290 PHANTASMS PRODUCED BY DISEASE, 



produced by sing from some deep seated inflammation which cansed 



disordered sen- acute pain in the left side. It was occasioned by a cold 

 •ation in fever. "^ 



caught at the breaking up of the hard frost in the Spring 



of 1795. The pulse was generally about 110 hi the 

 minute, and the illness, which lasted some weeks, was 

 accompanied with disordered perception, through almost 

 its whole duration. My recollections of what then hap- 

 pened, renewed by occasional meditation on the subjects 

 since that time, are now so far impaired, that some of the 

 particulars recur in a less striking manner; the exact 

 t)rder of their succession, and time of their respective du- 

 ration, are less certain than these would have been, if my 

 ' first intention of writing down the various phenomena 



soon after the event, had been carried into efl'ect. 

 The disorders The phantasms or delusions which accompany and mark 



of perception disordered sensation, (which term I would use in contra- 



form a subject .... i. i . , r 



of interest, distinction to disorder in the powers of memory reason-.^ 



where a law of iiyg or the moral habits) are perhaps too frequent and toa 

 indicated. little varied, to afford much interest in describing them, 



unless where the narrative can point out some law which 

 the elTects may seem to follow, or may aftbrd some gene- 

 ral inferences that may prove valuable as rules of conduct 

 Patientsmay under such sufferings. It must no doubt be a consider- 

 derive much f^]y\Q advantage and consolation to those who might ascribe 

 being aware of these visiOns to supernatural powers, or who might be 

 the phenomc- driven to insanity by impatience or terror, on the sup- 

 °** position of reality, for w^ant of knowing these phenomena 



of disease; — it must, no doubt be highly beneficial that 

 they should have such knowledge : but the events I offer 

 to your readers, are, in my opinion, principally remark- 

 able for a certain connection they shewed with that com- 

 mon law O'' association, by which our usual train of ideas 

 is so immediately and rapidly governed. 

 Commence- -A^t the commencement of the fever, a slight defect of 

 ment. Slight memory was perceived in forming the phrases for dic- 

 nenr^efe?t"^of ^***"S * ^♦^tt^'^ > but this did not last, and I found no 

 memory. difficulty afterwards in performing arithmetical and other 



processes by memory to as great an extent as my usual 

 habits could have gone. The first night was attended 

 with great anxiety, and the fatiguing and i)eri)et«al re- 

 currence of th^sam&j^ream. I supposed myself to be in 



th» 



