They did not appear except when the eyes were shut or the room perfectly dark. And this was one of the most distressing things connected with my illness; for it obliged me either to keep my eyes open, or to admit more light into my chamber than they could well tolerate. I had the consciousness of shining and hideous faces grinning at me in the midst of profound darkness, from which they glared forth in horrid and diabolical relief. They were never stationary, but kept moving in the gloomy background. Sometimes they approached within an inch or two of my face; at other times they receded several feet or yards from it. They would frequently break into fragments, which, after floating about, would unite; portions of one face coalescing with those of another, and thus forming still more uncouth and abominable images. The only way I could get rid of those phantoms was by admitting more light into the chamber and opening the eyes, when they instantly vanished; but only to reappear when the room was darkened or the eyes closed.

“One night, when the fever was at its height, I had a splendid vision of a theatre, in the arena of which Ducrow, the celebrated equestrian, was performing. On this occasion I had no consciousness of a dark background, like to that on which the monstrous images floated; but everything was gay, bright, and beautiful. I was broad awake; my eyes were closed, and yet I saw, with perfect distinctness, the whole scene going on in the theatre: Ducrow performing his wonders of horsemanship; and the assembled multitude, among whom I recognised L

several intimate friends; in short, the whole process of the entertainment, as clearly as if I were present at it. When I opened my eyes, the whole scene vanished like the enchanted palace of the necromancer; when I closed them, it as instantly returned.

"But, though I could thus dissipate the spectacle, I found it impossible to get rid of the accompanying music. This was the grand march in the Opera of Aladdin, and was performed by the orchestra with more superb and imposing effect, and with greater loudness, than I ever heard it before. It was executed, indeed, with tremendous energy. This air I tried every effort to dissipate, by forcibly endeavouring to call other tunes to mind, but it was in vain. However completely the vision might be dispelled, the music remained in spite of every effort to banish it. During the whole of this singular state I was perfectly aware of the illusiveness of my ings, and, though labouring under violent headache, could not help speculating upon them and endeavouring to trace them to their proper cause. This theatrical vision continued for about five hours; the previous delusions for a couple of days.”

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CHAPTER VII.

SPECTRAL ILLUSIONS OR APPARITIONS.

§ 69. Of the General Nature of Spectral Illusions or Apparitions.

THE doctrines, which have been advanced in connexion with our examination of disordered Sensations and Perceptions, and of disordered Conceptive States of the Mind, appear to furnish all the requisite elements for a satisfactory explanation of Spectral Illusions or Apparitions.

Spectral illusions or apparitions are appearances which seem to be real and external, but which, in truth, have merely an internal or subjective existence ; occasioned sometimes by the disordered state of the outward organ of sense; sometimes by the unnatural or disordered state of the portion of the brain particularly related to the outward organ; sometimes by an unnatural or abnormal position of the conceptive power; and probably, for the most part, by the combined action of all these causes.

Apparitions are very various in their character; as much so as the various objects and combinations of objects, which from time to time come under the notice of the visual organ. Accordingly, there may be apparitions, not only of angels and departed spirits, which appear to figure more largely in the his

tory of apparitions than other objects of sight, but of landscapes, mountains, rivers, precipices, festivals, armies, funeral processions, temples; in a word, of all visual perceptions which we are capable of recalling.

There are unreal and visionary intimations, which have their origin in other senses, and which mingle with, and sometimes give a marked character to, the illusive scenes which are visually enacted; but apparitions, in the proper sense of the term, have especial reference to those things, and those only, which can be visibly represented. It is in this sense of the term, in particular, that we propose to illustrate them; although the subject, as in the conclusion of the last chapter, has already been, to some extent, anticipated. Furthermore, as there are some states of the body in connexion with which apparitions develope themselves more than at other times, we shall find an advantage in examining the subject in reference to these more marked occasions.

§ 70. First Cause of the States of Mind termed Apparitions.-Neglect of Periodical Bloodlet

ting.

One of those more marked occasions on which those states of mind which are called Apparitions will be likely to develope themselves, is the neglect of periodical bloodletting. There may be the elements of these states of mind previously existing in the mental or bodily constitution, or in both, such as an unnatural tendency to excitement in the sensorial organ or in the conceptive power; and yet this ten

dency may not result in the states of mind under consideration until some marked and specific occasion shall occur, such as has now been mentioned. The doctrine that spectral illusions or apparitions are likely to be attendant on a superabundance of blood, occasioned by the neglect of periodical bloodletting, seems to be illustrated and confirmed by the actual and recorded experience of various individuals, as in the following instance.

Nicolai, the name of the individual to whom the statements here given relate, was an inhabitant of Berlin, a celebrated bookseller. He was a man in whom the conceptive or imaginative power was naturally very excitable, and in a high degree inventive or creative. And what is a fact, which some will undoubtedly esteem it important to know, he was neither an ignorant man nor superstitious; but, on the contrary, possessed of much information, and capable of philosophical analysis. The following account of the illusive sights or apparitions which appeared to him is given in his own words:

"My wife and another person came into my apartment in the morning in order to console me, but I was too much agitated by a series of incidents, which had most powerfully affected 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 anything; my question, therefore, alarmed her very much, and she immediately sent for a physician. The phantom