160 
die of his original diforder, in fpite even 
of the ocular proof which he had of hav-~ 
ing been completely relieved from it. 
This hallucination of ideas gained 
ground, until in a few days he became ab- 
doluiely outrageous ; it was then found ne- 
ceflary, for the fatisfaction and fecurity of 
thofe who lived in the fame houfe with 
him, to have recourfe to painful meafvres 
of coercion ; although, for the mof part, 
heappeared abfent and melancholy, taking 
no notice of externa! objects, but dwell- 
ing folely onthe unfortunate nature of his 
difeafe, even after it had ceafed to exift.— 
This cafe feems to contradi&t the idea of 
a pathologift of efeemed authority, who 
ventures boldly to affert, that in al] in- 
ftances of madnels, fome change has taken 
place inthe organization of the brain, 
and particularly that there always exifts 
an effufion in its ventricles. True it is, 
that we cannot abfolutely deny that no 
fuch circumftance took place in the in- 
ftance alluded to, yet we have every rea- 
fon to incline us to the contrary opinion ; for 
it isnot eafy to imagine that the mere ef- 
_ forts of the mind, brooding over any par- 
ticular malady or misfortune, fhould, in fo 
fhort a time, be capable of producing an 
important alteration .in the ftruéture, or a 
ferous accumulation in the cavities, of the 
brain. .An effufion in the ventricles is 
perhaps more frequently the confequence 
than the occafion of mental alienation ; that 
it does not always produce a derangement 
of the reafoning faculty, is demonitrated 
by the difeafe of hydrocephaius, which, - 
aithough arifing from an effufion of ferum 
in the ventricles, produces only a dulnefs, 
or total abolition, of the featient principle, 
Not that averration of the fenfes that cha- 
racterifes genuine infanity, in which com- 
plaint the percipient powers are at times 
exalted vather than deprefled, although 
always erronecufly directed, and, in many 
inftances, even to an imaginary object. 
Notwithftanding all the ingenious rea- 
fonings and obfervations of phyfiologifts, 
it is beyond all doubt, that fome latent 
power exifts in the complicated and myf- 
terious organ of thought, which guides its 
healthy, andis difturbed ia its morbid 
- actions; although this power has hitherto 
evaded, and will perhaps for ever continue 
to evade, the mcft elaborate and pene- 
trating refearch. 
Two cafes have recently occurred with- 
in the (phere of the Reporter’s obfervation, 
of hydrocephalus fucceeded by dumobue/s. 
‘The firft was that of a boy of fifteen years 
of age; the difeafe was very far advanced, 
and every fymptom diagnoftic of it obvix 
Lift of Difeapes. 
[ Sept. fs 
oufly exifted, and in fuch a degree, that 
his life was for feveral days defpaired cf ; 
he, however, contrary to reafonable appre- 
henfion, gradually recovered ; but it was 
obferved upon his recovery, that he was 
incapable of uttering any articulate found. 
When the faculty of underftanding return- 
ed, he anfwered the queftions that were put 
to him, in writing, and frequently in a 
very affecting manner lamented his tna- 
bility of utterance. The figns which he 
made feemed to exprefs that he felt as if 
his tongue was bound down in his mouth ; 
and it was found neceflary to preclude his 
acce(s to any cutting inftrument, as it evi~ 
dently was his wifh, whenever he faw a- 
pair of {ciflars, or a knife, to operate up- 
on himfelf. As this idea feemed to engrofs 
his mind, the medical attendant, merely 
with a view to humour his defire, made, 
with a pair of {ciflars, a very flight wound 
in the frenum of the tongue. Inftantly 
after this frivolous operation, the patient 
expreffed his thanks in terms the moit dii- 
tinétly articulate and enthufiaftic, and he 
from that moment has continued to {peak 
as weli as before his difeafes This fa&, 
the accurate ftatement of which will 
bear a rigid fcrutiny, may rank among 
the moft ftriking inftances upon’ record of 
the almoft omnipotent influence of the 
imagination over the organs, the feclings, 
and the faculties of the body. 
The other hydrocephalic cafe was that 
of a child between two and three 
of age, i which the difeafe was noe fo 
accurately marked asin the preceding ; 
the infant previoufly to the attack {poke 
extremelv well, but, whilft the complaint has 
been gradually leaving it, which is neariy 
a month, it has not uttered a fingle word ; 
the power of articulation, however, has 
within thefe few days been again awak-~ 
ened by the ftimulating operation of the 
‘eleégtric fluid. 
In one of the cafes of paralyfis alluded 
to in the prefixed catalogue, it was re- 
markable that the pulfe in the paralyfed 
arm, which was totally deftitute of the 
powers of fenfation and voluntary motion, 
was uncommonly ftrong, full, and regu- 
lar, whereas in the cther, which was not at 
all affe€ted by palfy, the circulation was 
remarkably feeble, indiftinét, and infers 
mittent,. 
One of the patients was amliéted with 
menorrhagia, at 52 years of age, after a 
five years cefiaticn of the regular menfes 5 
it was attended with an extreme relaxa- 
tion of body and depreffion of {pirits, beth 
of which, however, have been conider- 
ably relieved by bark and ftecl, and a: 
al 
