NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 149 



The proper conditions being given for the development of the 

 disease — generally a congregation composed mainly of yonng 

 women — any fanatic or overzealous priest or preacher may stim- 

 ulate hysterical seizures, which are very likely to become epi- 

 demic. 



As a recent typical example on a large scale, I take the case of 

 diabolic possession at Morzines, a French village on the borders 

 of Switzerland; and it is especially instructive, because it was 

 thoroughly investigated by a competent man of science. 



About the year 1853 a sick girl at Morzines, acting strangely, 

 was thought to be possessed of the devil, and was taken to Besan- 

 con, where she seems to have fallen into the hands of kindly and 

 sensible ecclesiastics, and, under the operation of the relics pre- 

 served in the cathedral there — especially the handkerchief of Christ 

 — the devil was cast out and she was cured. Naturally, much was 

 said of the affair among the peasantry, and soon other cases began 

 to show themselves. The priest at Morzines attempted to quiet the 

 matter by avowing his disbelief in such cases of possession ; but 

 immediately a great outcry was raised against him, especially by 

 the possessed themselves. The matter was now widely discussed, 

 and the malady spread rapidly ; myth-making and wonder -mon- 

 gering began ; amazing accounts were thus developed and sent 

 out to the world. The afflicted were said to have climbed trees 

 like squirrels ; to have shown superhuman strength ; to have ex- 

 ercised the gift of tongues, speaking in German, Latin, and even 

 in Arabic ; to have given accounts of historical events they had 

 never heard of ; and to have revealed the secret thoughts of per- 

 sons about them. Mingled with such exhibitions of power were 

 outbursts of blasphemy and obscenity. 



But suddenly came something more miraculous, apparently, 

 than all these wonders. Without any assigned cause this epi- 

 demic of possession diminished, and the devil disappeared. 



Not long after this Prof. Tissot, an eminent member of the 

 medical faculty at Dijon, visited the spot and began a series of 

 researches, of which he afterward published a full account. He 

 tells us that he found some reasons for the sudden departure of 

 Satan which had never been published. He discovered that the 

 Government had quietly removed one or two overzealous eccle- 

 siastics to another parish, had sent the police to Morzines to main- 

 tain order, and had given instructions that those who acted out- 

 rageously should be simply treated as lunatics and sent to asylums. 

 This policy, so accordant with French methods of administration, 

 cast out the devil : the possessed were mainly cured, and the mat- 

 ter appeared ended. 



But Dr. Tissot found a few of the diseased still remaining, and 

 he soon satisfied himself by various investigations and experi- 



