Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-11-06

turned tue SKIN RED. lie now
triumphed over our incredulity,
and deducsd from this inefiici-
ency OF the remedies the strong
est conviction that he was already
little better than a corpse. To
me the case began to assume q
very serious aspect. I saw how
powerfully the state Of the mind
mad Effected the body, and what
a degree Of insensibiIity it
had produced; and I had just
reason to apprehend that an
imagination, which had reduced
the body 10 such extremity. VII
capable Of carrying matters to
still greater lengths
All our inquiries. as to the
cause OF his bsli.f, had hitherto
proved abovtivs, He now dis
closed to one OF his friends, b. 1
IN the strIctest confidence, that
the proceeding evening, on quit
ting the room, he had seen a fg.
ure in white, which beckoned 10
uim, and at the same moment t
= voice pronounced the words:
"The day after tomorrow, at nine
in the morning, thou shalt diel'
aud the fate thus predicted moth
ing could enable him to escape.
He now proceeded 10 set his
house in order, made his will, and
gave particular directions for his
funeral. specifying who were to
carry and who to follow him to
tie grave. He even insisted on
RECEIVING the Sacralnent---a wish ,
however, which those about him
evadsd complying with. Night
came on. and he began to count
the hours, he had yet 10 live, till
the fatal nine struck, his anxiety
evidently increased. / began to
De apprehenAve for the result;
for I rscollectel instances in which
the mere Imagination of death
had really produced u fatal result.
| recollectsd also the feignsl ex-
scutiou, when the criminal, after
q solemn tri,l, was sentenced to
be bsheaded, and when, in ex-
psctstIon Of the fatal blow. bis
neck was struck with u switch, at
which he fell llfeless to the
ground, as though his head had
Dsen really cut off; and this cir
cumstance gave ne reason to fear
that q similar result might attend
this case, and that tue striking VI
the hour Of nlne might prove as
fatal to my patient US the blow OF
the switch on the above mention.
cd occasion. At any rate, the
shock communicated by the strik
ing of the clock, nc. ompanied by
the extraordinary excitement Of
the Inauguration and the generi |
cramp, which had deter mloed |
the blood to the head and tue /.
tsrnal parts. might produce
most dangerous revolution,
spasms, faihting fits or hempr-
rhagss, or even totally overthrow
reason, which had already sus-
tanned 40 severe an attack.
What was then to be d ,ue? In
my judgment everything depend
ed On carrying hIm, without his
being aware of it. beyond the
fatal moment; and it was to be
hoped that Us his whole delusion
hinged upon this point, he would
then feel ashamed of himself and
b, cured Of it. l therefore placed
my reliance on opium. which,
moreover, was quite appropriate
to the state vi his neiv YES, and
prescribed twenty drops Of laud.
anum with two grains of ban-bane
TO be taken about midnight. I
directed that il, as / hoped, he
over.elpt the fatal hour, his
friends should a. a.ss,nble round his
bed, aud ou hi. awuklng, laugh
heartily at his silly no.ion. that.
Instead OF beiug allowed to dwell
upon the gloomy idea. ne Light
be rendered thoroughly sensible
to its absurdity.
My instructions were punctual-
ly obeyed. Soon utter he had taken
the opiaie, he fell into profound
sleep, from which he did not
awake till about eleven o'clock
the next day. "Wbat hour is iti'
was the FIRST question on opening
his eyes; aud when he heard how
loug no had oversight bis death,
aud was at the same time greeted
with loud laughter for his folly
he crept ash .med under the bel
clothes, and at leugth joined in
the laugh declaring thst the
whole uff,lr anneareI fn him Iik.