the notion of persons being able to see with the fingers when in the so called " magnetic" state. Even though these parts were susceptible of the sensation of light, which they are not, the perception of objects would be impossible, unless there were an optical apparatus for collecting the light radiated from certain points of the object, upon certain points of the sensitive surface; and without such apparatus the pit of the stomach and fingers, though they possessed the sensibility for light, would merely be able to distinguish between light and darkness. "Since, however, these parts are not susceptible of the sensation of light, and since no sense can be transferred from one part to another, it is quite impossible for a person in the "magnetic" state to have even an obscure perception of light or darkness, by means of any other parts than the eyes." (See Müller's Physiology, vol. ii. p. 1125.) Note (i)-page 142. "And dreadful demons crowded on my brain." A philosopher used to observe, while writing late in his study, phantoms of various kinds, on horseback and on foot, crowding past him, quite inoffensively, some observing and recognising him, and some not, which phenomena were owing to a very diseased state of the eye and an excited brain. Had he lived remote from medical advice, he might have sworn to all these appearances. In the same way might all the great "Ghost Stories" of our grandmothers be accounted for, with the addition of superstitious mistakes. Coleridge the poet, being asked seriously, if he believed in spirits, said, he had seen too many of them to believe in them. Darkness often excites to dreadful degrees the imaginative mind. Page 144. "So now farewell to day-to holy light! And welcome darkness in the robes of night!" The resigning of the mind entirely to despair, is perhaps the first principle that will speedily yield relief, for while we are harassed with hope and fear on particularly dark subjects, or certain positions in life, we feel as if perpetually perplexed by the alternate powers of light and darkness. In early life, I experienced the full meaning of the above lines, being then blind for four days, and not having sufficient philosophy to calmly endure the privation, nor intelligence to know that this change was merely attendant, in some cases, on the disease with which I was then affected, I felt the most distracting sensations, which latterly ended in a desire for deeper darkness. Early sensations, it is well known, are deeply engraven on the tablet of memory, and that strange recollection, together with a natural weakness for some time after, enables me to keep more powerfully before my fancy the helplessness of the blind. On this account, I hope that those who may peruse this work will believe that all my sympathies toward this unfortunate class of beings are in every way sincere; and indeed, I could not conclude this impressive subject without making these remarks. I have to offer my acknowledgments for several novel and interesting physiological notes, to one of my medical friends, whose professional knowledge is a sufficient guarantee for their correctness. |
