the black death and the dancing mania-第16部分

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bration　of　the　festival　of　St。　John；　A。D。　1374；　only　served　to　bring　to　a　crisis　a　malady　which　had　been　long　impending；　and　if　we　would　further　inquire　how　a　hitherto　harmless　usage；　which　like　many　others　had　but　served　to　keep　up　superstition；　could　degenerate　into　so　serious　a　disease；　we　must　take　into　account　the　unusual　excitement　of　men's　minds；　and　the　consequences　of　wretchedness　and　want。　　The　bowels；　which　in　many　were　debilitated　by　hunger　and　bad　food；　were　precisely　the　parts　which　in　most　cases　were　attacked　with　excruciating　pain；　and　the　tympanitic　state　of　the　intestines　points　out　to　the　intelligent　physician　an　origin　of　the　disorder　which　is　well　worth　consideration。


SECT。　　4MORE　ANCIENT　DANCING　PLAGUES


The　Dancing　Mania　of　the　year　1374　was；　in　fact；　no　new　disease；　but　a　phenomenon　well　known　in　the　Middle　Ages；　of　which　many　wondrous　stories　were　traditionally　current　among　the　people。　　In　the　year　1237　upwards　of　a　hundred　children　were　said　to　have　been　suddenly　seized　with　this　disease　at　Erfurt；　and　to　have　proceeded　dancing　and　jumping　along　the　road　to　Arnstadt。　　When　they　arrived　at　that　place　they　fell　exhausted　to　the　ground；　and；　according　to　an　account　of　an　old　chronicle；　many　of　them；　after　they　were　taken　home　by　their　parents；　died；　and　the　rest　remained　affected；　to　the　end　of　their　lives；　with　a　permanent　tremor。　　Another　occurrence　was　related　to　have　taken　place　on　the　Moselle　Bridge　at　Utrecht；　on　the　17th　day　of　June；　A。D。　1278；　when　two　hundred　fanatics　began　to　dance；　and　would　not　desist　until　a　priest　passed；　who　was　carrying　the　Host　to　a　person　that　was　sick；　upon　which；　as　if　in　punishment　of　their　crime；　the　bridge　gave　way；　and　they　were　all　drowned。　　A　similar　event　also　occurred　so　early　as　the　year　1027；　near　the　convent　church　of　Kolbig；　not　far　from　Bernburg。　　According　to　an　oft…repeated　tradition；　eighteen　peasants；　some　of　whose　names　are　still　preserved；　are　said　to　have　disturbed　divine　service　on　Christmas　Eve　by　dancing　and　brawling　in　the　churchyard；　whereupon　the　priest；　Ruprecht；　inflicted　a　curse　upon　them；　that　they　should　dance　and　scream　for　a　whole　year　without　ceasing。　　This　curse　is　stated　to　have　been　completely　fulfilled；　so　that　the　unfortunate　sufferers　at　length　sank　knee…deep　into　the　earth；　and　remained　the　whole　time　without　nourishment；　until　they　were　finally　released　by　the　intercession　of　two　pious　bishops。　　It　is　said　that；　upon　this；　they　fell　into　a　deep　sleep；　which　lasted　three　days；　and　that　four　of　them　died；　the　rest　continuing　to　suffer　all　their　lives　from　a　trembling　of　their　limbs。　　It　is　not　worth　while　to　separate　what　may　have　been　true；　and　what　the　addition　of　crafty　priests；　in　this　strangely　distorted　story。　　It　is　sufficient　that　it　was　believed；　and　related　with　astonishment　and　horror；　throughout　the　Middle　Ages；　so　that　when　there　was　any　exciting　cause　for　this　delirious　raving　and　wild　rage　for　dancing；　it　failed　not　to　produce　its　effects　upon　men　whose　thoughts　were　given　up　to　a　belief　in　wonders　and　apparitions。

