1 10 Thoughts on the Exercises 



XIII. Thoughts on the Exercises which have occurred 

 at the Camp- Meetings in the western parts of our 

 country. Communicated to the Editor, by Mr. 

 William Young, of Delaware. 



IN the Medical and Pliysical Journal, part 1, vol. 

 II, Dr. Robertson, of Nashville, denominates the exer- 

 cises which have occurred at the camp- meetings in Ten- 

 nessee, &c, an Epidemic Chorea ; and, though not fond 

 of disquisitions of this sort, I beg leave to offer a few 

 observations in reply, and hope to disprove Dr. Robert- 

 son's position. 



The cogitations of conscience are generally hidden 

 and inscrutable, but extraordinary impulses on the mo- 

 ral faculty are frequently manifested to observation. It 

 is a commonly received maxim, that every operation of 

 mind, and every act relating to religious worship should 

 be treated with caution and liberality ; but an attempt to 

 explain such extraordinary exercises of mind, and ges- 

 ticulations of body, as occurred in this case, is privi- 

 leged by christian charity itself. 



In considering this exercise as a bodily disease, Dr. 

 Robertson must have overlooked, or not examined, the 

 physiology of the mind. The ancient nosologists were 

 often misled by mistaking symptoms for original affec- 

 tions, and an apparent similarity of symptoms formed 

 the relationship of disease, and names were applied with- 

 out regard to the real nature or seat of the disorder : 

 hence, an inflammation of the meninges of the brain was 



