a diseased state of the nerves, and an irregular circulation of "the blood.' "The narrator now explains the state of his system at the "time; but this important part of the account not being at pre"sent connected with our subject, it will be noticed in its pro" per place. 66 6 "I had, in January and February of the year 1791,' con"tinues this author, the additional misfortune to experience "several extremely unpleasant circumstances, which were fol"lowed on the 24th of February by a most violent altercation. "My wife and another person came into my apartment in the "morning, in order to console me, but I was too much agi"tated by a series of incidents, which had most powerfully af"fected my moral feeling, to be capable of attending to them. "On a sudden, I perceived, at about the distance of ten steps, a form like that of a deceased person. I pointed at it, asking my wife if she did not see it? It was but natural that she should not see any thing; my question, therefore, alarm"ed her very much, and she sent immediately for a physician. "The phantasm continued about eight minutes. I grew at "length more calm, and being extremely exhausted, fell into a "restless sleep, which lasted about half an hour. The physi"cian ascribed the apparition to a violent mental emotion, and 'hoped there would be no return; but the violent agitation of "my mind had in some way disordered my nerves, and pro"duced farther consequences, which deserve a more minute description. "At four in the afternoon, the form which I had seen in the 'morning re-appeared. I was by myself when this happened, "and being rather uneasy at the incident, went to my wife's apartment, but there likewise I was prevented by the apparition, which, however, at intervals disappeared, and always presented itself in a standing posture. About six o'clock 'there appeared also several walking figures, which had no "'connexion with the first.' દ "Nicolai now makes some very important remarks on the subject of these waking dreams, and on their incongruous "character. Of these observations I shall not fail to avail my"self on another occasion. The narrative then proceeds after "the following manner : "After the first day the form of the deceased person no more "appeared, but its place was supplied with many other phan"tasms, sometimes representing acquaintances, but mostly "strangers; those whom I knew were composed of living "and deceased persons, but the number of the latter was com"paratively small. I observed the persons with whom I daily "conversed did not appear as phantasms, these representing chiefly persons who lived at some distance from me. "These phantasms seemed equally clear and distinct at all "times, and under all circumstances, both when I was by my 66 6 66 6 self, and when I was in company, and as well in the day as "at night, and in my own house as well as abroad; they were, ""however, less frequent when I was in the house of a friend, "and rarely appeared to me in the street. When I shut my eyes, these phantasms would sometimes vanish entirely, though there were instances when I beheld them with my eyes closed, yet, when they disappeared on such occasions, they generally returned when I opened my eyes. I con"versed sometimes with my physician and my wife of the 'phantasms which at the moment surrounded me; they appeared more frequently walking than at rest, nor were they constantly present. They frequently did not come for some "time, but always re-appeared for a longer or shorter period, "either singly or in company, the latter, however, being most 'frequently the case. I generally saw human forms of both sexes, but they usually seemed not to take the smallest no"❝tice of each other, moving as in a market-place, where all are eager to press through the crowd; at times, however, they "seemed to be transacting business with each other. I also 66 6 66 6 66 6 66 6 66 6 66.6 saw several times people on horseback, dogs, and birds. All "these phantasms appeared to me in their natural size, and as "distinct as if alive, exhibiting different shades of carnation in "the uncovered parts, as well as in different colours and fa"shions in their dresses, though the colours seemed somewhat paler than in real nature; none of the figures appeared particularly terrible, comical, or disgusting, most of them being "of an indifferent shape, and some presenting a pleasing aspect. The longer these phantoms continued to visit me, "the more frequently did they return, while, at the same time, they increased in number about four weeks after they had "first appeared. I also began to hear them talk; the phan"toms sometimes conversed among themselves, but more frequently addressed their discourse to me; their speeches were commonly short, and never of an unpleasant turn. At differ"❝ent times there appeared to me both dear and sensible friends "of both sexes, whose addresses tended to appease my grief, which had not yet wholly subsided: their consolatory 'speeches were in general addressed to me when I was alone. "Sometimes, however, I was accosted by these consoling 'friends while I was engaged in company, and not unfrequently while real persons were speaking to me. The con"solatory addresses consisted sometimes of abrupt phrases, "and at other times they were regularly executed. 