the black death and the dancing mania-第18节

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ders　and　apparitions。

This　disposition　of　mind；　altogether　so　peculiar　to　the　Middle　Ages；　and　which；　happily　for　mankind；　has　yielded　to　an　improved　state　of　civilisation　and　the　diffusion　of　popular　instruction；　accounts　for　the　origin　and　long　duration　of　this　extraordinary　mental　disorder。　　The　good　sense　of　the　people　recoiled　with　horror　and　aversion　from　this　heavy　plague；　which；　whenever　malevolent　persons　wished　to　curse　their　bitterest　enemies　and　adversaries；　was　long　after　used　as　a　malediction。　　The　indignation　also　that　was　felt　by　the　people　at　large　against　the　immorality　of　the　age；　was　proved　by　their　ascribing　this　frightful　affliction　to　the　inefficacy　of　baptism　by　unchaste　priests；　as　if　innocent　children　were　doomed　to　atone；　in　after…　years；　for　this　desecration　of　the　sacrament　administered　by　unholy　hands。　　We　have　already　mentioned　what　perils　the　priests　in　the　Netherlands　incurred　from　this　belief。　　They　now；　indeed；　endeavoured　to　hasten　their　reconciliation　with　the　irritated；　and；　at　that　time；　very　degenerate　people；　by　exorcisms；　which；　with　some；　procured　them　greater　respect　than　ever；　because　they　thus　visibly　restored　thousands　of　those　who　were　affected。　　In　general；　however；　there　prevailed　a　want　of　confidence　in　their　efficacy；　and　then　the　sacred　rites　had　as　little　power　in　arresting　the　progress　of　this　deeply…rooted　malady　as　the　prayers　and　holy　services　subsequently　had　at　the　altars　of　the　greatly…　revered　martyr　St。　Vitus。　　We　may　therefore　ascribe　it　to　accident　merely；　and　to　a　certain　aversion　to　this　demoniacal　disease；　which　seemed　to　lie　beyond　the　reach　of　human　skill；　that　we　meet　with　but　few　and　imperfect　notices　of　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　in　the　second　half　of　the　fifteenth　century。　　The　highly…coloured　descriptions　of　the　sixteenth　century　contradict　the　notion　that　this　mental　plague　had　in　any　degree　diminished　in　its　severity；　and　not　a　single　fact　is　to　be　found　which　supports　the　opinion　that　any　one　of　the　essential　symptoms　of　the　disease；　not　even　excepting　the　tympany；　had　disappeared；　or　that　the　disorder　itself　had　become　milder　in　its　attacks。　　The　physicians　never；　as　it　seems；　throughout　the　whole　of　the　fifteenth　century；　undertook　the　treatment　of　the　Dancing　Mania；　which；　according　to　the　prevailing　notions；　appertained　exclusively　to　the　servants　of　the　Church。　　Against　demoniacal　disorders　they　had　no　remedies；　and　though　some　at　first　did　promulgate　the　opinion　that　the　malady　had　its　origin　in　natural　circumstances；　such　as　a　hot　temperament；　and　other　causes　named　in　the　phraseology　of　the　schools；　yet　these　opinions　were　the　less　examined　as　it　did　not　appear　worth　while　to　divide　with　a　jealous　priesthood　the　care　of　a　host　of　fanatical　vagabonds　and　beggars。


SECT。　5PHYSICIANS


It　was　not　until　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century　that　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　was　made　the　subject　of　medical　research；　and　stripped　of　its　unhallowed　character　as　a　work　of　demons。　　This　was　effected　by　Paracelsus；　that　mighty　but；　as　yet；　scarcely　comprehended　reformer　of　medicine；　whose　aim　it　was　to　withdraw　diseases　from　the　pale　of　miraculous　interpositions　and　saintly　influences；　and　explain　their　causes　upon　principles　deduced　from　his　knowledge　of　the　human　frame。　　〃We　will　not；　however；　admit　that　the　saints　have　power　to　inflict　diseases；　and　that　these　ought　to　be　named　after　them；　although　many　there　are　who；　in　their　theology；　lay　great　stress　on　this　supposition；　ascribing　them　rather　to　God　than　to　nature；　which　is　but　idle　talk。　　We　dislike　such　nonsensical　gossip　as　is　not　supported　by　symptoms；　but　only　by　faitha　thing　which　is　not　human；　whereon　the　gods　themselves　set　no　value。〃

Such　were　the　words　which　Paracelsus　addressed　to　his　contemporaries；　who　were；　as　yet；　incapable　of　appreciating　doctrines　of　this　sort；　for　the　belief　in　enchantment　still　remained　everywhere　unshaken；　and　faith　in　the　world　of　spirits　still　held　men's　minds　in　so　close　a　bondage　that　thousands　were；　according　to　their　own　conviction；　given　up　as　a　prey　to　the　devil；　while　at　the　command　of　religion；　as　well　as　of　law；　countless　piles　were　lighted；　by　the　flames　of　which　human　society　was　to　be　purified。

