e consultations of Wesper we find related the history of a young
man of family 22 years of age, who, having applied himself incessantly
to intense mental exertion, was seized with a fit of insanity, in which
fit he wounded several persons and killed his keeper. Catalepsy has been
known to have been produced by great mental application. Fomelius gives
us a remarkable instance of it. A man (says he) who passed whole nights
in writing and studying, was suddenly attacked with a fit of catalepsy:
all his limbs stiffened in the attitude he was in when the disease first
seized him. He remained upon his seat, holding the pen in his hand, and
with his eyes fixed on his paper, so that he was considered to be still
at his studies, till being called to, and then shaken, he was found to
be without motion or sensation.[4]

Many extraordinary instances are on record, of remarkable changes having
been produced in birds by an affection of the animal passions. The
following fact is related by Mr. Young, in the Edinburgh Geographical
Journal. A blackbird had been frightened in her cage by a cat; when it
was relieved, it was found lying on its back, quite wet with
perspiration. The feathers fell off, and were renewed, but the new ones
were perfectly white.

A similar phenomenon has been observed in the human species, who have
been exposed to the effects of inordinate passion. Borrelli relates the
case of a French gentleman, who was thrown into prison, and on whom fear
operated so powerfully as to change his hair completely grey in the
course of one night. Dr. Darwin ascribes this phenomenon to the torpor
of the vessels, which circulates the fluids destined to nourish the
hair. Nothing will, perhaps, demonstrate more fully the effects of moral
causes in producing disease than the structural alterations discoverable
in the bodies of those who have died whilst labouring under nostalgia,
or the Swiss malady. This disease is considered peculiar to the Swiss,
and is occasioned by a desire of revisiting their own country, and of
witnessing again the scenes of their youth. This desire begins with
melancholy sadness, love of solitude, silence, bodily weakness, &c. and
is only cured by returning to their native country. Avenbrugger says,
that in dissecting the bodies of those who have died in consequence of
this disease, organic lesions of the heart generally are detected.
A particular musical composition, supposed to be expressive of the
happiness