Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-01-01
THE PREY OF DREAMS
Persons Often 0bsessed by Hal
lucinations and Nightmares.
QUEER DREAMLAND DRAMAS.
Visions In Sleep That Have Driven
Their Victims TO Madness Odd
Cases culIed From the Notebook of a
Specialists IN Mental Diseases.

analogies presented by dreams to in
sanity. but some years ago I remem-
Der this impression was strengthened
by an incident which can never for
get y young man consulted me about
a trifiing mental ailment I dealt with
his case in the ordinary way, and I
was pleased to notice be quickly I'm
proved. Some weeks after l had told
him he was quite recovered, however,
he returned. looking an awful wreck.
and. fighting hard to keep the tears
BACK. he begged me to help him. He
had become victim OF nightmare.
Here you are he whispered nerv-
ously. pressing n sheet OF paper into
my hand Here you are. Some OF
the things ! see
"Sketched on the slip were skeletons,
crossbones, a gallows and a coffin.
"'And you really see these things?'
I inquired carelessly.
See them he replied. See them?
Why. ! feel them. Feel them! Feel
the rope, Smell the cofinv
and the poor fellow clutched at his
throat IN real agony.
II did my best for him, but he be-
came worse. The last time he called
upon me he whispered in my ear that
he had been duping me; that he was
the man wanted for the B. murder.
Just as l feared. nightmare had shat
tered his reason.
He went away. and l never saw
him again. The murder OF B. was
expiated. but II was not my former
M - 7
OF the execution. have every reason
for believing that he ended his night
mare in suicide.
such are the instances that stud the
mental physicians book Of dreams.
One OF my earliest patients was a
young man who labored under the de-
fusion. the result OF repeated dream.
that he had suddenly come into n large
/ fortune
81 am not surprised. DOCTOR he
said. I am not surprised. am des-
/ tined 10 Gil important positions. and
very naturally the Providence which
demands that | serve the state has
come TO my aid with the means I shall
find necessary
Then TO my establishment, he In
D ANA -ANO AAN AAdA IL OAAtA 10 kANG the
/ proper touch OF dignity 10 his exalted
state he had ordered a number OF mo-
/ tor cars and horses and carriages and
was negotiating for the purchase OF 4
large residence. which n leading firm
/ or house furnishers was 10 fit out IN
lavish style.
1 must do these things, you know,
ne added. i must
Having uttered these words. 1 recall
he drifted 10 other subjects and con
Versed as nationally as any one.
1T was n case In which took n spe-
cial interest. The young man had q
good face. He was q favorite, found
with his employers. and when he ex
pressed regret ut having 10 leave them
consequent upon his imaginary good
fortune his look Of sorrow was some
thing 10 remember. l told his employ
ers so and discovered that the regard
was mutual They closed their eyes Il
his strange fancies. accepted his notice
in gloomy silence. afterward compli
menting him on his good luck, pre-
dicted for him 4 great future. and
was doing my best
in the end. l am glad to say, 1 was
successful. l found that the younG
man had actually given out the orders
enumerated 10 me, but these I easily
countermanded. The dreaming and the
delusion ended when induced my pa.
uent 10 so TO reside in another district
He never referred TO his visionary
fortune again. 1t passed away from
him Ike the phantom that it was and
was forgotten. Indeed, very likely
were you 10 speak OF II now he would
laugh in his natural quick, business
Ike way and sarcastically request YOU
TO explain the lamentable condition OF
your mind 10 the person he does not
remember-myself.
Il had scarcely finished with this
case. strangely enough, when another
of dreamland's dramas came before
my notice Late one night II was and
the end Of an exceptionally busy day
There was violent ringing at my bell
and moment later man burst excit
edly into my room and begged me L
accompany him 10 his home
'StrangeSt thing in the world be
jerked- My wife it IS First she IS
covering the baby with kisses: mex
she is wanting 10 kill it, Woke W
with scream and wanted to put the
infant out of its misery, and it wasn't
in misery at all
Il smiled and accompanied the mar
TO his home. 1t was not an extraordi
nary thing for an insane woman to do
and this l remarked to the husband
who at once replied:
But she is sane as you or l.
And I smiled again. This horror OF
insanity In ones family Is with us al
ways. The man was. however. partly
right; his Wife was simply another vic
tim or nightmare. The previous even
ing she had visited the local theater
ana. being very much impressed with
the melodrama she had seen there. Il
had affected her sleep.
she dreamed that her baby was be
ing cruelty tortured and that she coul
near II screaming. Waking up, with
Shrek, she rushed TO the little co
where the sleeping infant lay, and ha,
her husband not caught her In tim
nightmare would have been response
bic for another tragedy.
And have most vivid recollection
too, OF still more extraordinary in
stance which came before me in :
northern city many years ago. A ser
geant OF police while going his rounds
I heard n fauola UO;OA a~cro;,,. .At -.