iicion. 



SPECTRES OCCASIONED BY DISEASE. 1^5 



paritions feem to me of great importance; though we might Narrative ant! 

 be apt to regard them in a fecondary point of view: for we ^emaikson 



,,,. ,-, c • n ^fpettre-: pro- 



cannot determme ot what conlequence even a circumltance ot jucedby nervous 

 the moft trivial nature may be, if at any future period (in cafe mdifptfit 

 more experiments of a Irlce nature are afcertained) fome fuppo- 

 fitionsor conclufions can be made refpeding the origin of iuch 

 phantoms, or on fome law of the afibciation of ideas accord- 

 ing to which they are modified or follow one another. 



I was alfo, whicli is feldom the cafe, in a fituation to make 

 obfervations on my felt. I took down therefore in a few words 

 what was moft important, and recounted it immediately to fe- 

 veral perfons. My memory, which is extremely retentive, has 

 befides treafured up the moft n.inute circumftances ; the more 

 on that account, as this ftory has very often proved the fubjedl 

 of my impartial confideration, not only with regard to my own 

 particular fituation, but alfo in refpeft to its many pfychologi- 

 cal confequences. Its truth will, I hope, require no further 

 aftij ranee on my part, fince a member of this academy (Mr, 

 Selle) is an unexceptionable witnefs of it, having, as my phy- 

 fician, received a daily account of all that happened to me. 



It would be extremely improper m an atfeinbly like the pre- 

 fent to fpeak much of myfelf; it can only be excufable in this 

 particular cafe, where it ferves to throw greater light on fci- 

 entific inveftigation. I muft requeft permiffion therefore to 

 notice feveral particulars of my fituation previous to my feeing 

 the phantoms, as thofe incidents may have greatly afFeded the 

 ftate of my body and mind during that time. 



In the laft ten months of the year 1790, I underwent feveral 

 very fevere trials, which greatly agitated me. From the month 

 of September in particular, repeated fliocks of misfortune 

 had befallen me, which produced the deepeft forrow. It had 

 been ufual for me to lole blood by venefeclion twice a year. 

 This was done once on the 9th of July 1790, but towards the 

 clofe of the year it was omitted. In 1783 I had been fuddenly 

 feized with a violent giddinefs, which the phyfician imputed 

 to an obftru6lion in the fmall raufcles of the abdomen, proceed- 

 ing from too intenfe an application to ftudy, and my fedentary 

 manner of life for many years. Thefe complaints were re- 

 moved by a three years cure, and the rigid obfervance of a 

 ftria diet during that time. In the firft ftage of the malady 

 the application of leeches to the anus had been particularly ef- 



fedive. 



