a mortal antipathy-第44节

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directly　opposite　effects。　　One　of　these　has　the　power　of

accelerating　the　action　of　the　heart；　while　the　other　has　the　power

of　retarding　or　arresting　this　action。　　One　acts　as　the　spur；　the

other　as　the　bridle。　　According　as　one　or　the　other　predominates；　the

action　of　the　heart　will　be　stimulated　or　restrained。　　Among　the

great　modern　discoveries　in　physiology　is　that　of　the　existence　of　a

distinct　centre　of　inhibition；　as　the　restraining　influence　over　the

heart　is　called。



〃The　centre　of　inhibition　plays　a　terrible　part　in　the　history　of

cowardice　and　of　unsuccessful　love。　　No　man　can　be　brave　without

blood　to　sustain　his　courage；　any　more　than　he　can　think；　as　the

German　materialist　says；　not　absurdly；　without　phosphorus。　　The

fainting　lover　must　recover　his　circulation；　or　his　lady　will　lend

him　her　smelling…salts　and　take　a　gallant　with　blood　in　his　cheeks。

Porphyro　got　over　his　faintness　before　he　ran　away　with　Madeline；　and

Cesar　Birotteau　was　an　accepted　lover　when　he　swooned　with　happiness：

but　many　an　officer　has　been　cashiered；　and　many　a　suitor　has　been

rejected；　because　the　centre　of　inhibition　has　got　the　upper　hand　of

the　centre　of　stimulation。



〃In　the　well…known　cases　of　deadly　antipathy　which　have　been

recorded；　the　most　frequent　cause　has　been　the　disturbed　and

depressing　influence　of　the　centre　of　inhibition。　　Fainting　at　the

sight　of　blood　is　one　of　the　commonest　examples　of　this　influence。　　A

single　impression；　in　a　very　early　period　of　atmospheric　existence；

perhaps；　indirectly；　before　that　period；　as　was　said　to　have　happened

in　the　case　of　James　the　First　of　England；may　establish　a

communication　between　this　centre　and　the　heart　which　will　remain

open　ever　afterwards。　　How　does　a　footpath　across　a　field　establish

itself？　　Its　curves　are　arbitrary；　and　what　we　call　accidental；　but

one　after　another　follows　it　as　if　he　were　guided　by　a　chart　on　which

it　was　laid　down。　　So　it　is　with　this　dangerous　transit　between　the

centre　of　inhibition　and　the　great　organ　of　life。　　If　once　the　path

is　opened　by　the　track　of　some　profound　impression；　that　same

impression；　if　repeated；　or　a　similar　one；　is　likely　to　find　the　old

footmarks　and　follow　them。　　Habit　only　makes　the　path　easier　to

traverse；　and　thus　the　unreasoning　terror　of　a　child；　of　an　infant；

may　perpetuate　itself　in　a　timidity　which　shames　the　manhood　of　its

subject。



〃The　case　before　us　is　an　exceptional　and　most　remarkable　example　of

the　effect　of　inhibition　on　the　heart。



〃We　will　not　say　that　we　believe　it　to　be　unique　in　the　history　of

the　human　race；　on　the　contrary；　we　do　not　doubt　that　there　have　been

similar　cases；　and　that　in　some　rare　instances　sudden　death　has　been

the　consequence　of　seizures　like　that　of　the　subject　of　this　Report。

The　case　most　like　it　is　that　of　Colone　Townsend；　which　is　too　well

known　to　require　any　lengthened　description　in　this　paper。　　It　is

enough　to　recall　the　main　facts。　　He　could　by　a　voluntary　effort

suspend　the　action　of　his　heart　for　a　considerable　period；　during

which　he　lay　like　one　dead；　pulseless；　and　without　motion。　　After　a

time　the　circulation　returned；　and　he　does　not　seem　to　have　been　the

worse　for　his　dangerous；　or　seemingly　dangerous；　experiment。　　But　in

his　case　it　was　by　an　act　of　the　will　that　the　heart's　action　was

suspended。　　In　the　case　before　us　it　is　an　involuntary　impulse

transmitted　from　the　brain　to　the　inhibiting　centre；　which　arrests

the　cardiac　movements。



〃What　is　like　to　be　the　further　history　of　the　case？



〃The　subject　of　this　anomalous　affliction　is　now　more　than　twenty

years　old。　　The　chain　of　nervous　actions　has　become　firmly

established。　　It　might　have　been　hoped　that　the　changes　of

adolescence　would　have　effected　a　transformation　of　the　perverted

instinct。　　On　the　contrary；　the　whole　force　of　this　instinct　throws

itself　on　the　centre　of　inhibition；　instead　of　quickening　the　heart…

beats；　and　sending　the　rush　of　youthful　blood　with　fresh　life　through

the　entire　system　to　the　throbbing　finger…tips。



〃Is　it　probable　that　time　and　circumstances　will　alter　a　habit　of

nervous　interactions　so　long　established？　　We　are　disposed　to　think

that　there　is　a　chance　of　its　being　broken　up。　　And　we　are　not　afraid

to　say　that　we　suspect　the　old　gypsy　woman；　whose　prophecy　took　such

hold　of　the　patient's　imagination；　has　hit　upon　the　way　in　which　the

