The Mystical Element of Religion, as studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and her friends, Volume 2 (of 2) — John Shaqi
The Mystical Element of Religion, as studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and her friends, Volume 2 (of 2)Hügel, Friedrich, Freiherr von
Religion
The Mystical Element of Religion, as studied in Saint Catherine of Genoa and her friends, Volume 2 (of 2)
Hügel, Friedrich, Freiherr von
Catherine, of Genoa, Saint, 1447-1510
And movement appears to have been more often increased than diminished.
In the last case indeed “she did not move nor speak nor see; but, when
thus immovable, she suffered more than when she could cry out and
turn about in her bed.” But in the former instance “she could not be
kept in bed”; and in April 1510 “she cried aloud, and could not keep
herself from moving about, on her bed, on hands and feet.”--There
are curious localizations of apparently automatic movements. During
an attack somewhere in March 1510 “her flesh was all in a tremble,
particularly the right shoulder”; on later occasions “an arm, a leg, a
hand would tremble, and she would seem to have a spasm within her, with
all-but-unbroken acute pains in the flanks, the shoulders, the abdomen,
the feet and the brain.” On an earlier occasion “her body writhed in
great distress.” On another day “she seemed all on fire and lost her
power of speech, and made signs with her head and hands.” On one day
in February or March 1510 “she lost both speech and sight, though not
her intelligence”; and on September 12 “her sight was so weak, that she
could hardly any further distinguish or recognize her attendants.”--The
heat is liable to be curiously localized. Early in September 1510 “she
had a great heat situated in and on her left ear, which lasted for
three hours; the ear was red and felt very hot to the touch of others.”
Various kinds of haemorrhage are not uncommon. On the last-mentioned
occasion bloody urine is passed; bleeding of the nose, with loss of
bile, occurs in December 1509; very black blood is lost by the mouth,
whilst black spots appear all over her person, on September 12, 1510;
and more blood is evacuated on the following day. In February or March
1510 “there were in her flesh certain places which had become concave,
like as paste looks where a finger has been put into it.” At the end of
August 1510 “her skin became saffron-yellow all over.”
Troubles of breathing and of heart-action are frequently acute.
Somewhere about March 1510 “she had such a spasm in her throat and
mouth as to be unable, for about an hour, to speak or to open her
eyes, and that she could hardly regain her breath.” “Cupping-glasses
were applied to her side, to ease her heart, and lung-action, but with
little effect.” On one occasion “she made signs indicative of feeling
as though burning pincers were seizing her heart”; and on a day soon
after “she felt like a hard nail at her heart.”[15]
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