436 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



strong popular tendency to attribute the more troublesome cases 

 of it to hostile spiritual influence.* 



From all these sources, but especially from our sacred books 

 and the writings of Plato, this theory that mental disease is 

 caused largely or mainly by satanic influence passed into the 

 early Church. In the apostolic times no belief seems to have been 

 more firmly settled. The early Fathers and Doctors in the fol- 

 lowing age universally accepted it, and the apologists generally 

 spoke of the power of casting out devils as a leading proof of the 

 divine origin of the Christian religion, f 



As a result of this idea, the Christian Church at an early period 

 in its existence virtually gave up the noble conquests of Greek 

 and Koman science in this field, and originated a regular disci- 

 pline for i)ersons supposed to be possessed, based, as was believed, 

 upon Scriptural theology. But, during the centuries before the- 

 ology and ecclesiasticism were largely developed, this discipline 

 was, as a rule, gentle and useful. The afflicted, when not too vio- 

 lent, were generally admitted to the exercises of public worship, 

 and a kindly system of cure was attempted, in which prominence 

 was given to holy water, sanctified ointments, the breath or spittle 

 of the priest, the touching of relics, visits to holy places, and sub- 

 mission to mild forms of exorcism. There can be no doubt that 

 many of these things, when judiciously used, in that spirit of love 

 and gentleness and devotion inherited by the earlier disciples 

 from " the Master," produced good efiiects in soothing disturbed 

 minds and aiding their cure. 



Among the thousands of fetiches of various sorts then resorted 

 to may be named, as typical, the Holy Handkerchief of Besangon. 

 During many centuries multitudes came from far and near to be 

 touched by it ; for, it was argued, if touching the garments of St. 

 Paul, at Ephesus, had cured the diseased, how much more might 

 be expected of a handkerchief of the Lord himself ! 



With ideas of this sort was mingled a vague belief in medical 



* The Greek word " epilepsy " is itself a survival of the old belief, fossilized in a word, 

 since its literal meaning refers to the seizure of the patient by evil spirits. 



f For a striking statement of the Jewish belief in diabolical interference, see Josephiis, 

 " De Bello Judaico," vii, 6, iii ; also his " Antiquities," viii, Whiston's translation. On the 

 "devil cast out," in Mark ix, 17-29, as an undoubted case of epilepsy, see Cherullier, 

 " Essai sur I'Epilepsie " ; also Maury, art. " Demoniaque " in the " Encyclopedic Moderne." 

 In one text, at least, the popular belief is perfectly shown as confounding madness and 

 possession : " He hath a devil and is mad," John x, 20. Among the multitude of texts 

 those most relied upon were Matthew viii, 28, and Luke x, 17; and, for the use of fetiches 

 in driving out evil spirits, the account of the cures wrought by touching the garments of St. 

 Paul in Acts xix, 12. On the general subject see authorities already given, and as a typical 

 passage Tertullian, " ad. Scap.," ii ; for the very gross view taken by St. Basil, see Cudworth, 

 "Intellectual System," ii, 648; also Archdeacon Farrar's "Life of Christ." For a curious 

 presentation of Greek views, see Lelut, " Le Demon de Socrate," Paris, 1886 ; and, for 

 the transmission of these to Christianity, see same, p. 201, and following. 



