objects, perfectly motionless, somewhat in the manner of what fancy, if indulged, may form in the clouds or in the cavity of a fire; but much more complete and perfect, and not to be altered by steady observation or examination. They seemed to be severally as perfect as the rest of the objects with which they were combined, and agreed with them in colour and other respects."*

2d Stage of Excitement.

A second stage of excitement is induced when the nerves, upon which the renovation of past feelings depends, have exerted such an influence upon a revived figure, that the vividness has been gradually extended, until, upon the faded outlines of sensible forms, a complete fantastical image has been formed.

But it would appear, that in this stage of excitement, ideas are the most easily vivified, when the retina is not at the same time affected by sensible objects. This is, indeed, a fact which may be very readily anticipated, when we consider how vividly ideas of vision are represented in the minds of those individuals, who, after having long experienced the enjoyment of light, become affected with blindness. I recollect

taking a journey in company with a gentleman thus circumstanced, than whom no one, in the complete possession of the faculty of vision, could be more interested with learning the general features of the country through which he passed, the form of its

Nicholson's Journal, vol, xv. page 293.

hills, the course of its rivers, or the style of architecture displayed by various edifices. He often remarked, that the ideas communicated to him, although in the ordinary course of conversation, were so vivid, that he was convinced they must almost equal the sensations of perfect vision. On the general principle, then, that ideas of visible objects are the most readily excited during a seclusion from actual impressions, the operation of a morbific cause in inducing spectral illusions will be exerted with the greatest force in complete darkness, or during the closure of the eyelids. Yet it is at the same time a distinctive character of this inferior stage of excitement, that the ideas which, during darkness, are unduly vivified, may be easily dispelled by an exposure to strong sensations of light. I shall now give a few illustrations of phantasms of this class.

Dr Crichton, in his excellent Treatise on Mental Derangement, has remarked," that patients, when they first begin to rave in fevers, only do so when the room is darkened, or when they shut their eyes, so as to exclude the light of external objects."-" Then immediately they see, as it were, a crowd of horrid faces, and monsters of various shapes, grinning at them, or darting forward at them. As soon as they open their eyes, or upon being allowed to see a good deal of light, all these phantasms vanish."

This stage of excitement meets with another illustration in the interesting account which Nicolai has given of the state of his ideas, during the attack of a bilious remittent. "I found myself," he observes, frequently in a state between sleeping and waking,

in which a number of pictures of every description, often of the strangest forms, shew themselves, change, and vanish. In the year 1778, I was afflicted with a bilious fever, which, at times, though seldom, became so high as to produce delirium. Every day, towards evening, the fever came on, and if I happened to shut my eyes at that time, I could perceive that the cold fit of the fever was beginning, even before the sensation of cold was observable. This I knew by the distinct appearance of coloured pictures of less than half their natural size, which looked as in frames. They were a set of landscapes, composed of trees, rocks, and other objects. If I kept my eyes shut, every minute some alteration took place in the representation. Some figures vanished, and others appeared. But if I opened my eyes all was gone; if I shut them again I had a different landscape. In the cold fit of the fever, I sometimes opened and shut my eyes every second for the purpose of observation, and every time a different picture appeared, replete with various objects, which had not the least resemblance to those that appeared before. These pictures presented themselves without interruption as long as the cold fit of the fever lasted. They became fainter as soon as I began to grow warm, and when I was perfectly so all were gone. When the cold fit of the fever was entirely past, no more pictures appeared; but if, on the next day, I could again see pictures when my eyes were shut, it was a certain sign that the cold fit was coming on.*

*Nicholson's Journal, vol. vi. page 175.

Another illustration is the case of the late Dr Ferriar, which he has reported of himself. "I remember," says this writer, "that about the age of fourteen, it was a source of great amusement to myself, if I had been viewing any interesting object in the course of the day, such as a romantic ruin, a fine seat, or a review of a body of troops, as soon as evening came on, if I had occasion to go into a dark room, the whole scene was brought before my eyes, with a brilliancy equal to what it had possessed in daylight, and remained visible for several minutes. I have no doubt, that dismal and frightful images have been presented to young persons after scenes of domestic affliction, or public horror."'*

Now, with regard to the last illusion, I shall remark, that an affection of this kind is by no means so liable to occur to young persons as, from the foregoing narrative, we might be led to suppose; and hence there is every reason for the suspicion, that some slight morbific cause, operating on the vividness of ideas, might have so increased the usual degree of intensity, which pleasurable emotions are known to impart to youthful feelings, as, by a joint influence of this kind, to have disposed the mind to spectral impressions.

3d Stage of Excitement.

It has been supposed by some metaphysicians, that when spectral illusions of vision occur during the seclusion from any sensible impressions of the retina, they

*Ferriar on Apparitions, page 16.

may be always dispelled upon the introduction of light. This is, however, a mistake. The examples last given certainly prove, that ideas of vision are liable to acquire an additional degree of intensity when the retina is least exposed to actual sensations; for which reason, phantasms very frequently occur during the darkness or complete stillness of night. But we shall often find, that during the time when the mind is actually under the influence of a spectral illusion, the single or combined influence of its conspiring causes may be so far increased, that the restoration of light, and the counteracting power it exercises, will be found totally inadequate to the proposed expulsion of the phantasm. Hence the reason which I have for inferring, that phantasms appear under very different degrees of vividness, and that they thereby indicate corresponding stages of mental excitement. This view meets with support from the experience of Nicolai, whose remarks on some spectral figures which he saw are as follows:-" It is to be noted, that these figures appeared to me at all times, and under the most different circumstances, equally distinct and clear, whether I was alone or in company, by broad daylight equally as in the night time, in my own as well as in my neighbour's house. When I shut my eyes, sometimes the figures disappeared, sometimes they remained even after I had closed them. If they vanished, as in the former case, on opening my eyes again, nearly the same figure appeared which I had seen before."*

Again, in opposition to the assertion, that visual il

*Nicholson's Journal, vol. vi. p. 268.