the black death and the dancing mania-第30章

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t　was　merely　nervous；　easily　cured；　and　not　introduced　by　the　cotton；　no　fresh　person　was　affected。　　To　dissipate　their　apprehensions　still　further；　the　best　effects　were　obtained　by　causing　them　to　take　a　cheerful　glass　and　join　in　a　dance。　　On　Tuesday　the　20th；　they　danced；　and　the　next　day　were　all　at　work；　except　two　or　three；　who　were　much　weakened　by　their　fits。〃

The　occurrence　here　described　is　remarkable　on　this　account；　that　there　was　no　important　predisposing　cause　for　convulsions　in　these　young　women；　unless　we　consider　as　such　their　miserable　and　confined　life　in　the　work…rooms　of　a　spinning　manufactory。　　It　did　not　arise　from　enthusiasm；　nor　is　it　stated　that　the　patients　had　been　the　subject　of　any　other　nervous　disorders。　　In　another　perfectly　analogous　case；　those　attacked　were　all　suffering　from　nervous　complaints；　which　roused　a　morbid　sympathy　in　them　at　the　sight　of　a　person　seized　with　convulsions。　　This；　together　with　the　supervention　of　hysterical　fits；　may　aptly　enough　be　compared　to　tarantism。

2。　　〃A　young　woman　of　the　lowest　order；　twenty…one　years　of　age；　and　of　a　strong　frame；　came　on　the　13th　of　January；　1801；　to　visit　a　patient　in　the　Charite　Hospital　at　Berlin；　where　she　had　herself　been　previously　under　treatment　for　an　inflammation　of　the　chest　with　tetanic　spasms；　and　immediately　on　entering　the　ward；　fell　down　in　strong　convulsions。　　At　the　sight　of　her　violent　contortions　six　other　female　patients　immediately　became　affected　in　the　same　way；　and　by　degrees　eight　more　were　in　like　manner　attacked　with　strong　convulsions。　　All　these　patients　were　from　sixteen　to　twenty…five　years　of　age；　and　suffered　without　exception；　one　from　spasms　in　the　stomach；　another　from　palsy；　a　third　from　lethargy；　a　fourth　from　fits　with　consciousness；　a　fifth　from　catalepsy；　a　sixth　from　syncope；　&c。　　The　convulsions；　which　alternated　in　various　ways　with　tonic　spasms；　were　accompanied　by　loss　of　sensibility；　and　were　invariably　preceded　by　languor　with　heavy　sleep；　which　was　followed　by　the　fits　in　the　course　of　a　minute　or　two；　and　it　is　remarkable　that　in　all　these　patients　their　former　nervous　disorders；　not　excepting　paralysis；　disappeared；　returning；　however；　after　the　subsequent　removal　of　their　new　complaint。　　The　treatment；　during　the　course　of　which　two　of　the　nurses；　who　were　young　women；　suffered　similar　attacks；　was　continued　for　four　months。　　It　was　finally　successful；　and　consisted　principally　in　the　administration　of　opium；　at　that　time　the　favourite　remedy。

Now　every　species　of　enthusiasm；　every　strong　affection；　every　violent　passion；　may　lead　to　convulsionsto　mental　disordersto　a　concussion　of　the　nerves；　from　the　sensorium　to　the　very　finest　extremities　of　the　spinal　chord。　　The　whole　world　is　full　of　examples　of　this　afflicting　state　of　turmoil；　which；　when　the　mind　is　carried　away　by　the　force　of　a　sensual　impression　that　destroys　its　freedom；　is　irresistibly　propagated　by　imitation。　　Those　who　are　thus　infected　do　not　spare　even　their　own　lives；　but　as　a　hunted　flock　of　sheep　will　follow　their　leader　and　rush　over　a　precipice；　so　will　whole　hosts　of　enthusiasts；　deluded　by　their　infatuation；　hurry　on　to　a　self…inflicted　death。　　Such　has　ever　been　the　case；　from　the　days　of　the　Milesian　virgins　to　the　modern　associations　for　self…destruction。　　Of　all　enthusiastic　infatuations；　however；　that　of　religion　is　the　most　fertile　in　disorders　of　the　mind　as　well　as　of　the　body；　and　both　spread　with　the　greatest　facility　by　sympathy。　　The　history　of　the　Church　furnishes　innumerable　proofs　of　this；　but　we　need　go　no　further　than　the　most　recent　times。

