The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-11-07
AFRAID OF LIGHTNING.
A Peculiar Nervous Fear, and Not
a Want of Courage.

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Want of Courage.
The victims of hay fever are not mere
in number or more to be pitied than
those who suffer from nervous dread of
lightning. Probably more people than |.
usual have learned to sympathize
with this terror during the August thun-
der-storms which made such panic at
summer hotels. OH, persons of very
strong nerve can go through hard
electric storm cithout uneasiness But
there is a cle.ss whom electricity affects
with such peculiar force that, as one of
them SAID, each storm is like being led
out fer execution, uncertain whether
one Is to be shot this time or next. As
fne who knows this species of bliss pref
ty thoroughly, for over twenty years,
permit me to offer the deepest sympa-
thy to such unfortunates, and mention
such alleviations as lifetime of acute
misery on this account has found for
itself.
The dread is neither fanciful nor
durable by any effort of will. Usually
it comes from a violent shock early in
life, and lightning does not more clearly
print the image of veins and branches
on the skin in some cases than it leaves
its possession upon she entire nervous
system in others. Hours before the
storm comes on the electric changes in
the air are felt by the person. either in
nervous exeitabllity and restlessness like
that of birds and animals before storm,
Or intense depression and sense of i'm
pending doom. No Tartarus has cur
tains of more awful gloom, or such
shapes of uniformed dread as inhabit
these hours of oppression. | do not
doubt that many of the apparently
causeless suicides we hear of are COM
mitted under the influence of such dis
tressing moods. They are beyond all
Visitations of the mind most agonizing
and unbearable till one learns to recog
nize them as purely physical, the effect
of Indigestion, of overwork, bodily
weakness or the subtle electric changes
which bring them on with especial
trouble. In some cases. while vet the
sky is brilliant and not threatening
cloud shows sign the effect of coming
storm is felt in drastic purging, or the
eyesight is affected, while neuralgia per-
sons have double portion of suffering
melted to them. AS the barometer nks
with the coming storm, the vitality
sinks with it, breathing is hard, and the
heart alternately beats so low it can
hardly be detected or with sharp con-
traction that seems the precursor of the
pang of death. The danger may be
entirely fancied, but the distress is be-
yond description real l have known
the first flash of lightning in summer
storm to send strong person into an
attack like cholera in three minutes,
and strike one buoyant and blooming
the moment before, colorless, shrunken
and unable to stand.
My own memory of storms for nearly
thirty years has been one of wretched-
ness that turns me sick to think of. AT
best, endurance; at other times, palsy
ing sensation that the next bolt was to
come down my spine, tension of every
nerve to its highest, that felt every flash
of lightning like the lash of whip, and
when it could bear no more went off in
the darkening, ringing. swimming
stages of swooning. but never its mer'
ciful unconsc business. 1t has left mt
unable to stand or sit up for an houl
after all was over and made wreck
Of me for days. If any man suffer,
more horrors of distracted brain ant
nerves the morning after debaucl
than do days after thunder storm,
can not imagine how he ever drinks
twice in his life. A body of unstrune
nerves with unsteady fingers. heart ant
brain each rapping independent dis
cord, head with an alarm spring jus
running down in it. and separate ach
for each JOINT in my frame, are the Sc
auel for two OF three days after
storm. In such dog-days as we hav
had this year. with three storms da'
coming up to stir the murky air, hav
endured incipient delrum tremens, an,
may be believed without difficulty il
saying Ihate lightning like malignan
spirit. Only one thing can add to tn
affliction of such a lot. and that is t.
have dense people say: You should e,
ercise your reason and control thi
dread" As well undertake to reaso
with st. Vitus dance, or erysipelas
The misery of the dread is that it is s
wholly reasonable, and consists in
lively apprehension of what may tax
place at any moment. True. as thes
cAIeiie" creatures asse ere YOU, eneie
only one cnance IN my .nousana
your neihg s.rucA W igh'n'ng y,
one cnanee Is enough 70 destroy u
happiness OF ne lor nose VINO na,
seen us vislla. on. me uniy way
ieeuoe .ie ieal - W ihaAe ..ias oia w
innhlces'mai -ny every precaulIon
can never get rid OF the horrible 10
preston hghth,ng gives, gu. 'nere
cno'ce between tue agony tnat com
OF exposure 10 u ana mere Pnysic
wrecKage. AS one OUT OF every twen
persons IN tne on'teo states prooao
suffers from TINS Ieai; the most uemG {,
aiizing influence on ehe nerves poss'pi
serious attention ougn. 10 De given
lessen their troubles. brain FEVER al