HALLUCINATIONS OF THE SENSES

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1284, 1 May 1878, Page 3

HALLUCINATIONS OF THE SENSES

Professor H. Maudeley recently delivered a lecture at the London Institution, on " Hallucinations of the Senses," opening the subject by alluding to the historical case of Joan of Arc, who firmly believed that the words Bho appeared to hear really came from external sources. One striking feature observed by medical men who have had cases of hallucinations under their charge is that the patients cannot be convinced that the objects they see, the sounds they hear, and the smells they perceive have no real existence, and that the sensations they receive are the result of their excited nerves. It frequently happens that a person who Buffers from hallucination in respect of one sense has the others unaffected and is on all other matters perfectly sane. Hearing is most frequently affected, and sight next. Several interesting cases were referred to, one of a gentleman actively engaged in business who believed his body continually gave an unpleasant odour, and consequently kept away from everybody as much as he could, and when he was assured that people did not perceive it, always replied that thoy were too polite. Hallucination may arise either from an idea on which the mind has dwelt appearing as something exterior, or from excitement of the Bensory ganglia. It is said that Newton, Hunter, and others could, at will, picture forms to themselves till they appeared to be realities. A successor of Sir J. Reynolds, Dr. Wigan records, had the power of painting portraits after seeing his sitters but for a short time at one visit only, and was ablo at will to reproduce them to himself as exterior realities. As years advanced he found he could not dismiss these forms as he could recall them, and he began to fancy himself haunted, and was for many years in an asylum. The opening of act 5, scene 1, of "A Midsummer Night's Dream " was referred to as showing that Shakespeare recognised different degrees of hallucination. Luther's apparition of the Devil was a good illustration of an idea taking an external form, not at will, but unconsciously, and so appearing as a reality. Illustrations of the production of hallucination from the second class of causes, excitement of sensory ganglia, were drawn from cases of the use of belladonna, of over doses of alcohol, of fevers, and of exhaustion of nerve centres. Under the last head come visions seen by people after long fasting. "Visions" and " voicos" frequently precede epileptic fits, and after the fit the patient believes in the external reality of the objects and sounds. Reference was made to the "voices" and "visions" of Mahomet, and after speaking of the probable physiological explanation, Professor Maudslcy said it was in the practical results of little importance whether they were realities or hallucinations. His mind had been dwelling on the subject of his work, and he had fitted himself for the task he did. In concluding, the Professor said the way to avoid hallucinations is to keep in health and feed the mind with the teachings of nature and of fact.