〃spell；'　as　she　called　it；　is　to　be　dissolved。　　She　must；　in　all

probability；　have　had　a　hint　of　the　'antipatia'　to　which　the　youth

before　her　was　a　victim；　and　its　cause；　and　if　so；　her　guess　as　to

the　probable　mode　in　which　the　young　man　would　obtain　relief　from　his

unfortunate　condition　was　the　one　which　would　naturally　suggest

itself。



〃If　once　the　nervous　impression　which　falls　on　the　centre　of

inhibition　can　be　made　to　change　its　course；　so　as　to　follow　its

natural　channel；　it　will　probably　keep　to　that　channel　ever

afterwards。　　And　this　will；　it　is　most　likely；　be　effected　by　some

sudden；　unexpected　impression。　　If　he　were　drowning；　and　a　young

woman　should　rescue　him；　it　is　by　no　means　impossible　that　the　change

in　the　nervous　current　we　have　referred　to　might　be　brought　about　as

rapidly；　as　easily；　as　the　reversal　of　the　poles　in　a　magnet；　which

is　effected　in　an　instant。　　But　he　cannot　be　expected　to　throw

himself　into　the　water　just　at　the　right　moment　when　the　'fair　lady'

of　the　gitana's　prophecy　is　passing　on　the　shore。　　Accident　may

effect　the　cure　which　art　seems　incompetent　to　perform。　　It　would　not

be　strange　if　in　some　future　seizure　he　should　never　come　back　to

consciousness。　　But　it　is　quite　conceivable；　on　the　other　hand；　that

a　happier　event　may　occur；　that　in　a　single　moment　the　nervous

polarity　may　be　reversed；　the　whole　course　of　his　life　changed；　and

his　past　terrible　experiences　be　to　him　like　a　scarce…remembered

dream。



〃This　is　one；　of　those　cases　in　which　it　is　very　hard　to　determine

the　wisest　course　to　be　pursued。　　The　question　is　not　unlike　that

which　arises　in　certain　cases　of　dislocation　of　the　bones　of　the

neck。　　Shall　the　unfortunate　sufferer　go　all　his　days　with　his　face

turned　far　round　to　the　right　or　the　left；　or　shall　an　attempt　be

made　to　replace　the　dislocated　bones？　　an　attempt　which　may　succeed；

or　may　cause　instant　death。　　The　patient　must　be　consulted　as　to

whether　he　will　take　the　chance。　　The　practitioner　may　be　unwilling

to　risk　it；　if　the　patient　consents。　　Each　case　must　be　judged　on　its

own　special　grounds。　　We　cannot　think　that　this　young　man　is　doomed

to　perpetual　separation　from　the　society　of　womanhood　during　the

period　of　its　bloom　and　attraction。　　But　to　provoke　another　seizure

after　his　past　experiences　would　be　too　much　like　committing　suicide。

We　fear　that　we　must　trust　to　the　chapter　of　accidents。　　The　strange

maladyfor　such　it　ishas　become　a　second　nature；　and　may　require

as　energetic　a　shock　to　displace　it　as　it　did　to　bring　it　into

existence。　　Time　alone　can　solve　this　question；　on　which　depends　the

well…being　and；　it　may　be；　the　existence　of　a　young　man　every　way

fitted　to　be　happy；　and　to　give　happiness；　if　restored　to　his　true

nature。〃









XX。



DR。　BUTTS　REFLECTS。



Dr。　Butts　sat　up　late　at　night　reading　these　papers　and　reflecting

upon　them。　　He　was　profoundly　impressed　and　tenderly　affected　by　the

entire　frankness；　the　absence　of　all　attempt　at　concealment；　which

Maurice　showed　in　placing　these　papers　at　his　disposal。　　He　believed

that　his　patient　would　recover　from　this　illness　for　which　he　had

been　taking　care　of　him。　　He　thought　deeply　and　earnestly　of　what　he

could　do　for　him　after　he　should　have　regained　his　health　and

strength。



There　were　references；　in　Maurice's　own　account　of　himself；　which　the

doctor　called　to　mind　with　great　interest　after　reading　his　brief

autobiography。　　Some　one　personsome　young　woman；　it　must　behad

produced　a　singular　impression　upon　him　since　those　earlier　perilous

experiences　through　which　he　had　passed。　　The　doctor　could　not　help

thinking　of　that　meeting　with　Euthymia　of　which　she　had　spoken　to

him。　　Maurice；　as　she　said；　turned　pale；he　clapped　his　hand　to　his

breast。　　He　might　have　done　so　if　be　had　met　her　chambermaid；　or　any

straggling　damsel　of　the　village。　　But　Euthymia　was　not　a　young　woman

to　be　looked　upon　with　indifference。　　She　held　herself　like　a　queen；

and　walked　like　one；　not　a　stage　queen；　but　one　born　and　bred　to

self…reliance；　and　command　of　herself　as　well　as　others。　　One　could

not　pass　her　without　being　struck　with　her　noble　bearing　and　spirited

features。　　If　she　had　known　how　Maurice　trembled　as　he　looked　upon

her；　in　that　conflict　of　attraction　and　uncontrollable　dread；if　she

had　known　it！　　But　what；　even　then；　could　she　have　done？　　Nothing　but

get　away　from　him　as　fast　as　she　could。　　As　it　was；　it　was　a　long

time　before　his　agitation　subsided；　and　his　heart　beat　with　its

c