the black death and the dancing mania-第22节

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g　of　general　indisposition。　　Alexandro's　experience　of　the　injurious　effects　resulting　from　a　sudden　cessation　of　the　music　was　generally　confirmed　by　Matthioli。　　If　the　clarinets　and　drums　ceased　for　a　single　moment；　which；　as　the　most　skilful　payers　were　tired　out　by　the　patients；　could　not　but　happen　occasionally；　they　suffered　their　limbs　to　fall　listless；　again　sank　exhausted　to　the　ground；　and　could　find　no　solace　but　in　a　renewal　of　the　dance。　On　this　account　care　was　taken　to　continue　the　music　until　exhaustion　was　produced；　for　it　was　better　to　pay　a　few　extra　musicians；　who　might　relieve　each　other；　than　to　permit　the　patient；　in　the　midst　of　this　curative　exercise；　to　relapse　into　so　deplorable　a　state　of　suffering。　　The　attack　consequent　upon　the　bite　of　the　tarantula；　Matthioli　describes　as　varying　much　in　its　manner。　　Some　became　morbidly　exhilarated；　so　that　they　remained　for　a　long　while　without　sleep；　laughing；　dancing；　and　singing　in　a　state　of　the　greatest　excitement。　　Others；　on　the　contrary；　were　drowsy。　　The　generality　felt　nausea　and　suffered　from　vomiting；　and　some　had　constant　tremors。　　Complete　mania　was　no　uncommon　occurrence；　not　to　mention　the　usual　dejection　of　spirits　and　other　subordinate　symptoms。


SECT。　4IDIOSYNCRASIESMUSIC


Unaccountable　emotions；　strange　desires；　and　morbid　sensual　irritations　of　all　kinds；　were　as　prevalent　as　in　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　and　similar　great　nervous　maladies。　　So　late　as　the　sixteenth　century　patients　were　seen　armed　with　glittering　swords　which；　during　the　attack；　they　brandished　with　wild　gestures；　as　if　they　were　going　to　engage　in　a　fencing　match。　　Even　women　scorned　all　female　delicacy；　and；　adopting　this　impassioned　demeanour；　did　the　same；　and　this　phenomenon；　as　well　as　the　excitement　which　the　tarantula　dancers　felt　at　the　sight　of　anything　with　metallic　lustre；　was　quite　common　up　to　the　period　when；　in　modern　times；　the　disease　disappeared。

The　abhorrence　of　certain　colours；　and　the　agreeable　sensations　produced　by　others；　were　much　more　marked　among　the　excitable　Italians　than　was　the　case　in　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　with　the　more　phlegmatic　Germans。　　Red　colours；　which　the　St。　Vitus's　dancers　detested；　they　generally　liked；　so　that　a　patient　was　seldom　seen　who　did　not　carry　a　red　handkerchief　for　his　gratification；　or　greedily　feast　his　eyes　on　any　articles　of　red　clothing　worn　by　the　bystanders。　　Some　preferred　yellow；　others　black　colours；　of　which　an　explanation　was　sought；　according　to　the　prevailing　notions　of　the　times；　in　the　difference　of　temperaments。　　Others；　again；　were　enraptured　with　green；　and　eye…witnesses　describe　this　rage　for　colours　as　so　extraordinary；　that　they　can　scarcely　find　words　with　which　to　express　their　astonishment。　　No　sooner　did　the　patients　obtain　a　sight　of　the　favourite　colour　than；　new　as　the　impression　was；　they　rushed　like　infuriated　animals　towards　the　object；　devoured　it　with　their　eager　looks；　kissed　and　caressed　it　in　every　possible　way；　and　gradually　resigning　themselves　to　softer　sensations；　adopted　the　languishing　expression　of　enamoured　lovers；　and　embraced　the　handkerchief；　or　whatever　other　article　it　might　be；　which　was　presented　to　them；　with　the　most　intense　ardour；　while　the　tears　streamed　from　their　eyes　as　if　they　were　completely　overwhelmed　by　the　inebriating　impression　on　their　senses。

The　dancing　fits　of　a　certain　Capuchin　friar　in　Tarentum　excited　so　much　curiosity；　that　Cardinal　Cajetano　proceeded　to　the　monastery；　that　he　might　see　with　his　own　eyes　what　was　going　on。　As　soon　as　the　monk；　who　was　in　the　midst　of　his　dance；　perceived　the　spiritual　prince　clothed　in　his　red　garments；　he　no　longer　listened　to　the　tarantella　of　the　musicians；　but　with　strange　gestures　endeavoured　to　approach　the　Cardinal；　as　if　he　wished　to　count　the　very　threads　of　his　scarlet　robe；　and　to　allay　his　intense　longing　by　its　odour。　　The　interference　of　the　spectators；　and　his　own　respect；　prevented　his　touching　it；　and　thus　the　irritation　of　his　senses　not　being　appeased；　he　fell　into　a　state　of　such　anguish　and　disquietude；　that　he　presently　sank　down　in　a　swoon；　from　which　he　did　not　recover　until　the　Cardinal　compassionately　gave　him　his　cape。　　This　he　immediately　seized　in　the　greatest　ecstasy；　and　pressed　now　to　his　breast；　now　to　his　forehead　and　cheeks；　and　then　again　commenced　his　dance　as　if　in　the　frenzy　of　a　love　fit。

At　the　sight　of　colours　which　they　disliked；　patients　flew　into　the　most　violent　rage；　and；　like　the　St。　Vitus's　dancers　when　they　saw　red　objects；　could　scarcely　be　restrained　from　tearing　the　clothes　of　those　spectators　who　raised　in　them　such　disagreeable　sensations。

