An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692Thacher, James
Philosophy
An Essay on Demonology, Ghosts and Apparitions, and Popular Superstitions: Also, an Account of the Witchcraft Delusion at Salem, in 1692
Thacher, James
Superstition; Witchcraft; Witchcraft -- Massachusetts -- Salem
Among the causes of nervous affection and diseased imagination, are
those of sedentary habits and a free use of strong tea. The following
instances were communicated by my friend the Rev. Mr K.
The late Rev. Mr F. of Ipswich, who was very sedentary; spent most of
his time in his study without exercise, and his health became
impaired. He imagined for some time before his death, that he was
actually dead. I saw him in this state of mind, walking his chamber in
extreme agitation. To the question, how he could suffer so much, if
actually dead, he answered, that his own spirit was departed, and that
another spirit had taken possession of his body.
A gentleman in Boston once told the first President Adams, that he had
become strangely timid, that he dared not keep the side walks, but
walked in the middle of the street, being constantly apprehensive that
the tile on the houses would fall on his head. The president asked him
if he made a free use of tea, and being answered in the affirmative,
he recommended to him to use it more sparingly and he would probably
be benefited by the change. By pursuing this advice, he was relieved,
and was soon able to return to the side walks without fear.
A gentleman of Salem, sailing from the south to Massachusetts, while
under the influence of nervous affection, imagined that he saw a man
in the water near the ship, who was drowning. Conceiving that he
might save his life, he was in the very act of leaping into the sea
for that purpose, but was happily prevented by those on deck. He
afterward recovered his health, and had a perfect recollection of his
feelings on that occasion. He had no idea of destroying himself, but
would have perished had he not been prevented. Instances of a similar
nature have probably occurred, in which lives have been lost in
consequence of such delusion.
It is said that Mr Murdock, the member of the Vermont Legislature, who
recently committed suicide, imagined himself to be Dr Cleaveland, who
was under sentence of death. Mr Murdock attempted to speak when
Cleaveland's case was before the legislature, but was so much agitated
that he could not speak, and was taken from the house by his friends.
Under this strong impression of his being Cleaveland, he killed
himself to avoid the doom of the law. This event would make a
thrilling chapter in Sir Walter Scott's history of Demonology and
Witchcraft.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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