22() ON THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN MENTAL 



on the sofa, I perceived, at about the distance of ten steps, a form 

 like that of a deceased person. I pointed to it and asked my wife if 

 she did not see it ? It was but natural that she should not see any- 

 thing ; my question, therefore, alarmed her very much, and she im- 

 mediately sent for a physician. The phantasm continued about 

 eight minutes and then disappeared. At four in the afternoon, the 

 form which I had seen in the morning re-appeared. I was by my- 

 self when this happened, and being rather uneasy at the incident, 

 went to my wife's apartment, but there also was followed by the 

 apparition, which, however, at intervals disappeared. About six 

 o'clock there appeared also several walking figures, which had no 

 connection with the first. After the first day the form of the de- 

 ceased person no more appeared, but its place was supplied with 

 many other phantoms, sometimes representing acquaintances, but 

 mostly strangers ; those whom I knew were composed of living and 

 deceased persons, but the number of the latter was comparatively 

 small. The phantoms seemed equally clear and distinct at all times 

 and under all circumstances, when I was by myself and when I was 

 in company, as well in the day as in the night, in my own house 

 as well as abroad ; they were, however, less frequent when I was in 

 the house of a friend, and rarely appeared to me in the street. 

 When 1 shut my eyes the phantoms would sometimes vanish entirely, 

 though there were instances when I beheld them with my eyes 

 closed. I saw human forms of both sexes, but they seemed not to 

 take the smallest notice of each other, moving as in a market-place, 

 where all are eager to pass through the crowd ; at times, they ap- 

 peared to be transacting business with each other. I also saw seve- 

 ral times people on horseback, dogs and birds. All these phantoms 

 appeared to me of their natural size, and as distinct as though alive, 

 exhibiting the purest flesh colour in the hands and face, and the 

 most vivid shades in the dresses. The longer these phantoms con- 

 tinued to visit me, the more frequently did they return, whilst, at 

 the same time, they increased in numbers. About four weeks after 

 they had first appeared, I also began to hear them talk, they con- 

 versed among themselves, but more frequently they addressed them- 

 selves to me ; their speeches were commonly short, and never of an 

 unpleasant turn." After the continuance of these hallucinations for 

 about four months, they began to fade ; as the remedies employed 

 for the cure of his indisposition were beneficial. The colours at 

 first became dimmer, then the outlines of the figures were indistinct 

 and fleecy ; afterwards they appeared nothing more than a chaos of 

 mist floating before him, till at length they mingled with the 



