EXCESSIVE FEAR. 59 



kicking, striking and even squealing, in his phrenzy to get 

 away from it. With a little care I succeeded in breaking 

 up the impression so effectually, that he allowed a blanket 

 on him afterwards. We see, in all cases, that excessive 

 feat is excited by forcing or bringing the object to notice 

 too quickly or unexpectedly, causing so intense an excite- 

 ment of the fears as to derange the understanding. If, in 

 the first place, these derangements are the result of shocking 

 the nervous system by the suddenness and violence of the 

 impression, the prevention of such derangements can be 

 secured by bringing objects and sounds liable to excite, to 

 notice slowly; and, second, in overcoming them, that 

 there is power to control physical resistance at will, to 

 enable convincing the reason of the harmless character of 

 the object or sound. The feelings become blunted by the 

 presence or repeated contact with the object or sound. The 

 greatest causes of danger cease to attract notice by familiar- 

 ity with them. The family living on a by-road in the 

 country, who would notice every one going by in their 

 isolated position, in a city where people pass almost con- 

 stantly, would soon become unmindful of even greater 

 causes of excitement. The principle is the same with 

 horses. Hence, omnibus, hack or other horses that are 

 almost constantly in the vicinity of the cars soon become 

 unmindful of them, the exception being those of a very 

 sensitive character, or by being greatly frightened at first. 

 Hence, military horses that are forced to submit to the 

 firing of small arms, cannons, drums, etc., soon become 

 regardless of such excessive noises and excitement, and 

 soon become perfectly gentle and obedient to control 

 under such circumstances. It is common, too, for horses 

 that are very sensitive in the country when subjected to the 

 constant bewildering excitement of a city to become as un- 

 mindful of what is passing around them, as others accus- 

 tomed to use in such a locality. The change of character, 

 too, that may be produced by proper subjective treatment, is 

 remarkable, many marked proofs of which I have illustrated 

 in my own practice. To one marked case I will here refer : 

 In October, 1868, a six year old horse, owned by A. 

 Smawley, of Petroleum Centre, Pa., was brought to me for 

 treatment. This horse was of so remarkably wild and des- 

 perate a character that he was known by the name of 



