Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-03-09
HALLUCINATIONS.
Some Singular Instances Of This Form
Of Mental Disease.

some singular instances OF JnIS FORM
Of Mental Disease.
In "The Riddle of Personality" the
author. III. Addington Bruce. Analysing
the hypnotic treatment of hallucina-
tons or irrational fears that often end
in madness or suicide. says:
Few people are aware of the extent
and variety of this form of mental dis
ease. There is. in truth, no predicting
the strange obsessions that may in
wade the human mind. haunting it with
vampire-like insistence. One man. ter
rified by he knows not what. may find
himself unable to cross an open space;
another be afraid to venture outdoors
alone; another to sit in a room with
closed doors; another may feel that
every one he meets is eying and criti-
clsing him: another asserts that he is
made of glass and must exercise the
gre@ test care to prevent himself being
smashed to fragments. Such fears
would be ludicrous were they not so
tragic
Particularly pathetic is a case that
came to Professor Janet's notice some
years ago. Nine. P. dyspeptic. had
been put on a diet of toast and water
and. rebelllng. was wont to indulge in
secret in coffee and rolls These she
found Gid her little harm and gradual
~ the habit grew upon her until finally
she passed her entire time wandering
from one Partisan restaurant to an
other, drinking from twenty to thirty
cups Of coffee day and consuming
incredible quantities of rolls At night
II she CHANGED to wake and could find
no coffee and rolls in the house she
would pace her room in feverish anx-
iety until the restaurants opened in the
morning.
Somewhat similar is another case re-
ported by the same authority:
Here is young woman, Que, twen-
ty-SiX years of age. In coming to see
us she brings with her a large bag,
and her pockets are filled to overflow
ing. What is she bringing with her
| in coming to US for a consultation? II
is simply provisions for the journey
! She has in her bag and in her pockets
several pieces Of bread, few slices of
| ham, some chocolate tablets and some
sugar. One would say that she was
going to cross desert when it is
! simply a question Of crossing few
streets. The provisions are indispensa
BILE to her, for. especially in the oper
! air and in squares, it is absolutely
necessary that she should take some
! thing to strengthen her. At the enc
of several steps she feels dazed be
comes dizzy. chokes and is covered
with cold sweats. The danger would
be great if she did not know the rem
edy. All she needs is to strengthen
herself. She eats piece of ham. puts
piece of sugar in her mouth and II
thus able to take few more steps
But very soon it all begins again. ani
1t is only with the aid of rolls an(
chocolates that she is able to cross {
square. One can therefore under
stand her miserable plight when hel
provisions run short. She is obliged
at all costs, with unheard of efforts
to cross the desert to reach an oasis
that is, bakery. During this terrible
journey she gets along as best sh'
can. She may pick up raw potato
| capture an onion or few greer
leaves. This hardly sustains her, blu
gives her enough strength to reach .
bakery. In general she prefers to re
main at home. That is less danger
GUS. and so she does nothing else blu
prepare and eat food all day long"
For such unfortunates there is littl
hope unless they place themselves un
der the care of the skilled psychopa
biologist, the savant accustomed to ex
plore the vagaries of the mind ant
able to touch the hidden springs o
thought and feeling and action. The
and only then will the evil spirits o
obsession be exercised and the strick
en- mind find itself once more In haI
mOnv with ifc environment