ISOC] 



Eeport of Difcases 



77 



tack, the moft formidable perhaps of all 

 the difeafed aStctions to wliich the hu- 

 man fi-iime can be expofcd. 



I'iie iuclJnutiou to vomiting in this dif- 

 order nvAj, to a certain degree, be check- 

 ed hy jlrivlng againll it; which it is often 

 deijrable to do, as the too frequent ftrain- 

 ini; of the ftjinach imphcd in vomiting 

 cannot fail, by iHll farther impairing its 

 Uku!, to ii;;;gravate a difpofition to thofe 

 troiiblefor\ie fymptoms which, for a mo- 

 ment only, it is cniculated to relieve. 

 This fpccics iii' morbi<l convuUion, after 

 having been frequently fupprclfetl by a 

 ftrcnaoiis effort of volition, will be lel^ 

 atit fpeedily to recur. 



The different degree of power >vl)ich 

 perfons of diltinct habits and tonftitutiou 

 appear to polfds, not only over the feel- 

 ings and faeuliies of the minci, but like- 

 wile over what are called the involuntary 

 mufclco, and even the nerves and the 

 blood vcfTels of the body, affords gromid 

 for a fpcculation, carious at lealf, if not 

 important, hov,' far fo deiirable a power 

 may be acrjinnd ; and to what extent, by 

 fome 3-ct unflifcovered niethod of edu- 

 cation, it may be elevated and improv- 

 ed. Dr. Cheyne relyies an infiance, iu 

 one of his medical trcatiles, the accuracy 

 gf it is eftabhflied by an iriefragable 

 combination of evidence, in which a 

 periim, at any time when he chofe, could 

 exhibit every phenomenon of death ; 

 and, after having lain ibr a confiderable 

 period exactly as a corpfe, was able, as 

 it (hould feem, by a voluntary llrugglc, to 

 reftore to himfelf the appearance and all 

 the various functions of intellefl and ani- 

 mation.* 



* " He could liie or expire when he jileafeJ, 

 and yet, by an etfort or ibmehovv, lie could 

 come to life again. He infiffed fo much on 

 our feeing the tri.il made, that we were at 

 lafl forced to comply. We all three felt his 

 palfe firl> ; it was diltlncT:, though fmall and 

 thready ; and his lieart had its ufual beating. 

 iXf con-.uofed himfelf on his back, and lav in 

 a ftiU pofture for fome time ; while I field his 

 right hand, Dr. Baynard laid his hand on his 

 heart, and I\lr. Sfirine held a clean looking 

 gfafs to bis mouth. I found his piilie Hnk 

 gradually, till at laft I could not feel any, by 

 file molt cxadt and nice touch. Dr. Bayn.ud 

 could not feel the lealt motion ^n his heart, 

 nor Mr. Skrine the leait foil of breath on the 

 bright mirror he held to his mouth ; then 

 each of us, by turn?, examined his arm, 

 Ittart, and breath, but could not by the nicelt 

 fciutiny dil'covcr the lea'l fyniptom of life in 

 Lioi. Wc ic4oni;d a loaj tinie ab^ut this 



We are not aware, or at leaft not- 

 fufficiently fo, that the greiuer pait of 

 nervous, are, through the medium of 

 fympiitliy, fcarcely lefs infeftious thaa 

 febrile difcifcs. Amongft mnny other 

 inllances of this facl which, at dilTerent 

 times, have fallen in the way of tho 

 reporter, i,ne ftriking cafe lie lias very 

 recently been made acquainted with, 

 of a yonng lady who, although before Ihe 

 had been remarkable for the unilornj 

 chearfuhicfs and gaiety of her temper, 

 has become decidedly and often deplor- 

 ably deje^'ted, in coufcquence of havinr; 

 for a length of time been domclticatcU 

 with a friend who was of a dcfponding 

 and mclanciioly caJh The circumambi- 

 ent atmofphcre of an hypocUondriacaJ, 

 like that of a typhous patient, is impreg- 

 nated with contagion ; which, although 

 not fo immediately a6tivc, is ahnoft as 

 certain, and at leaft equiilly nilfcliievous 

 and malignant, in iti i4ltiraate opeja- 

 tion. 



It is principally on account of the bar- 

 barous and unphilofophical treatment, 

 but in part, likewife, it is owing to the 

 uneouivocally communicative nature of 

 mental indifpofition, that the receptacles 

 are too (jf'teu found to be the nurferies of 

 infanity ; where any, however fmall, au 

 aberration from the ordinary and healthy 

 llundard of nervous excitement may, ia 

 no long time, be matiu'ed and e^p.mde^ 

 into the full lize and frightful monfi.-ofity 

 of madnefs. Joiin Reid. 



Grcnville-Jtrect, Brunfrcii: k-fqiuire, 

 July 26, 1806. 



odd a|ipearance as well as we CQuld, and find- 

 ing he ilill continued in that condition, we 

 began to conclude that he had indeed carried 

 the experimeRt too far ; and at lall were fa- 

 tisfitd be was actually dead, and were juil 

 ready to leave him. This continued about 

 half an hour, by nine o'clock in the morning 

 ia autumn. As we were going away, we 

 obfetved fome motion about the body, »nd 

 upon examination found bis puUe and the 

 motion of his heart gradually returniug ; he 

 began to breathe gently, and fpeak foftly. 

 We were all altoniilied to the lalt degree at . 

 this unexpetted change, and, after fonr:e fur- 

 ther coaverlution with him and with our- 

 felves, went away fully fatisficd as to all the 

 particuhrs of this faft, but not able 10 form 

 any rational fchemc how to account for it. 

 He afterwards called for his attorney, added 

 a codicil to his will, &c., and c-.lmly and 

 compofedly died about five or fix o'clock that 

 evening." I^ide Ckejne's Englijh Malady. 



^Ilthahctical 



