Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-30
many and even TO have extended to the
nunneries OF Holland and Rome.

sermon ahord no cOuntef-trfitaht lux 'ho
interest, aud Oh they go.
In 1857 "A Girl at a cotton-factory at Hold
den Bridgein Lancashire went into con-
yulsions NJ q mouse put into her bosom 10y
another girl, and the commissions spread
amongst the girls till the factory had TO be
shut up. The dancing mania which IN INC
thirteenth century affected, it is said, 100
children at.Erfurt, and which again IN the
following century appeared at AKA
Chapelle, and brought together Assem- oiles
of men and women dancing in the most
violent fashion, and spread into Inc Neth-
eriands, and, again. the Ilgriter-a form
of dancing mania known in hbyssinia-au
these seem ~ be distinctly attributable 70
the form Of imitation which am now de-
scribing.
Evl;N INSANITY SEEMS COMMUNICABLE by MI
TATIoN.
ToHe a datr is the name which the French
medical psychologists. give TO cases IN
which, the decisions of an insane person
are initiated by previously sane COM
paniou. The subject has recently attract,
ed considerable attention, both IN England
and in France, and interesting, facts IN re-
lation 20 il will be found IN the paper IT,
ferred TO ia the note.
Lastly. whatever truth there may be IN
the stories Of were-@olyes, or men ms,
suming the habits of wolves or OF dogs ANA
rn1pinc about ON all-fours like the crea-
lures they afTect-whatever element, II any,
of truth there may be in such stories,
which are so inveterate as 20 have seemed
an old superstition 20 Pllny IN ms Gay,
must, I conceive, be attributed 10 q ike
unconscious imitation producing 3y re-
fey action in a weakened or diseased m1nu,
the likeness of the object OF its thoughts
and attention.
IL is impossible 10 pass away from the
consideration of this kind OF imitation
without pausing for one moment 10 reflect
on the most marvellous character OF the
operation which is involved in 1t. An ac-
ton is observed and then, without CON
sciousncss of that observation. without
sny desire TO initiate il, the appropriate
nerves Get in action the appropriate mus
cles. and the like action is produced by the
beholder. Call this action what we Will
the fact remains equally marvellous and
fails 10 excite our wonder only because II
is one of group of equally strange tacts
in orr constitution which are too faInlhar
10 arouse thought in the minds OF most
men.
PAIN.
These illustrations have reference to
muscular activity, but equally If not more
remarkable are the examples OF the H.
fueuce of imitation in the domain OF SEN
SHtlln. 1 ut llN OluANAAf AAAiA'tt'A''t - I'
may sound strange 10 many, but II seems
well established that not only pain may be
produced in this way, but also the physical
symptoms that accompany PAIN, such
as swelling aud irritation. L do not
relv on the stigmata OF st. Francis
of Assist Though the evidence as
one sees IL at second or third hand seems
very stroug), but on cases which nave IN
recent wears come under the care OF medl-
I
case lady suffered intense pain accom-
panied with red mark on the ankle IN
consequence of sympathy excited by wit
Messing a child in whom she WAS greatly
interested in great danger of having his
ankle crushed by an iron gate; IN another
case ladv's lips and mouth became enor-
mously swollen from seeing child pass
the sharp blade of knife between Its lips.
We now come 10 consider what L have
called the
SECOND FORM OF IMITATION,
namely. that which occurs when we volun-
tarily and consciously do an act, but, new
ertheless, without voli;iCn, sometimes
without consciousness, do It IN manner
dictated by the principle of imitation. In
these cases we do what Others DO, not from
a wish TO initiate them, but because it
seems more easy or more natural 10 do as
they do. and even il with consciousness,
vet without any definite wish or desire
10 initiate our fellows. Suppose for
instance, | 90 into a shop 10 buy a
necktie. and buy one of the kind most in
vogue, | do so, not because have the re-
hottest wish to be fashionable or TO initiate
some leader of the ton, but because the
color and form prevailing have impressed
themselves on my eye and the trouble Oh
selection is saved by following that i'm
preston. Even If l am conscious OF lml-
tation hardly determine on 1t or wish for
il. If were man of fashion should
probably initiate some person with tull
desire and determination so to do; II were
an asthete. with q mind fully alive 60 the
eternal principles which should regulate
the color Of neckties and fully conscious
of the enormity of the prevailing shades, l
should avoid the lapse into imitation as a
mortal sin; and in either case | should be
saved from the kind of imitation TO which
| refer. This evidently involves q certain
passivitv Of mind as TO the way OF doing a
thing. The same thing occurs in literature
and in art. Some great man writes or pants
in a particular STYLE, and all the little peO-
pie follow suit and are often vexed and
honestly surprised when you tell them that
they are initiating the manner and style OF
some well known man.
PECULIARITIEs OF HxPRtssIoN.
OF this second kind OF imitation anOther
instance is, / suppose, offered 10y fact not
uncommon, such as this: An EDgllshman
goes 10 reside in America or in Ireland, and
after few years or even months acquires
the peculiarities of expression, the delicate
differences of utterance which separate the
speech OF his place of residence from that
Of his place of birth. In this case there IS
no question of volitiOn; he probably de-
sires TO retain his national pronunciation
there il no consciousness, for he IS gene
rally surprised. if not annoyed, at being
| told by his English friends that he has ac-
ouired a new dialect or brogue. but he has
given some attention to the pronunciation
around him, and by purely reflex action
| he comes to pronounce rs he hears.
A still more remarkable case of the same
| kind is presented by She righteousness OF
| stammering 1t is notorious that one per
sou, especially if young, may catch the
habit from another; and here the force OF
| imitation, even more strongly than IN the
case of an acquired brOgue, acts, not only
| without. but even against the wish and yO-
| lition of the person. A strong desire-nay.
| determination-not TO catch the trick is,
| believe, no certain protection against the
| r,nVer of involuntary imitation.