This　disposition　of　mind；　altogether　so　peculiar　to　the　Middle　Ages；　and　which；　happily　for　mankind；　has　yielded　to　an　improved　state　of　civilisation　and　the　diffusion　of　popular　instruction；　accounts　for　the　origin　and　long　duration　of　this　extraordinary　mental　disorder。　　The　good　sense　of　the　people　recoiled　with　horror　and　aversion　from　this　heavy　plague；　which；　whenever　malevolent　persons　wished　to　curse　their　bitterest　enemies　and　adversaries；　was　long　after　used　as　a　malediction。　　The　indignation　also　that　was　felt　by　the　people　at　large　against　the　immorality　of　the　age；　was　proved　by　their　ascribing　this　frightful　affliction　to　the　inefficacy　of　baptism　by　unchaste　priests；　as　if　innocent　children　were　doomed　to　atone；　in　after…　years；　for　this　desecration　of　the　sacrament　administered　by　unholy　hands。　　We　have　already　mentioned　what　perils　the　priests　in　the　Netherlands　incurred　from　this　belief。　　They　now；　indeed；　endeavoured　to　hasten　their　reconciliation　with　the　irritated；　and；　at　that　time；　very　degenerate　people；　by　exorcisms；　which；　with　some；　procured　them　greater　respect　than　ever；　because　they　thus　visibly　restored　thousands　of　those　who　were　affected。　　In　general；　however；　there　prevailed　a　want　of　confidence　in　their　efficacy；　and　then　the　sacred　rites　had　as　little　power　in　arresting　the　progress　of　this　deeply…rooted　malady　as　the　prayers　and　holy　services　subsequently　had　at　the　altars　of　the　greatly…　revered　martyr　St。　Vitus。　　We　may　therefore　ascribe　it　to　accident　merely；　and　to　a　certain　aversion　to　this　demoniacal　disease；　which　seemed　to　lie　beyond　the　reach　of　human　skill；　that　we　meet　with　but　few　and　imperfect　notices　of　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　in　the　second　half　of　the　fifteenth　century。　　The　highly…coloured　descriptions　of　the　sixteenth　century　contradict　the　notion　that　this　mental　plague　had　in　any　degree　diminished　in　its　severity；　and　not　a　single　fact　is　to　be　found　which　supports　the　opinion　that　any　one　of　the　essential　symptoms　of　the　disease；　not　even　excepting　the　tympany；　had　disappeared；　or　that　the　disorder　itself　had　become　milder　in　its　attacks。　　The　physicians　never；　as　it　seems；　throughout　the　whole　of　the　fifteenth　century；　undertook　the　treatment　of　the　Dancing　Mania；　which；　according　to　the　prevailing　notions；　appertained　exclusively　to　the　servants　of　the　Church。　　Against　demoniacal　disorders　they　had　no　remedies；　and　though　some　at　first　did　promulgate　the　opinion　that　the　malady　had　its　origin　in　natural　circumstances；　such　as　a　hot　temperament；　and　other　causes　named　in　the　phraseology　of　the　schools；　yet　these　opinions　were　the　less　examined　as　it　did　not　appear　worth　while　to　divide　with　a　jealous　priesthood　the　care　of　a　host　of　fanatical　vagabonds　and　beggars。


SECT。　5PHYSICIANS


It　was　not　until　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century　that　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　was　made　the　subject　of　medical　research；　and　stripped　of　its　unhallowed　character　as　a　work　of　demons。　　This　was　effected　by　Paracelsus；　that　mighty　but；　as　yet；　scarcely　comprehended　reformer　of　medicine；　whose　aim　it　was　to　withdraw　diseases　from　the　pale　of　miraculous　interpositions　and　saintly　influences；　and　explain　their　causes　upon　principles　deduced　from　his　knowledge　of　the　human　frame。　　〃We　will　not；　however；　admit　that　the　saints　have　power　to　inflict　diseases；　and　that　these　ought　to　be　named　after　them；　although　many　there　are　who；　in　their　theology；　lay　great　stress　on　this　supposition；　ascribing　them　rather　to　God　than　to　nature；　which　is　but　idle　talk。　　We　dislike　such　nonsensical　gossip　as　is　not　supported　by　symptoms；　but　only　by　faitha　thing　which　is　not　human；　whereon　the　gods　themselves　set　no　value。〃

