Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-02-22

Conrad Gesner, the eminent
naturalist, dreamed that be was
bitten on the left side by a ven
omous serpent. In a short time a
severe carbuncle appeared on the
very spot, terminating his life in
the space of three days. Another
scientific man, who dreamed of
being bltten by q black cat, also
suffered in the same way. A
learned jesuit, author of many
eruodlte theological works, saw,
one night in his sleep, a man lay
ing his hand upon bis chest, who
announced to him that he would
soon die. He was then in perfect
health, but was shortly carried of
by a pulmonary disorder. A lady
who had a dream in which she saw
all objects dim and Obscured by a
mist, was soon after attacked by a
disease of the eye, of which that
was symptom. A dream of a great
fire, in which the sleeper himself
seemed to be consumed, was fol-
lowed soon after by an attack of
inflammation of the brain. Apo.
plexy, epilepsy, and similar dis
eases are often preceded by fright
ful dreams, in which the sleeper
feels himself scalped by Indians,
thrown over precipices or torn to
pieces by wild beasts. Such
Miserable nights
So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights
should be treated as "warnlngs" IN
the truest sense of that word-as
sent by nature to foretell lmpend-
ing evils which skill and wisdom
may be able to avert.
Thus, if science has dispelled
such old wives fables as that to
dream OF a marriage signifed a
death, or to dream of a cat meant
TO meet a foe, she has certainly
added mysteries and terrors of her
own to the subject. One learned
man has actually tried to systema-
tie these subtitle premonitiOns-to
make them more available for use
and guidance. In his opinion,
"Lively dreams ale in general a
sign of the excitement Of nervous
action.
"Soft dreams are sign OF slight
irritation of the bead; often In
nervous fevers announcing the
approace Of favorable crisis.
"Dreams about blood and red
objects are signs of infammatoFy
conditions.
"Dreams of distorted forms are
frequently a sign of obstructions
and diseases of the liver.
"Dreams in which the patient
imsgines torture OF injury Of any
limb Indicate disease in that limb.
"Dreams about death often pre-.
cede apoplexy, which ls connected
with determination Of blood to the
head.p
HER TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
An educated and very sensible
lady had been through a rather
fatiguing social day. On retirin G
TO bed she soon fell asleep and
presently dreamed that an old man
clothed 10 black approached her,
holding ont an iron crown appa
rently of enormous weight. AS he
drew near she recognized the
features of her father, who had
been deal for many years. He adj
dressed her thus: my daughter
during my lifetime | was forced to
wear this crown. Death relieved
me of the burden, hut now it de
scends to you.' He placed it Oh
her head and gradually dlsap
peared. Immediately she felt
weight and tightness about bel
brow. Further, to add to her tor
ture, the rim of the crown was
studded on the inside with sharT
points, which wounded her fore
head 80 that blood ran down hel
face. She awoke, agitated and
excited, bat otherwise quite well
aud found that she had been asleeT
little more than half an hour. Or
falling asleep again the dream was
repeated, with the additional cir
cumstance that the apparition o
her father now reproached her fol
her unwlllingness TO wear thu
crown. When she awoke agaiI
she found she had been asleep fol
three hours. Again she returned
to bed, and the dream was re
peated in broad daylight.
She now arose and made he
toilet. Going over the circum
stances of her dream, she recol
lected having heard her father sa.
that during his youth, spent IN {
distant land, he had been sublec
to epileptic couvulsions consesuen
on an accident, and that he ha'
been cured by the operation o
trephining.
On a sister entering her room
she proceeded to narrate th
picturesque vision which had, nat
urally, made such an impression o.
her memory. While thus engage,
she suddenly CAV a shrek, be
came unconscious, and fell upo
the floor in true eplleptic convu
sions, though the attack was but
I slight one. A week afterward tn
dream was repeated, and was TO
, lowed by another attack. Unde
suitable treatment both dream AM