66 6 66 6 "Though my mind and body were in a tolerable state of 'sanity all this time, and these phantasms became so familiar "to me that they did not cause me the slightest uneasiness, and though I even sometimes amused myself with surveying "them, and spoke jocularly of them to my physician and my "wife, I yet did not neglect to use proper medicines, especially when they began to haunt me the whole day, and even "at night, as soon as I awaked.'” 66 6 "At last,' says Nicolai, 'it was agreed that leeches should "be again applied to me, as formerly; which was actually "done, April 20th, 1791, at eleven o'clock in the morning. "No person was with me besides the surgeon; but during the "operation, my chamber was crowded with human phantasms of all descriptions. This continued uninterruptedly till about "half an hour after four o'clock, just when my digestion commenced. I then perceived that they began to move more slowly. Soon after, their colour began to fade, and at seven "o'clock they were entirely white. But they moved very little, though the forms was as distinct as before; growing, "however, by degrees, more obscure, yet not fewer in number, as had generally been the case. The phantoms did not with65 6 draw nor did they vanish,-a circumstance which, previous to that time, had frequently happened. They now seemed to "dissolve in the air, while fragments of some of them continu"'ed visible a considerable time. About eight o'clock the room 66 6 was entirely cleared of my fantastic visitors. "Since this time I have felt, twice or three times, a sensa"❝tion, as if these phantasms were going to re-appear, without, "however, actually seeing any thing. The same sensation sur prised me, just before I drew up this account, while I was "'examining some papers relative to these apparitions, which "I had drawn up in the year 1792.” "A very curious case of spectral illusions is related by Dr "Alderson of Hull, in which the irritation of the brain or its "membranes seems to have resulted from an extended inflam"mation under the scalp. "A few months ago,' says this writer, I visited Mr R., "who was seized, in his passage from America, with a most "excruciating headach. He obtained some temporary relief "from the formation of matter under the scalp; swellings "came on in the throat, and he had some difficulty of respira"❝tion when in bed. At this time, he complained to me that "he had troublesome dreams, and that he seemed to dream "whilst awake. In a short time after, he told me he had, "for an hour or two, been convinced that he had seen "his wife and family, when his right judgment told him "that they were in America; and the impression was so strong a few nights afterwards, and the conversation he had "with his son so very particular and important, that he could "not help relating. the whole to his friends in the morning, "and requesting to know if his wife and son were not actually "arrived from America, and at that time in the house. I was "sent for to hold consultation, and he evidently saw that they "all took him to be insane. He therefore immediately turned "to me, and asked me, whether the complaint he then had "would bring on the imagination of spectres, and apparitions, "and figures; for he had always hitherto been an unbeliever ""in ghosts, and in every thing else; he felt, and his friends like"wise acknowledged, that he was perfectly sane, and strong in "' mind as ever he was in his life. Having satisfied him with the "nature and extent of his complaint, and that it would soon « vanish with his bodily sufferings, he and his friends were "made easy in their minds; but the phantoms became at 'length more troublesome, so that he could not bear to go in"to his bed-room, where every picture brought with it the "'association, and conjured up the spirits of the departed, or "introduced a train of unpleasant companions. He remained "after this in a low room, and was for a time free from in"truders; but in a bright brass lock he again saw his transat"lantic friends, and never afterwards could he look to it bu " he saw them; and when I have been with him, and have purposely taken up a book, I have seen him hold conversa"tion in his mind's eye with them; and I have momentarily "known him consider me as hearing and seeing them too-I say "momentarily, for he is a man of strong parts, and perfectly convinced of the nature of the complaint; for whenever I 'spoke, and he turned from the lock, he could converse on religion, physic, and politics, as well as ever. He then changed his house; the matter again formed under the scalp, "and he is now in a state of convalescence, and totally free from such visitations.'"