Such　were　the　words　which　Paracelsus　addressed　to　his　contemporaries；　who　were；　as　yet；　incapable　of　appreciating　doctrines　of　this　sort；　for　the　belief　in　enchantment　still　remained　everywhere　unshaken；　and　faith　in　the　world　of　spirits　still　held　men's　minds　in　so　close　a　bondage　that　thousands　were；　according　to　their　own　conviction；　given　up　as　a　prey　to　the　devil；　while　at　the　command　of　religion；　as　well　as　of　law；　countless　piles　were　lighted；　by　the　flames　of　which　human　society　was　to　be　purified。

Paracelsus　divides　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　into　three　kinds。　　First；　that　which　arises　from　imagination　（Vitista；　Chorea　imaginativa；　aestimativa）；　by　which　the　original　Dancing　Plague　is　to　be　understood。　　Secondly；　that　which　arises　from　sensual　desires；　depending　on　the　will　（Chorea　lasciva）。　　Thirdly；　that　which　arises　from　corporeal　causes　（Chorea　naturalis；　coacta）；　which；　according　to　a　strange　notion　of　his　own；　he　explained　by　maintaining　that　in　certain　vessels　which　are　susceptible　of　an　internal　pruriency；　and　thence　produce　laughter；　the　blood　is　set　in　commotion　in　consequence　of　an　alteration　in　the　vital　spirits；　whereby　involuntary　fits　of　intoxicating　joy　and　a　propensity　to　dance　are　occasioned。　　To　this　notion　he　was；　no　doubt；　led　from　having　observed　a　milder　form　of　St。　Vitus's　dance；　not　uncommon　in　his　time；　which　was　accompanied　by　involuntary　laughter；　and　which　bore　a　resemblance　to　the　hysterical　laughter　of　the　moderns；　except　that　it　was　characterised　by　more　pleasurable　sensations　and　by　an　extravagant　propensity　to　dance。　　There　was　no　howling；　screaming；　and　jumping；　as　in　the　severer　form；　neither　was　the　disposition　to　dance　by　any　means　insuperable。　Patients　thus　affected；　although　they　had　not　a　complete　control　over　their　understandings；　yet　were　sufficiently　self…possessed　during　the　attack　to　obey　the　directions　which　they　received。　There　were　even　some　among　them　who　did　not　dance　at　all；　but　only　felt　an　involuntary　impulse　to　allay　the　internal　sense　of　disquietude；　which　is　the　usual　forerunner　of　an　attack　of　this　kind；　by　laughter　and　quick　walking　carried　to　the　extent　of　producing　fatigue。　　This　disorder；　so　different　from　the　original　type；　evidently　approximates　to　the　modern　chorea；　or；　rather；　is　in　perfect　accordance　with　it；　even　to　the　less　essential　symptom　of　laughter。　　A　mitigation　in　the　form　of　the　Dancing　Mania　had　thus　clearly　taken　place　at　the　commencement　of　the　sixteenth　century。

On　the　communication　of　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　by　sympathy；　Paracelsus；　in　his　peculiar　language；　expresses　himself　with　great　spirit；　and　shows　a　profound　knowledge　of　the　nature　of　sensual　impressions；　which　find　their　way　to　the　heartthe　seat　of　joys　and　emotionswhich　overpower　the　opposition　of　reason；　and　whilst　〃all　other　qualities　and　natures〃　are　subdued；　incessantly　impel　the　patient；　in　consequence　of　his　original　compliance；　and　his　all…conquering　imagination；　to　imitate　what　he　has　seen。　　On　his　treatment　of　the　disease　we　cannot　bestow　any　great　praise；　but　must　be　content　with　the　remark　that　it　was　in　conformity　with　the　notions　of　the　age　in　which　he　lived。　　For　the　first　kind；　which　often　originated　in　passionate　excitement；　he　had　a　mental　remedy；　the　efficacy　of　which　is　not　to　be　despised；　if　we　estimate　its　value　in　connection　with　the　prevalent　opinions　of　those　times。　The　patient　was　to　make　an　image　of　himself　in　wax　or　resin；　and　by　an　effort　of　thought　to　concentrate　all　his　blasphemies　a