the black death and the dancing mania-第21部分

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　the　softest　music　produced　by　the　vibration　of　strings。

Tarantism　was　at　its　greatest　height　in　Italy　in　the　seventeenth　century；　long　after　the　St。　Vitus's　Dance　of　Germany　had　disappeared。　　It　was　not　the　natives　of　the　country　only　who　were　attacked　by　this　complaint。　　Foreigners　of　every　colour　and　of　every　race；　negroes；　gipsies；　Spaniards；　Albanians；　were　in　like　manner　affected　by　it。　　Against　the　effects　produced　by　the　tarantula's　bite；　or　by　the　sight　of　the　sufferers；　neither　youth　nor　age　afforded　any　protection；　so　that　even　old　men　of　ninety　threw　aside　their　crutches　at　the　sound　of　the　tarantella；　and；　as　if　some　magic　potion；　restorative　of　youth　and　vigour；　were　flowing　through　their　veins；　joined　the　most　extravagant　dancers。　Ferdinando　saw　a　boy　five　years　old　seized　with　the　dancing　mania；　in　consequence　of　the　bite　of　a　tarantula；　and；　what　is　almost　past　belief；　were　it　not　supported　by　the　testimony　of　so　credible　an　eye…witness；　even　deaf　people　were　not　exempt　from　this　disorder；　so　potent　in　its　effect　was　the　very　sight　of　those　affected；　even　without　the　exhilarating　emotions　caused　by　music。

Subordinate　nervous　attacks　were　much　more　frequent　during　this　century　than　at　any　former　period；　and　an　extraordinary　icy　coldness　was　observed　in　those　who　were　the　subject　of　them；　so　that　they　did　not　recover　their　natural　heat　until　they　had　engaged　in　violent　dancing。　　Their　anguish　and　sense　of　oppression　forced　from　them　a　cold　perspiration；　the　secretion　from　the　kidneys　was　pale；　and　they　had　so　great　a　dislike　to　everything　cold；　that　when　water　was　offered　them　they　pushed　it　away　with　abhorrence。　　Wine；　on　the　contrary；　they　all　drank　willingly；　without　being　heated　by　it；　or　in　the　slightest　degree　intoxicated。　　During　the　whole　period　of　the　attack　they　suffered　from　spasms　in　the　stomach；　and　felt　a　disinclination　to　take　food　of　any　kind。　　They　used　to　abstain　some　time　before　the　expected　seizures　from　meat　and　from　snails；　which　they　thought　rendered　them　more　severe；　and　their　great　thirst　for　wine　may　therefore　in　some　measure　be　attributable　to　the　want　of　a　more　nutritious　diet；　yet　the　disorder　of　the　nerves　was　evidently　its　chief　cause；　and　the　loss　of　appetite；　as　well　as　the　necessity　for　support　by　wine；　were　its　effects。　　Loss　of　voice；　occasional　blindness；　vertigo；　complete　insanity；　with　sleeplessness；　frequent　weeping　without　any　ostensible　cause；　were　all　usual　symptoms。　　Many　patients　found　relief　from　being　placed　in　swings　or　rocked　in　cradles；　others　required　to　be　roused　from　their　state　of　suffering　by　severe　blows　on　the　soles　of　their　feet；　others　beat　themselves；　without　any　intention　of　making　a　display；　but　solely　for　the　purpose　of　allaying　the　intense　nervous　irritation　which　they　felt；　and　a　considerable　number　were　seen　with　their　bellies　swollen；　like　those　of　the　St。　John's　dancers；　while　the　violence　of　the　intestinal　disorder　was　indicated　in　others　by　obstinate　constipation　or　diarrhoea　and　vomiting。　　These　pitiable　objects　gradually　lost　their　strength　and　their　colour；　and　creeping　about　with　injected　eyes；　jaundiced　complexions；　and　inflated　bowels；　soon　fell　into　a　state　of　profound　melancholy；　which　found　food　and　solace　in　the　solemn　tolling　of　the　funeral　bell；　and　in　an　abode　among　the　tombs　of　cemeteries；　as　is　related　of　the　Lycanthropes　of　former　times。

