Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-30

DR. MKAHAN AND HIS GHusTLY GUARDIAN.
kahan says: ~ am blind and have been
since 1870. am in the regular daily habit
of walking on the street for exercise, and
In these walks there comes to ne out of
the darkness and gloom of my perpetual
night n phantom shadow 1t has n hui
man form and takes its place by my side
AS go along it goes with me, when l
stop II stops, when / turn about it docs
the same and acts like sun shadow, but
that IL Is not "a sun shadow | know from
several facts. 1t is darker than q sun
shadow, being black, and is often on the
same side with the sun. II is present on
acloudy day or clear day and appears even
on the darkest night. II is therefore
clear that II Is not produced by any exter-
nal light. There have been constant visit
ors OF some kind since total loss of vision,
and they have come with more Of less reg
ularity ever since. ! would be very glad
to have scientific explanation of these
phenomena.
DIR. Arthur T.. Mink, u st. Louis neu-
rologist, maintains In The Post Dispatch
that the case Is one of optical hallucina-
ton. A Authorization is a false percep-
ton n distinguished from an illusion,
which Is n perverted perception. Dreams
are healthy Authorizations. They are
caused by a normal congestion of certain
brain cells. The dream corresponds TO the
mental Impressions stored in the congcst-
cd cells There are two theories as to the
cause of waking Authorizations. Ono is
that they are caused by Irritation Of the
cerebral cortcx, and the other, held By
Theodore Mcyncrt and Others, is that it Is
duo to irritation of the subcortical gan
glia, In which the optical nerves end. We
do not sec with the eye, but with the brain
The eye Is simply q camera obScura Tho
CLASSY portion, or cornta, along with the
crystalline lens, represents the photo
graphic lens. Tho delicate expansion in the
back of the eye represents the ground glass.
Tho black choroid represents the black
cloth. Tho brain Is the photographer. He
concludes that the man is afflicted with n
cerebral irritation of some sort, which first
caused the blindness and Is now causing
the Authorization. Persons whose sight is
unaffected are just as liable to have optical
Authorizations rs blind persons. Luther
had hallucination of seeing the devil,
and IL was 80 real 10 him that he hurled
an ink bottle mt IL. Napoleon when
wrought up thought he saw the star Of
destiny. Savanarola thought he saw tho
sword of Gods vengeance. These hallu-
cinations are caused by pondcring over one
set Of impressions until the cells where
they are stored become congcSted.
Mrs. James W. Hadloch, spiritualist of
national note, declares that from the
standpoint of n spiritualist there is no
phenomenon connected with the case OF
DIR. Mckahan. His companion is n spirit
friend. sent to guide his steps and lead
him safely through trying oricals
Not till total blindness supervcncd, he
tells us, did this phantom visitor come
Before he lost his sight his mind was so
crowded with material worries and cares
that no opportunity was given for the
manifestation of Il spirit being Now that
he lives in darkness his mind gropcs about
for something 10 feed upon, something to
sustain 1t. and it is rising above earthly
things on 10 n spiritual plane, where the
longcd for relief and restwil be found.
His mind, now free from petty cntangle-
ments, is in a receptive condition, and his
spirit friend is recognized. That friend
has been with him always but il was not
until natu-c closed his natural eyes that
his spiritual ones were opened and his life
iohb II II u part Ol tile
spiritualists belief that some spirit from
the other world is constantly lowering
over us. Some call it conscience, some an
understanding of right and wrong, and
others term it honor, but we believe the
"still small voice is that OF departed
soul who loves VS. and would keep our
feet in the path Of safety and honor In
the hustle and care Of everyday life we be-
come so absorbed In our duties that the
promptings Of our invisible protector are
drowned and we oftcntimcs 90 astray.
Once ON every day. however, our minds
are in a condition to receive this spirits
advice. Some Of Us hcarken TO it much
oftencr than Others, but the busiest and
most worldly person at least once every
day feels the presence near. lie may never
heed il, never admit 1t, but il comes jus.