the black death and the dancing mania-第26部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

Abyssinians　of　modern　times　is；　in　regard　to　superstition；　a　mirror　of　the　condition　of　the　European　nations　of　the　middle　ages。　　Should　this　appear　a　bold　assertion　it　will　be　strengthened　by　the　fact　that　in　Abyssinia　two　examples　of　superstitions　occur　which　are　completely　in　accordance　with　occurrences　of　the　Middle　Ages　that　took　place　contemporarily　with　the　dancing　mania。　　THE　ABYSSINIANS　HAVE　THEIR　CHRISTIAN　FLAGELLANTS；　AND　THERE　EXISTS　AMONG　THEM　A　BELIEF　IN　A　ZOOMORPHISM；　WHICH　PRESENTS　A　LIVELY　IMAGE　OF　THE　LYCANTHROPY　OF　THE　MIDDLE　AGES。　　Their　flagellants　are　called　Zackarys。　　They　are　united　into　a　separate　Christian　fraternity；　and　make　their　processions　through　the　towns　and　villages　with　great　noise　and　tumult；　scourging　themselves　till　they　draw　blood；　and　wounding　themselves　with　knives。　　They　boast　that　they　are　descendants　of　St。　George。　　It　is　precisely　in　Tigre；　the　country　of　the　Abyssinian　dancing　mania；　where　they　are　found　in　the　greatest　numbers；　and　where　they　have；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Axum；　a　church　of　their　own；　dedicated　to　their　patron　saint；　Oun　Arvel。　Here　there　is　an　ever…burning　lamp；　and　they　contrive　to　impress　a　belief　that　this　is　kept　alight　by　supernatural　means。　　They　also　here　keep　a　holy　water；　which　is　said　to　be　a　cure　for　those　who　are　affected　by　the　dancing　mania。

The　Abyssinian　Zoomorphism　is　a　no　less　important　phenomenon；　and　shows　itself　a　manner　quite　peculiar。　　The　blacksmiths　and　potters　form　among　the　Abyssinians　a　society　or　caste　called　in　Tigre　TEBBIB；　and　in　Amhara　BUDA；　which　is　held　in　some　degree　of　contempt；　and　excluded　from　the　sacrament　of　the　Lord's　Supper；　because　it　is　believed　that　they　can　change　themselves　into　hyaenas　and　other　beasts　of　prey；　on　which　account　they　are　feared　by　everybody；　and　regarded　with　horror。　　They　artfully　contrive　to　keep　up　this　superstition；　because　by　this　separation　they　preserve　a　monopoly　of　their　lucrative　trades；　and　as　in　other　respects　they　are　good　Christians　（but　few　Jews　or　Mahomedans　live　among　them）；　they　seem　to　attach　no　great　consequence　to　their　excommunication。　　As　a　badge　of　distinction　they　wear　a　golden　ear…ring；　which　is　frequently　found　in　the　ears　of　Hyaenas　that　are　killed；　without　its　having　ever　been　discovered　how　they　catch　these　animals；　so　as　to　decorate　them　with　this　strange　ornament；　and　this　removes　in　the　minds　of　the　people　all　doubt　as　to　the　supernatural　powers　of　the　smiths　and　potters。　　To　the　Budas　is　also　ascribed　the　gift　of　enchantment；　especially　that　of　the　influence　of　the　evil　eye。　　They　nevertheless　live　unmolested；　and　are　not　condemned　to　the　flames　by　fanatical　priests；　as　the　lycanthropes　were　in　the　Middle　Ages。