The　persuasion　of　the　inevitable　consequences　of　being　bitten　by　the　tarantula；　exercised　a　dominion　over　men's　minds　which　even　the　healthiest　and　strongest　could　not　shake　off。　　So　late　as　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century；　the　celebrated　Fracastoro　found　the　robust　bailiff　of　his　landed　estate　groaning；　and；　with　the　aspect　of　a　person　in　the　extremity　of　despair；　suffering　the　very　agonies　of　death　from　a　sting　in　the　neck；　inflicted　by　an　insect　which　was　believed　to　be　a　tarantula。　　He　kindly　administered　without　delay　a　potion　of　vinegar　and　Armenian　bole；　the　great　remedy　of　those　days　for　the　plague　of　all　kinds　of　animal　poisons；　and　the　dying　man　was；　as　if　by　a　miracle；　restored　to　life　and　the　power　of　speech。　　Now；　since　it　is　quite　out　of　the　question　that　the　bole　could　have　anything　to　do　with　the　result　in　this　case；　notwithstanding　Fracastoro's　belief　in　its　virtues；　we　can　only　account　for　the　cure　by　supposing；　that　a　confidence　in　so　great　a　physician　prevailed　over　this　fatal　disease　of　the　imagination；　which　would　otherwise　have　yielded　to　scarcely　any　other　remedy　except　the　tarantella。　　Ferdinando　was　acquainted　with　women　who；　for　thirty　years　in　succession；　had　overcome　the　attacks　of　this　disorder　by　a　renewal　of　their　annual　danceso　long　did　they　maintain　their　belief　in　the　yet　undestroyed　poison　of　the　tarantula's　bite；　and　so　long　did　that　mental　affection　continue　to　exist；　after　it　had　ceased　to　depend　on　any　corporeal　excitement。

Wherever　we　turn；　we　find　that　this　morbid　state　of　mind　prevailed；　and　was　so　supported　by　the　opinions　of　the　age；　that　it　needed　only　a　stimulus　in　the　bite　of　the　tarantula；　and　the　supposed　certainty　of　its　very　disastrous　consequences；　to　originate　this　violent　nervous　disorder。　　Even　in　Ferdinando's　time　there　were　many　who　altogether　denied　the　poisonous　effects　of　the　tarantula's　bite；　whilst　they　considered　the　disorder；　which　annually　set　Italy　in　commotion；　to　be　a　melancholy　depending　on　the　imagination。　　They　dearly　expiated　this　scepticism；　however；　when　they　were　led；　with　an　inconsiderate　hardihood；　to　test　their　opinions　by　experiment；　for　many　of　them　became　the　subjects　of　severe　tarantism；　and　even　a　distinguished　prelate；　Jo。　Baptist　Quinzato；　Bishop　of　Foligno；　having　allowed　himself；　by　way　of　a　joke；　to　be　bitten　by　a　tarantula；　could　obtain　a　cure　in　no　other　way　than　by　being；　through　the　influence　of　the　tarantella；　compelled　to　dance。　　Others　among　the　clergy；　who　wished　to　shut　their　ears　against　music；　because　they　considered　dancing　derogatory　to　their　station；　fell　into　a　dangerous　state　of　illness　by　thus　delaying　the　crisis　of　the　malady；　and　were　obliged　at　last　to　save　themselves　from　a　miserable　death　by　submitting　to　the　unwelcome　but　sole　means　of　cure。　　Thus　it　appears　that　the　age　was　so　little　favourable　to　freedom　of　thought；　that　even　the　most　decided　sceptics；　incapable　of　guarding　themselves　against　the　recollection　of　what　had　been　presented　to　the　eye；　were　subdued　by　a　poison；　the　powers　of　which　they　had　ridiculed；　and　which　was　in　itself　inert　in　its　effect。