3。　　In　a　methodist　chapel　at　Redruth；　a　man　during　divine　service　cried　out　with　a　loud　voice；　〃What　shall　I　do　to　be　saved？〃　at　the　same　time　manifesting　the　greatest　uneasiness　and　solicitude　respecting　the　condition　of　his　soul。　　Some　other　members　of　the　congregation；　following　his　example；　cried　out　in　the　same　form　of　words；　and　seemed　shortly　after　to　suffer　the　most　excruciating　bodily　pain。　　This　strange　occurrence　was　soon　publicly　known；　and　hundreds　of　people　who　had　come　thither；　either　attracted　by　curiosity　or　a　desire　from　other　motives　to　see　the　sufferers；　fell　into　the　same　state。　　The　chapel　remained　open　for　some　days　and　nights；　and　from　that　point　the　new　disorder　spread　itself；　with　the　rapidity　of　lightning；　over　the　neighbouring　towns　of　Camborne；　Helston；　Truro；　Penryn　and　Falmouth；　as　well　as　over　the　villages　in　the　vicinity。　　Whilst　thus　advancing；　it　decreased　in　some　measure　at　the　place　where　it　had　first　appeared；　and　it　confined　itself　throughout　to　the　Methodist　chapels。　　It　was　only　by　the　words　which　have　been　mentioned　that　it　was　excited；　and　it　seized　none　but　people　of　the　lowest　education。　　Those　who　were　attacked　betrayed　the　greatest　anguish；　and　fell　into　convulsions；　others　cried　out；　like　persons　possessed；　that　the　Almighty　would　straightway　pour　out　His　wrath　upon　them；　that　the　wailings　of　tormented　spirits　rang　in　their　ears；　and　that　they　saw　hell　open　to　receive　them。　　The　clergy；　when　in　the　course　of　their　sermons　they　perceived　that　persons　were　thus　seized；　earnestly　exhorted　them　to　confess　their　sins；　and　zealously　endeavoured　to　convince　them　that　they　were　by　nature　enemies　to　Christ；　that　the　anger　of　God　had　therefore　fallen　upon　them；　and　that　if　death　should　surprise　them　in　the　midst　of　their　sins　the　eternal　torments　of　hell　would　be　their　portion。　　The　over…excited　congregation　upon　this　repeated　their　words；　which　naturally　must　have　increased　the　fury　of　their　convulsive　attacks。　　When　the　discourse　had　produced　its　full　effect　the　preacher　changed　his　subject；　reminded　those　who　were　suffering　of　the　power　of　the　Saviour；　as　well　as　of　the　grace　of　God；　and　represented　to　them　in　glowing　colours　the　joys　of　heaven。　　Upon　this　a　remarkable　reaction　sooner　or　later　took　place。　　Those　who　were　in　convulsions　felt　themselves　raised　from　the　lowest　depths　of　misery　and　despair　to　the　most　exalted　bliss；　and　triumphantly　shouted　out　that　their　bonds　were　loosed；　their　sins　were　forgiven；　and　that　they　were　translated　to　the　wonderful　freedom　of　the　children　of　God。　　In　the　meantime　their　convulsions　continued；　and　they　remained　during　this　condition　so　abstracted　from　every　earthly　thought　that　they　stayed　two　and　sometimes　three　days　and　nights　together　in　the　chapels；　agitated　all　the　time　by　spasmodic　movements；　and　taking　neither　repose　nor　nourishment。　　According　to　a　moderate　computation；　4；000　people　were；　within　a　very　short　time；　affected　with　this　convulsive　malady。

The　course　and　symptoms　of　the　attacks　were　in　general　as　follows：…　There　came　on　at　first　a　feeling　of　faintness；　with　rigour　and　a　sense　of　weight　at　the　pit　of　the　stomach；　soon　after　which　the　patient　cried　out；　as　if　in　the　agonies　of　death　or　the　pains　of　labour。　　The　convulsions　then　began；　first　showing　themselves　in　the　muscles　of　the　eyelids；　though　the　eyes　themselves　were　fixed　and　staring。　　The　most　frightful　contortions　of　the　countenance　followed；　and　the　convulsions　now　took　their　course　downwards；　so　that　the　muscles　of　the　neck　and　trunk　were　affected；　causing　a　sobbing　respiration；　which　was　performed　with　great　effort。　　Tremors　and　agitation　ensued；　and　the　patients　screamed　out　violently；　and　tossed　their　heads　about　from　side　to　side。　　As　the　complaint　increased　it　seized　the　arms；　and　its　victims　beat　their　breasts；　clasped　their　hands；　and　made　all　sorts　of　strange　gestures。　　The　observer　who　gives　this　account　remarked　that　the　lower　extremities　were　in　no　instance　affected。　In　some　cases　exhaustion　came　on　in　a　very　few　minutes；　but　the　attack　usually　lasted　much　longer；　and　there　were　even　cases　in　which　it　was　known　to　continue　for　sixty　or　seventy　hours。　　Many　of　those　who　happened　to　be　seated　when　the　attack　commenced　bent　their　bodies　rapidly　backwards　and　forwards　during　its　continuance；　making　a　corresponding　motion　with　their　arms；　like　persons　sawing　wood。　　Others　shouted　aloud；　leaped　about；　and　threw　their　bodies　into　every　possible　posture；　until　they　had　exhausted　their　strength。　　Yawning　took　place　at　the　commencement　in　all　cases；　but　as　the　violence　of　the　disorder　incr