarily 90 as he was stimulated.
whether with violent dash on the
ground, a bounce from place 10 place
like n foot ball. or round with head,
limbs and trunk twiiching and jolting
in every direction, a- If they must in
eviiably hy asunder. And how such
could escape without injury was 40
small wonder to spectators BY this
strange operation the human frame
was commonly so transformed and dis.
figured a. 20 lC>c every trace OF =
natural appearance. Sometimes the
head would bc twitchcd right and left
to haliround with such velocity that
not feature could he discovered, but
the face appeared n much behind a.
before. Headdrcsscs were of little ac.
count among the female jerkers.
Hankerchiet,, bound tight round the
head, we're flirted n with the first
twitch; and the hair put into the ut.
most confusion.
Granade is the preacher who gives
this description of himself, which Is
also descriptive Of his times He was
stormy orator who drew great crowds
wherever he went. lie admits that he
went by the name of "the distracted
preacher" but says that at one of his
meetings 1.-The people fell rs if slain
by a mighty weapon, aud lay in such
piles and heaps that it was feared they
would sufIocate aud that in the woods" !"
so yiolen. was his manner, stamping
with his feet aud shifting with his
hands, that he often broke down the
stands erected for him in the woods.
Once, it is told of him. he was address.
ing class meeting in the upper story
of dwelling.house, when the room
below was crowded WITH worsbippers.
aud, being in what the historian calls
zone of his big way" he exclaimed /;
II feel like breaking the trigger Of
hell T. and at the same time gave a
tremendous stamp with his foot which
actually broke one of the joists. The
people below, hearing besudden crash
ran screaming, to the door, some of
them really inaginiRg,as the writer of
all these events relates, that hell had
overtaken them"