Another　no　less　extraordinary　symptom　was　the　ardent　longing　for　the　sea　which　the　patients　evinced。　　As　the　St。　John's　dancers　of　the　fourteenth　century　saw；　in　the　spirit；　the　heavens　open　and　display　all　the　splendour　of　the　saints；　so　did　those　who　were　suffering　under　the　bite　of　the　tarantula　feel　themselves　attracted　to　the　boundless　expanse　of　the　blue　ocean；　and　lost　themselves　in　its　contemplation。　　Some　songs；　which　are　still　preserved；　marked　this　peculiar　longing；　which　was　moreover　expressed　by　significant　music；　and　was　excited　even　by　the　bare　mention　of　the　sea。　　Some；　in　whom　this　susceptibility　was　carried　to　the　greatest　pitch；　cast　themselves　with　blind　fury　into　the　blue　waves；　as　the　St。　Vitus's　dancers　occasionally　did　into　rapid　rivers。　　This　condition；　so　opposite　to　the　frightful　state　of　hydrophobia；　betrayed　itself　in　others　only　in　the　pleasure　afforded　them　by　the　sight　of　clear　water　in　glasses。　　These　they　bore　in　their　hands　while　dancing；　exhibiting　at　the　same　time　strange　movements；　and　giving　way　to　the　most　extravagant　expressions　of　their　feeling。　　They　were　delighted　also　when；　in　the　midst　of　the　space　allotted　for　this　exercise；　more　ample　vessels；　filled　with　water；　and　surrounded　by　rushes　and　water　plants；　were　placed；　in　which　they　bathed　their　heads　and　arms　with　evident　pleasure。　　Others　there　were　who　rolled　about　on　the　ground；　and　were；　by　their　own　desire；　buried　up　to　the　neck　in　the　earth；　in　order　to　alleviate　the　misery　of　their　condition；　not　to　mention　an　endless　variety　of　other　symptoms　which　showed　the　perverted　action　of　the　nerves。

All　these　modes　of　relief；　however；　were　as　nothing　in　comparison　with　the　irresistible　charms　of　musical　sound。　　Attempts　had　indeed　been　made　in　ancient　times　to　mitigate　the　pain　of　sciatica；　or　the　paroxysms　of　mania；　by　the　soft　melody　of　the　flute；　and；　what　is　still　more　applicable　to　the　present　purpose；　to　remove　the　danger　arising　from　the　bite　of　vipers　by　the　same　means。　　This；　however；　was　tried　only　to　a　very　small　extent。　　But　after　being　bitten　by　the　tarantula；　there　was；　according　to　popular　opinion；　no　way　of　saving　life　except　by　music；　and　it　was　hardly　considered　as　an　exception　to　the　general　rule；　that　every　now　and　then　the　bad　effects　of　a　wound　were　prevented　by　placing　a　ligature　on　the　bitten　limb；　or　by　internal　medicine；　or　that　strong　persons　occasionally　withstood　the　effects　of　the　poison；　without　the　employment　of　any　remedies　at　all。　　It　was　much　more　common；　and　is　quite　in　accordance　with　the　nature　of　so　exquisite　a　nervous　disease；　to　hear　accounts　of　many　who；　when　bitten　by　the　tarantula；　perished　miserably　because　the　tarantella；　which　would　have　afforded　them　deliverance；　was　not　played　to　them。　　It　was　customary；　therefore；　so　early　as　the　commencement　of　the　seventeenth　century；　for　whole　bands　of　musicians　to　traverse　Italy　during　the　summer　months；　and；　what　is　quite　unexampled　either　in　ancient　or　modern　times；　the　cure　of　the　Tarantati　in　the　different　towns　and　villages　was　undertaken　on　a　grand　scale。　This　season　of　dancing　and　music　was　called　〃the　women's　little　carnival；〃　for　it　was　women　more　especially　who　conducted　the　arrangements；　so　that　throughout　the　whole　country　they　saved　up　their　spare　money；　for　the　purpose　of　rewarding　the　welcome　musicians；　and　many　of　them　neglected　their　household　employments　to　participate　in　this　festival　of　the　sick。　　Mention　is　even　made　of　one　benevolent　lady　（Mita　Lupa）　who　had　expended　her　whole　fortune　on　this　object。

The　music　itself　was　of　a　kind　perfectly　adapted　to　the　nature　of　the　malady；　and　it　made　so　deep　an　impression　on　the　Italians；　that　even　to　the　present　time；　long　since　the　extinction　of　the　disorder；　they　have　retained　the　tarantella；　as　a　particular　species　of　music　employed　for　quick；　lively　dancing。　　The　different　kinds　of　tarantella　were　distinguished；　very　significantly；　by　particular　names；　which　had　reference　to　the　moods　observed　in　the　patients。　　Whence　it　appears　that　they　aimed　at　representing　by　these　tunes　even　the　idiosyncrasies　of　the　mind　as　expressed　in　the　countenance。　　Thus　there　was　one　kind　of　tarantella　which　was　called　〃Panno　rosso；〃　a　very　lively；　impassioned　style　of　music；　to　which　wild　dithyrambic　songs　were　adapted；　another；　called　〃Panno　verde；〃　which　was　suited　to　the　milder　excitement　of　the　senses　caused　by　green　colours；　and　set　to　Idyllian　songs　of　verdant　fields　and　shady　groves。　　A　third　was　named　〃Cinque　tempi：〃　a　fourth　〃Moresca；〃　which　was　played　to　a　Moorish　dance；　a　fi