DISEASE OF THE BODY A MENTAL STIMULANT. 85 



nine in the morning, and ending about six in the evening ; interrupting 

 her in conversation, in prayer, or in manual occupations. This state," 

 says Dr. Carpenter, " appears to have been intermediate between that of 

 the biologized and that of the hypnotized subject ; for, while as uncon- 

 scious as the latter of all sense-impressions, she retained, like the former, 

 a recollection of all that had passed through her mind during the ecstasy. 

 She described herself as suddenly plunged into a vast flood of bright 

 light, from which more or less distinct forms began to evolve themselves ; 

 and she then witnessed the several scenes of the Passion successively 

 passing before her. She minutely described the cross and the vestments, 

 the wounds, the crown of thorns about the head of the Saviour, and gave 

 various details regarding the persons about the cross, the disciples, holy 

 women, Jews, and Roman soldiers. And the progress of her vision 

 might be traced by the succession of actions she performed at various 

 stages of it : most of these movements expressive of her own emotions, 

 while regularly about three in the afternoon she extended her limbs in 

 the form of a cross. The fit terminated with a state of extreme physical 

 prostration ; the pulse being scarcely perceptible, the breathing slow and 

 feeble, and the whole surface bedewed with a cold perspiration. After 

 this state had continued for about ten minutes, a return to the normal 

 condition rapidly took place." 



There seems no reason for supposing that there was any deceit on 

 the part of Louise Lateau herself, though that she was self-deceived no 

 one can reasonably doubt. Of course many in Belgium, especially the 

 more ignorant and superstitious (including large numbers of the clergy 

 and of religious orders of men and women), believed that her ecstasies 

 were miraculous, and no doubt she believed so herself. But none of 

 the circumstances observed in her case, or related by her, were such as 

 the physiologist would find any difficulty in accepting or explaining. 

 Her visions were such as might have been expected in a person of her 

 peculiar nervous organization, weakened as her body had been by long 

 illness, and her mind affected by what she regarded as her miraculous 

 recovery. As to the transudation of blood from the skin, Dr. Tuke, in 

 his " Illustrations of the Influence of the Mind upon the Body in 

 Health and Disease " (p. 267), shows the phenomenon to be naturally 

 explicable. It is a well-authenticated fact that under strong emotional 

 excitement blood escapes through the perspiratory ducts, apparently 

 through the rupture of the walls of the capillary passages of the 

 skin. 



We see, then, in Louise Lateau's case, how the mind affected by 

 disease may acquire faculties not possessed during health, and how in 

 turn the mind thus affected may influence the body so strangely as to 

 suggest to ignorant or foolish persons the operation of supernatural 

 agencies. Of the influence of the mind on the body, we may speak 

 more fully on another occasion. 



The general conclusion to which we seem led by the observed pecu- 