* 66 6 "trance. A case even still more curious, is related by Dr Alderson.* "I was called upon,' he observes, some time ago, to visit 66 6 Mr. who at that time kept a dram-shop. Having "at different times attended, and thence knowing him very "well, I was struck with something singular upon my first enHe went up stairs with me, but evidently hesitated "'occasionally as he went. When he got into his chamber, he expressed some apprehension lest I should consider him as insane, and send him to the asylum of York, whither I had ""not long before sent one of his pot-companions. Whence "all these apprehensions ?-What is the matter with you?— Why do you look so full of terror? He then sat down, and gave me a history of his complaint. 66 6 66 6 66 6 About a week or ten days before, after drawing some liquor "in his cellar for a girl, he desired her to take away the oys"ters which lay upon the floor, and which he supposed she "had dropped ;—the girl thinking him drunk, laughed at him, "and went out of the room. "He endeavoured to take them up himself, and to his great "❝astonishment could find none.-He was then going out of the cellar, when at the door he saw a soldier, whose looks he did "not like, attempting to enter the room in which he then was. "He desired to know what he wanted there; and upon receiv 66 6 ing no answer, but, as he thought, a menacing look, he sprung "forward to seize the intruder, and to his no small surprise "found it a phantom. The cold sweat hung upon his brow"he trembled in every limb. It was the dusk of the evening * Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, vol. vi. p. 201. 66 6 "" as he passed along the passage-the phantom flitted before his eyes he attempted to follow it, resolutely determined to sa"tisfy himself; but as it vanished, there appeared others, and 66 8 some of them at a distance, and he exhausted himself by "'fruitless attempts to lay hold of them. He hastened to his "family, with marks of terror and confusion; for though a man "of the most undaunted resolution, he confessed to me that he ""never had before felt what it was to be completely terrified. "During the whole of that night, he was constantly torment"❝ed with a variety of spectres, sometimes of people who had ""been long dead, and other times of friends who were living; "" and harassed himself with continually getting out of bed, "to ascertain whether the people he saw were real or not. "Nor could he always distinguish who were and who were ""not real customers, as they came into the rooms in the day"❝time, so that his conduct became the subject of observation; "and though it was for a time attributed to private drinking, "it was at last suspected to arise from some other cause; and "when I was sent for, the family were under the full convic tion that he was insane, although they confessed, that, in every thing else, except the foolish notion of seeing appari"tions, he was perfectly rational and steady; and during the ""whole of the time that he was relating his case to me, and his "❝mind was fully occupied, he felt the most gratifying relief, for "" in that time he had not seen one apparition; and he was elated "with pleasure indeed, when I told him I should not send "him to York, for his was a complaint I could cure at home. But whilst I was writing a prescription, and had suffered "him to be at rest, I saw him suddenly get up, and go with "a hurried step to the door. What did you do that for?-He "❝looked ashamed and mortified :—he had been so well whilst "❝in conversation with me, that he could not believe that the "soldier whom he saw enter the room was a phantom, and "he got up to convince himself. "I need not here detail particularly the medical treatment 'adopted; but it may be as well just to state the circum"stances which probably led to the complaint, and the prin ciple of cure. Some time previously he had had a quarrel "with a drunken soldier, who attempted, against his inclina"❝tion, to enter his house at an unseasonable hour, and in the "struggle to turn him out, the soldier drew his bayonet, and, "having struck him across the temples, divided the temporal artery; in consequence of which he bled a very large "quantity before a surgeon arrived, as there was no one who "knew that, in such a case, simple compression with the fin"ger, upon the spouting artery, would stop the effusion of "blood. He had scarcely recovered from the effects of this "loss of blood, when he undertook to accompany a friend in "his walking match against time, in which he went forty"two miles in nine hours. Elated with success, he spent the |