CHAPTER　IVSYMPATHY



Imitationcompassionsympathy；　these　are　imperfect　designations　for　a　common　bond　of　union　among　human　beingsfor　an　instinct　which　connects　individuals　with　the　general　body；　which　embraces　with　equal　force　reason　and　folly；　good　and　evil；　and　diminishes　the　praise　of　virtue　as　well　as　the　criminality　of　vice。　　In　this　impulse　there　are　degrees；　but　no　essential　differences；　from　the　first　intellectual　efforts　of　the　infant　mind；　which　are　in　a　great　measure　based　on　imitation；　to　that　morbid　condition　of　the　soul　in　which　the　sensible　impression　of　a　nervous　malady　fetters　the　mind；　and　finds　its　way　through　the　eye　directly　to　the　diseased　texture；　as　the　electric　shock　is　propagated　by　contact　from　body　to　body。　　To　this　instinct　of　imitation；　when　it　exists　in　its　highest　degree；　is　united　a　loss　of　all　power　over　the　will；　which　occurs　as　soon　as　the　impression　on　the　senses　has　become　firmly　established；　producing　a　condition　like　that　of　small　animals　when　they　are　fascinated　by　the　look　of　a　serpent。　By　this　mental　bondage　morbid　sympathy　is　clearly　and　definitely　distinguished　from　all　subordinate　degrees　of　this　instinct；　however　closely　allied　the　imitation　of　a　disorder　may　seem　to　be　to　that　of　a　mere　folly；　of　an　absurd　fashion；　of　an　awkward　habit　in　speech　and　manner；　or　even　of　a　confusion　of　ideas。　　Even　these　latter　imitations；　however；　directed　as　they　are　to　foolish　and　pernicious　objects；　place　the　self…independence　of　the　greater　portion　of　mankind　in　a　very　doubtful　light；　and　account　for　their　union　into　a　social　whole。　　Still　more　nearly　allied　to　morbid　sympathy　than　the　imitation　of　enticing　folly；　although　often　with　a　considerable　admixture　of　the　latter；　is　the　diffusion　of　violent　excitements；　especially　those　of　a　religious　or　political　character；　which　have　so　powerfully　agitated　the　nations　of　ancient　and　modern　times；　and　which　may；　after　an　incipient　compliance；　pass　into　a　total　loss　of　power　over　the　will；　and　an　actual　disease　of　the　mind。　　Far　be　it　from　us　to　attempt　to　awaken　all　the　various　tones　of　this　chord；　whose　vibrations　reveal　the　profound　secrets　which　lie　hid　in　the　inmost　recesses　of　the　soul。　　We　might　well　want　powers　adequate　to　so　vast　an　undertaking。　　Our　business　here　is　only　with　that　morbid　sympathy　by　the　aid　of　which　the　dancing　mania　of　the　Middle　Ages　grew　into　a　real　epidemic。　　In　order　to　make　this　apparent　by　comparison；　it　may　not　be　out　of　place；　at　the　close　of　this　inquiry；　to　introduce　a　few　striking　examples：…

1。　　〃At　a　cotton　manufactory　at　Hodden　Bridge；　in　Lancashire；　a　girl；　on　the　fifteenth　of　February；　1787；　put　a　mouse　into　the　bosom　of　another　girl；　who　had　a　great　dread　of　mice。　　The　girl　was　immediately　thrown　into　a　fit；　and　continued　in　it；　with　the　most　violent　convulsions；　for　twenty…four　hours。　　On　the　following　day　three　more　girls　were　seized　in　the　same　manner；　and　on　the　17th　six　more。　　By　this　time　the　alarm　was　so　great　that　the　whole　work；　in　which　200　or　300　were　employed；　was　totally　stopped；　and　an　idea　prevailed　that　a　particular　disease　had　been　introduced　by　a　bag　of　cotton　opened　in　the　house。　　On　Sunday　the　18th；　Dr。　St。　Clare　was　sent　for　from　Preston；　before　he　arrived　three　more　were　seized；　and　during　that　night　and　the　morning　of　the　19th；　eleven　more；　making　in　all　twenty…four。　　Of　these；　twenty…one　were　young　women；　two　were　girls　of　about　ten　years　of　age；　and　one　man；　who　had　been　much　fatigued　with　holding　the　girls。　　Three　of　the　number　lived　about　two　miles　from　the　place　where　the　disorder　first　broke　out；　and　three　at　another　factory　at　Clitheroe；　about　five　miles　distant；　which　last　and　two　more　were　infected　entirely　from　report；　not　having　seen　the　other　patients；　but；　like　them　and　the　rest　of　the　country；　strongly　impressed　with　the　idea　of　the　plague　being　caught　from　the　cotton。　　The　symptoms　were　anxiety；　strangulation；　and　very　strong　convulsions；　and　these　were　so　violent　as　to　last　without　any　intermission　from　a　quarter　of　an　hour　to　twenty…four　hours；　and　to　require　four　or　five　persons　to　prevent　the　patients　from　tearing　their　hair　and　dashing　their　heads　against　the　floor　or　walls。　　Dr。　St。　Clare　had　taken　with　him　a　portable　electrical　machine；　and　by　electric　shocks　the　patients　were　universally　relieved　without　exception。　As　soon　as　the　patients　and　the　country　were　assured　that　the　complaint　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　ne