Paracelsus　divides　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　into　three　kinds。　　First；　that　which　arises　from　imagination　（Vitista；　Chorea　imaginativa；　aestimativa）；　by　which　the　original　Dancing　Plague　is　to　be　understood。　　Secondly；　that　which　arises　from　sensual　desires；　depending　on　the　will　（Chorea　lasciva）。　　Thirdly；　that　which　arises　from　corporeal　causes　（Chorea　naturalis；　coacta）；　which；　according　to　a　strange　notion　of　his　own；　he　explained　by　maintaining　that　in　certain　vessels　which　are　susceptible　of　an　internal　pruriency；　and　thence　produce　laughter；　the　blood　is　set　in　commotion　in　consequence　of　an　alteration　in　the　vital　spirits；　whereby　involuntary　fits　of　intoxicating　joy　and　a　propensity　to　dance　are　occasioned。　　To　this　notion　he　was；　no　doubt；　led　from　having　observed　a　milder　form　of　St。　Vitus's　dance；　not　uncommon　in　his　time；　which　was　accompanied　by　involuntary　laughter；　and　which　bore　a　resemblance　to　the　hysterical　laughter　of　the　moderns；　except　that　it　was　characterised　by　more　pleasurable　sensations　and　by　an　extravagant　propensity　to　dance。　　There　was　no　howling；　screaming；　and　jumping；　as　in　the　severer　form；　neither　was　the　disposition　to　dance　by　any　means　insuperable。　Patients　thus　affected；　although　they　had　not　a　complete　control　over　their　understandings；　yet　were　sufficiently　self…possessed　during　the　attack　to　obey　the　directions　which　they　received。　There　were　even　some　among　them　who　did　not　dance　at　all；　but　only　felt　an　involuntary　impulse　to　allay　the　internal　sense　of　disquietude；　which　is　the　usual　forerunner　of　an　attack　of　this　kind；　by　laughter　and　quick　walking　carried　to　the　extent　of　producing　fatigue。　　This　disorder；　so　different　from　the　original　type；　evidently　approximates　to　the　modern　chorea；　or；　rather；　is　in　perfect　accordance　with　it；　even　to　the　less　essential　symptom　of　laughter。　　A　mitigation　in　the　form　of　the　Dancing　Mania　had　thus　clearly　taken　place　at　the　commencement　of　the　sixteenth　century。

On　the　communication　of　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　by　sympathy；　Paracelsus；　in　his　peculiar　language；　expresses　himself　with　great　spirit；　and　shows　a　profound　knowledge　of　the　nature　of　sensual　impressions；　which　find　their　way　to　the　heartthe　seat　of　joys　and　emotionswhich　overpower　the　opposition　of　reason；　and　whilst　〃all　other　qualities　and　natures〃　are　subdued；　incessantly　impel　the　patient；　in　consequence　of　his　original　compliance；　and　his　all…conquering　imagination；　to　imitate　what　he　has　seen。　　On　his　treatment　of　the　disease　we　cannot　bestow　any　great　praise；　but　must　be　content　with　the　remark　that　it　was　in　conformity　with　the　notions　of　the　age　in　which　he　lived。　　For　the　first　kind；　which　often　originated　in　passionate　excitement；　he　had　a　mental　remedy；　the　efficacy　of　which　is　not　to　be　despised；　if　we　estimate　its　value　in　connection　with　the　prevalent　opinions　of　those　times。　The　patient　was　to　make　an　image　of　himself　in　wax　or　resin；　and　by　an　effort　of　thought　to　concentrate　all　his　blasphemies　and　sins　in　it。　　〃Without　the　intervention　of　any　other　persons；　to　set　his　whole　mind　and　thoughts　concerning　these　oaths　in　the　image；〃　and　when　he　had　succeeded　in　this；　he　was　to　burn　the　image；　so　that　not　a　particle　of　it　should　remain。　　In　all　this　there　was　no　mention　made　of　St。　Vitus；　or　any　of　the　other　mediatory　saints；　which　is　accounted　for　by　the　circumstance　that　at　this　time　an　open　rebellion　against　the　Romish　Church　had　begun；　and　the　worship　of　saints　was　by　many　rejected　as　idolatrous。　　For　the　second　kind　of　St。　Vitus's　dance；　arising　from　sensual　irritation；　with　which　women　were　far　more　frequently　affected　than　men；　Paracelsus　recommended　harsh　treatment　and　strict　fasting。　　He　directed　that　the　patients　should　be　deprived　of　their　liberty；　placed　in　solitary　confinement；　and　made　to　sit　in　an　uncomfortable　place；　until　their　misery　brought　them　to　their　senses　and　to　a　feeling　of　penitence。　　He　then　permitted　them　gradually　to　return　to　their　accustomed　habits。　　Severe　corporal　chastisement　was　not　omitted；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　angry　resistance　on　the　part　of　the　patient　was　to　be　sedulously　avoided；　on　the　ground　that　it　might　increase　his　malady；　or　even　destroy　him：　　moreover；　where　it　seemed　proper；　Paracelsus　allayed　the　excitement　of　the　nerves　by　immersion　in　cold　water。　　On　the　treatment　of　the　third　kind　we　shall　not　here　enlarge。　　It　was　to　be　effected　by　all　sorts　of　wonderful　remedies；　composed　of　the　quintessences；　and　it　would　require；　to　render　it　intelligible；　a　more　extended　exposition　of　peculiar　principles　than　suits　our　present　purpose。


SECT。　6DECLINE　AND　TERMINATION　OF　THE　DANCING　PLAGUE


About　this　time　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　began　to　decline；　so　that　milder　forms　of　it　appeared　more　frequently；　while　the　severer　cases　became　more　rare；　and　even　in　these；　some　of　the　important　symptoms　gradually　disappeared。　　Paracelsus　makes　no　mention　of　the　tympanites　as　taking　place　after　the　attacks；　although　it　may　occasionally　have　occurred；　and　Schenck　von　Graffenb