We n.ust all acknowledge, that this curious narrative possesses every quality, which can conciliate attention and belief. The narrator of the story is the sufferer of the

pears to profess the Art of seeing and shewing Visions. This is a science, not difficult to he acquired: The art of unlearning it will be more laborious, and the Spectres may prove more stubborn than those of Nicolai. The descent into the land of Shadows is easy, but to recall the steps-there lies the labour, there the operation. Facilis descensus Averni, Sed revocare gradum &c.

The most extraordinary part, as it appears to me, in the story of Nicolai is, that during the long continuance of the Disorder, the associated motions of the system had not entangled the malady in their mechanism, and fixed it on the frame. The remedy, which was employed for its cure, was good, and what is better, it was efficacious. Yet probably if the state of the stomach and bowels had been regulated at the commencement of the disease by removing or preventing morbid congestions, and if the head had been dipp'd daily in cold water-or if cold water had been applied by a shower bath &c. &c. at the moment, when the spectres were beginning to appear, the Disorder would have been more speedily quelled, or at once crushed. In my humble opinion, when the state of the bowels has been duly ordered by a regular use of aperient, not purgative medicines, cold water outwardly appliedby sprinkling shower baths, bathing &c. is the only safe and effectual remedy for Nervous Malady

Malady- -a man of science of probity and of truth-neither infected with the terrors of superstition, nor perhaps of that order of minds, in which the powers of the imagina

tion

disorders. The Antispasmodica or Neurotica, Valerian, Bark, Opium, &c. &c. may be, if not applied with consummate skill, the most direful and destructive of Drugs. The safest Neurotic is Alcohol, under the form of generous Wine, measured out as a Medicine, and not drank at the will of the Patient. The effects of this Neurotic are known to all, and the evil of excess must be apparent alike to the Patient and the Practitioner. The evil of potent Medicines, not producing intoxication, as Bark and Valerian, is not known or dreaded, and they destroy like the Ardent spirits, though without any suspicions arising from their baleful qualities; Confirmed Insanity has been, I am persuaded often produced, by these deadly drugs, when injudiciously applied. I am grieved to say, that in my opinion the suspicions of the Practitioner are too much asleep on the use of these Medicines. This is most manifest, that Nervous Disorders often-I might venture to say, frequently—most frequently, nay almost always arise from constipated Bowels, and this evil is aggravated to a frightful degree by Nervous Medicines. If therefore the attention of the Practitioner be not alive in the highest state of attention to this point, what dreadful remedies does he apply to his Miserable Patient! All Medical

tion form the predominant quality of the understanding. I some years ago heard the same story from one of the most distinguished writers of the age-a Dignitary of our Church, who was, if I rightly remember, a friend of Nicolai, and who would be singularly qualified, from his personal knowledge of the author-his extensive learning, and powerful talents, logical and metaphysical, to elucidate the facts and the theory of this extraordinary hallucination. Our faith in stories of Extatic Visions will be considerably strengthened by this narrative, and we may conceive, what effects would be produced, by the co-operation of a distempered mind with a morbid frame. Though the intensity

of

Artists see and acknowledge the necessity of a due State of the Bowels, but they do not preach and practise this doctrine, as the Late and the Prophets of their Art.-I consider Dr. Hamilton, as the greatest Preacher of this doctrine, which our age has produced, and I regard his treatise on this subject, as a work of inestimable value. Mr. Abernethy has likewise performed the most important services to his own peculiar profession, and to the Medical Art in general, by preaching the same doctrine in some of his Masterly productions.

of the exhibition, described in this story, cannot well be exceeded; we may yet understand, how deeply the malady might be engrafted on the frame by the efforts of the will, combined with the exercise of practice. We may conceive too, how stories of the marvellous kind, relating to such subjects, would assist in the process of learning this Art, and the description of Nicolai, frequently perused at times, when the frame was already shaken with Nervous affections, might readily raise before the eyes of the visionary, all the phantoms, which the Narrative describes. We see, that the remembrance of ` the exhibition in the mind of the sufferer, even when the malady was over, began to recall the same phantoms, which had once passed before his view.

However extraordinary the story of Nicolai may appear, I am persuaded that examples of such affections perpetually occur in various forms and degrees.-We must refer to the same source the figures, which sometimes appear on closing the eyes to sleep, especially after scenes, which have excited Nervous affections, as those of a playhouse or a ball room, as likewise those phantoms,

which appear in certain Fevers with the eyes open. These forms and appearances swim before the eyes on various occasions, with various degrees of duration and intensity, till they pass into their most familiar and simple exhibition-the musca volitantes, described in our Medical books.-If Practitioners would diligently interrogate their Nervous Patients on this subject, they would find, I am persuaded, that these Phantom appearances, under different forms, were no uncommon attendants on this order of Diseases. I have known two instances of Females, within my own observation, belonging to the same spot, who have experienced these sights.-One of them often saw, with great alarm, strange figures before her eyes; and she was much comforted by the assurance,that such appearances were not uncommon. The other Female imagined, not much alarmed, that she saw the most beautiful butterflies swarming about the fire, aud ascending the chimney. The latter Female, to whom this happened, had no tendency to any imaginary terrors; and no appearance of a similar kind ever occurred to her before or after that period.

This is not the place for enlarging on such