The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-08-05
As FORETOLD N DREAMS.
SOME PROPHETIC PRECURSORS OF
COMING ILLNESS.


perienees Told by . Physician.
Impressions made upon the senses are
frequently the starting point of dreams,
nut though ali nations have, to . greater
OF less extent, in ali ages Of the world, be-
leSed In the prophetic nature Of dreams,
we now know that the relation, instead
OF being one Of prophecy and fulflIment,
u simply that OF cause and effect, Very
slight impressions made upon the sense
during sleep are exaggerated by the par
tally awakened brain.
For several years past have made in
quiries Of patients and others relative to
their dreams, and have thus collected q
large amount Of material bearing upon the
subject. With reference to the point un-
DER consideration, the data in my posses
sion are exceedingly important and inter-
eating. Among the cases which have thus
come under my observation OF diseases
being preceded by morbid dreams are the
following:
A gentleman, two days before an attack
OF hemiplegia, dreamed that he was cut in
Two exactly down the mesial line from
the chin TO the perineum. By some means
union Of the divided surfaces was OBJ
tanned, but could only move to one
side. On awakening . little numbness
existed In the side which he Had dreamed
was paralyzed. This soon passed on and
ceased to engage his attention. The fol-
lowing night he had q somewhat similar
dream, and the next day, toward evening,
was seized with the attack which rem
dered him hemiplegic.
Another dreamed one night that a man
dressed in black and wearing black mask
came to him and struck him violently on
the leg. He experienced no pain, how
ever, Bnd the man continued to beat him.
In the morning he felt nothing, with the
exception OF slight headache. Nothing
unusual was observed about the leg, and
all went on well until, on the fifth day,
he had an apoplectic attack, accompanied
with hemiplegia, including the leg ne had
in his dream imagined to have been
struck.
A young lady dreamed that she was
seized by robbers and compelled to swal-
low melted lead. In the morning she felt
as well a. usual, but toward the middle OF
the day was attacked with severe tonsil-
tits.
Pulled His Hair Ont.
A young man informed me that day or
two before being attacked with acute
meningitis he had dreamed that he was
seized by banditti while travelling in
Spain, and that they had taken his hair
out by the roots, causing him great pain.
A lady OF decided good sense had an cpl
singular dream. She had gone to bed
feeling somewhat fatigued with the labor
Of the day, which had consisted in attend
ing three or four morning receptions,
winding up with q dinner party. She had
scarcely fallen asleep when she dreamed
that an old man clothed in black APP
preached her, holding an iron crown Of
great weight in his hands. As he came
nearer she perceived that it was her faith
er, who had been dead several years, but
whose features she distinctly recolfected.
Holding the crown at arms length he
said:
"My daughter, during my lifetime was
forced to wear this crown. Death re-
lieved me OF the burden, but now it de-
sends to YOU"
Saying which he placed the crown on
her head and disappeared gradually from
her sight. Immediately she felt great
weight and an intense feeling Of constric-
~. al1 - har
she imagined that the rim OF the crown
was studded on the inside with sharp
points, which wounded her forehead sd
that the blood streamed down her face.
In the case of gentleman formerly I'M
der my treatment for epilepsy the fits are
invariably preceded by dreams of difficult
ties with the head, such as decapitation,
hanging, perioration with an auger, etc.
A lady, previous to an attack of sciatica,
dreamed that she had caught her foot in
spring trap and before she could be
freed it was necessary to amputate the
member. The operation was performed,
but as she was released large dog sprang
at her and fastened his teeth in her thigh.
she screamed aloud and awoke In her ter
ror. Nothing unusual was perceived
about the leg, but on getting up in the
morning there was slight pain along the
course OF the sciatic nerve, and this, be-
fore evening, was developed into well
marked sciatica.
1t would be very easy to pursue the SUBJ
ject further, but enough has been said to
show that the so-called prophetic
dreams" like all others, have their origin
either in impressions made by some one
or more OF the special senses or in recol-
lections OF previous impressions. We are
therefore obliged to dismiss, as without
any foundation in fact, the notion that
dreams have anything Of the nature OF
true prophecy about them.-Dr. VIM. A.
Hammond in Pittsburgh Dispatch.
Educational Item.
schoolmaster- What is meant by mem
tai occupationf
p,,;l- One in which we use our minds