SECT。　5HYSTERIA


Different　characteristics　of　the　morbidly　excited　vitality　having　been　rendered　prominent　by　tarantism　in　different　individuals；　it　could　not　but　happen　that　other　derangements　of　the　nerves　would　assume　the　form　of　this　whenever　circumstances　favoured　such　a　transition。　　This　was　more　especially　the　case　with　hysteria；　that　proteiform　and　mutable　disorder；　in　which　the　imaginations；　the　superstitions；　and　the　follies　of　all　ages　have　been　evidently　reflected。　　The　〃Carnevaletto　delle　Donne〃　appeared　most　opportunely　for　those　who　were　hysterical。　　Their　disease　received　from　it；　as　it　had　at　other　times　from　other　extraordinary　customs；　a　peculiar　direction；　so　that；　whether　bitten　by　the　tarantula　or　not；　they　felt　compelled　to　participate　in　the　dances　of　those　affected；　and　to　make　their　appearance　at　this　popular　festival；　where　they　had　an　opportunity　of　triumphantly　exhibiting　their　sufferings。　　Let　us　here　pause　to　consider　the　kind　of　life　which　the　women　in　Italy　led。　　Lonely；　and　deprived　by　cruel　custom　of　social　intercourse；　that　fairest　of　all　enjoyments；　they　dragged　on　a　miserable　existence。　　Cheerfulness　and　an　inclination　to　sensual　pleasures　passed　into　compulsory　idleness；　and；　in　many；　into　black　despondency。　　Their　imaginations　became　disordereda　pallid　countenance　and　oppressed　respiration　bore　testimony　to　their　profound　sufferings。　　How　could　they　do　otherwise；　sunk　as　they　were　in　such　extreme　misery；　than　seize　the　occasion　to　burst　forth　from　their　prisons　and　alleviate　their　miseries　by　taking　part　in　the　delights　of　music？　　Nor　should　we　here　pass　unnoticed　a　circumstance　which　illustrates；　in　a　remarkable　degree；　the　psychological　nature　of　hysterical　sufferings；　namely；　that　many　chlorotic　females；　by　joining　the　dancers　at　the　Carnevaletto；　were　freed　from　their　spasms　and　oppression　of　breathing　for　the　whole　year；　although　the　corporeal　cause　of　their　malady　was　not　removed。　　After　such　a　result；　no　one　could　call　their　self…deception　a　mere　imposture；　and　unconditionally　condemn　it　as　such。

This　numerous　class　of　patients　certainly　contributed　not　a　little　to　the　maintenance　of　the　evil；　for　their　fantastic　sufferings；　in　which　dissimulation　and　reality　could　scarcely　be　distinguished　even　by　themselves；　much　less　by　their　physicians；　were　imitated　in　the　same　way　as　the　distortions　of　the　St。　Vitus's　dancers　by　the　impostors　of　that　period。　　It　was　certainly　by　these　persons　also　that　the　number　of　subordinate　symptoms　was　increased　to　an　endless　extent；　as　may　be　conceived　from　the　daily　observation　of　hysterical　patients　who；　from　a　morbid　desire　to　render　themselves　remarkable；　deviate　from　the　laws　of　moral　propriety。　　Powerful　sexual　excitement　had　often　the　most　decided　influence　over　their　condition。　　Many　of　them　exposed　themselves　in　the　most　indecent　manner；　tore　their　hair　out　by　the　roots；　with　howling　and　gnashing　of　their　teeth；　and　when；　as　was　sometimes　the　case；　their　unsatisfied　passion　hurried　them　on　to　a　state　of　frenzy；　they　closed　their　existence　by　self　destruction；　it　being　common　at　that　time　for　these　unfortunate　beings　to　precipitate　themselves　into　the　wells。

It　might　hence　seem　that；　owing　to　the　conduct　of　patients　of　this　description；　so　much　of　fraud　and　falsehood　would　be　mixed　up　with　the　original　disorder　that；　having　passed　into　another　complaint；　it　must　have　been　itself　destroyed。　　This；　however；　did　not　happen　in　the　first　half　of　the　seventeenth　century；　for；　as　a　clear　proof　that　tarantism　remained　substantially　the　same　and　quite　unaffected　by　hysteria；　there　were　in　many　places；　and　in　particular　at　Messapia；　fewer　women　affected　than　men；　who；　in　their　turn；　were　in　no　small　proportion　led　into　temptation　by　sexual　exc