AND BODII-Y STATES UPON THE IMAGINATION. 227 



breezes and were seen no more. It is not for us to say precisely 

 in what manner the faculties of the mind are disturbed by affections 

 of its material organ the brain. It is, however, extremely proba- 

 ble that this happens from a deranged circulation of the sanguine- 

 ous or nervous fluids, for I assume it as a fact, thai a nervous fluid 

 does exist, though of so subtle a character that it will always escape 

 the microscope of the most minute anatomist. Many facts might be 

 adduced in support of this opinion, but they would be out of place. 

 It is likewise probable that this disturbance of the mind, this undue 

 predominance of one function to the extinction or diminution of 

 the remainder, depends solely upon this derangement of the cir- 

 culation of the nervous fluids, since we know that, in a vast number 

 of instances, disorder of the blood-vessels would not be followed by 

 any such train of events. Again ; disturbance of the mind is pro- 

 duced by that mysterious connexion of the brain with remote parts 

 of the body, which is termed sympathy; and this is, perhaps, by far 

 the most common source of hallucination. The study of sympathy is 

 altogether neglected, and its importance overlooked. If these were 

 minutely traced in connexion with the different constitutions of 

 mind as dependent upon those of the body, we should at once be in 

 possession of a body of facts which would elucidate and explain all, 

 or at least the greater part, of the phenomena of hallucinations. 

 As it is, we are unable to explain the majority of the causes which 

 produce this exalted state of the Imagination, and make the bodiless 

 creations of the mind more vivid to the senses than those arising 

 from the actual impression of the objects which surround us. 



The constitution of the mind influences the nature of the illu- 

 sions which are produced. If this be habitually gloomy and austere, 

 superstitious and melancholy, and in this state it receive strong im- 

 pressions, the nature of the attendant visions will be of a correspond- 

 ing terrific character. A most extraordinary case of this character 

 occurred in Paris some years ago ; and I am not certain whether the 

 subject of it is not now living, and does not yet retain her gloomy 

 and horrible ideas : — A female, during a state of corporeal disease, 

 gave herself up to the study, or rather to the perusal, of books of 

 witchcraft and tales of sorcery. Under the mental excitement 

 which this occasioned, as she was one day walking in her garden, 

 she was surprized to see, advancing along (he walk to meet her, a 

 figure, whom she recognized as the Mephistophiles of some of her 

 fictions. The sarcastic countenance, the sepulchral brilliancy of 

 eye, the suit of sable in which he was habited, at once convinced 

 her that the abyss had given up one of its inhabitants to communi- 



