DISEASES CLASS III. 1.2.1, 



was perfuaded to tell me, that he had got the itch, and had ex- 

 amined fome of his fervants to find out from whom he had re- 

 ceived it ; though at the fame time there was not a fpot to be 

 feen on his hands, or other parts. The outrages in confequence 

 of this falfe idea were in fome meafure to be afcribed to the 

 pride occafioned by unreftrained education, affluent wealth, and. 

 dignified family. 



Madnefs is fometimes produced by bodily pain, particularly 

 I believe of a difeafed liver, like convulfion and epilepfy ; at 

 other times it is caufed by very painful ideas occafioned by ex- 

 ternal circumltances, as of grief, or difappointment j but the 

 nioft frequent caufe of infanity arifes from the pain of fome 

 imaginary or miftaken idea ; which may be termed hallucinatio 

 rnaniacalis. This hallucination of one of the fenfes is often 

 produced in an inftant, and generally becomes gradually weak- 

 ened in procefs of time, by the perpetual ftimulus of external 

 objects, or by the fucceflions or other catenations of ideas, or by 

 the operations of medicines ; and when the maniacal hallucina- 

 tion ceafes, or is forgotten, the violent exertions ceafe, which 

 were in confequence of it, and the difeafe is cured. 



Mr. , a clergyman, about forty years of age, who was 



rather a weak man, happened to be drinking wine in jocular 

 company, and by accident fwallowed part of the feal of a letter, 

 which he had juft then received ; one of his companions feeing 

 him alarmed, cried out in humour, " It will feal your bowels up." 

 He became melancholy from that inftant, and in a day or two 

 refufed to fwallow any kind of nourishment. On being preiTed to 

 give a reafon for this refufal, he anfwered he knew nothing would 

 pafs through him. A cathartic was given, which produced a 

 great many evacuations, but he flill perfifted, that nothing pant- 

 ed through him ; and though he was frightened into taking a 

 little broth once or twice by threats, yet he foon ceafed intirely 

 to fwallow any thing, and died in confequence of this infane idea. 



Mils , a fenfible and ingenious lady, about thirty, faid 



fhe had feen an angel ; who told her, that (he need not eat, 

 though all others were under the neceffity of fupporting their 

 earthly exiftence by food. After fruitlefs perfuafions to take 

 food, fhe ftarved herfelf to death.- It was propofed to fend an 

 angel of a higher order to tell her, that now ihe muff begin to 

 eat and drink again ; but it was not put into execution. 



Mrs. ,/ a lady between forty and fifty years of age, 



imagined that fhe heard a voice fay to her one day, as fhe was 

 at her toilet, " Repent, or you will be damned." From that 

 moment fhe became melancholy, and this hallucination affe&ed 



her 



