the black death and the dancing mania-第25部分

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s；　which　depend　on　causes　such　as　have　been　stated；　are　as　little　capable　of　renewal　as　the　different　stages　of　life　in　individuals。　　This　gives　so　much　the　more　importance　to　a　disease　but　cursorily　alluded　to　in　the　foregoing　pages；　which　exists　in　Abyssinia；　and　which　nearly　resembles　the　original　mania　of　the　St。　John's　dancers；　inasmuch　as　it　exhibits　a　perfectly　similar　ecstasy；　with　the　same　violent　effect　on　the　nerves　of　motion。　　It　occurs　most　frequently　in　the　Tigre　country；　being　thence　call　Tigretier；　and　is　probably　the　same　malady　which　is　called　in　Ethiopian　language　Astaragaza。　　On　this　subject　we　will　introduce　the　testimony　of　Nathaniel　Pearce；　an　eye…witness；　who　resided　nine　years　in　Abyssinia。　　〃The　Tigretier；〃　he　says　he；　〃is　more　common　among　the　women　than　among　the　men。　　It　seizes　the　body　as　if　with　a　violent　fever；　and　from　that　turns　to　a　lingering　sickness；　which　reduces　the　patients　to　skeletons；　and　often　kills　them　if　the　relations　cannot　procure　the　proper　remedy。　　During　this　sickness　their　speech　is　changed　to　a　kind　of　stuttering；　which　no　one　can　understand　but　those　afflicted　with　the　same　disorder。　　When　the　relations　find　the　malady　to　be　the　real　tigretier；　they　join　together　to　defray　the　expense　of　curing　it；　the　first　remedy　they　in　general　attempt　is　to　procure　the　assistance　of　a　learned　Dofter；　who　reads　the　Gospel　of　St。　John；　and　drenches　the　patient　with　cold　water　daily　for　the　space　of　seven　days；　an　application　that　very　often　proves　fatal。　　The　most　effectual　cure；　though　far　more　expensive　than　the　former；　is　as　follows：…　The　relations　hire　for　a　certain　sum　of　money　a　band　of　trumpeters；　drummers；　and　fifers；　and　buy　a　quantity　of　liquor；　then　all　the　young　men　and　women　of　the　place　assemble　at　the　patient's　house　to　perform　the　following　most　extraordinary　ceremony。

〃I　was　once　called　in　by　a　neighbour　to　see　his　wife；　a　very　young　woman；　who　had　the　misfortune　to　be　afflicted　with　this　disorder；　and　the　man　being　an　old　acquaintance　of　mine；　and　always　a　close　comrade　in　the　camp；　I　went　every　day；　when　at　home；　to　see　her；　but　I　could　not　be　of　any　service　to　her；　though　she　never　refused　my　medicines。　　At　this　time　I　could　not　understand　a　word　she　said；　although　she　talked　very　freely；　nor　could　any　of　her　relations　understand　her。　　She　could　not　bear　the　sight　of　a　book　or　a　priest；　for　at　the　sight　of　either　she　struggled；　and　was　apparently　seized　with　acute　agony；　and　a　flood　of　tears；　like　blood　mingled　with　water；　would　pour　down　her　face　from　her　eyes。　She　had　lain　three　months　in　this　lingering　state；　living　upon　so　little　that　it　seemed　not　enough　to　keep　a　human　body　alive；　at　last　her　husband　agreed　to　employ　the　usual　remedy；　and；　after　preparing　for　the　maintenance　of　the　band　during　the　time　it　would　take　to　effect　the　cure；　he　borrowed　from　all　his　neighbours　their　silver　ornaments；　and　loaded　her　legs；　arms　and　neck　with　them。

〃The　evening　that　the　band　began　to　play　I　seated　myself　close　by　her　side　as　she　lay　upon　the　couch；　and　about　two　minutes　after　the　trumpets　had　begun　to　sound　I　observed　her　shoulders　begin　to　move；　and　soon　afterwards　her　head　and　breast；　and　in　less　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour　she　sat　upon　her　couch。　　The　wild　look　she　had；　though　sometimes　she　smiled；　made　me　draw　off　to　a　greater　distance；　being　almost　alarmed　to　see　one　nearly　a　skeleton　move　with　such　strength；　her　head；　neck；　shoulders；　hands　and　feet　all　made　a　strong　motion　to　the　sound　of　the　music；　and　in　this　manner　she　went　on　by　degrees；　until　she　stood　up　on　her　legs　upon　the　floor。　　Afterwards　she　began　to　dance；　and　at　times　to　jump　about；　and　at　last；　as　the　music　and　noise　of　the　singers　increased；　she　often　sprang　three　feet　from　the　ground。　　When　the　music　slackened　she　would　appear　quite　out　of　temper；　but　when　it　became　louder　she　would　smile　and　be　delighted。　　During　this　exercise　she　never　showed　the　least　symptom　of　being　tired；　though　the　musicians　were　thoroughly　exhausted；　and　when　they　stopped　to　refresh　themselves　by　drinking　and　resting　a　little　she　would　discover　signs　of　discontent。

〃Next　day；　according　to　the　custom　in　the　cure　of　this　disorder；　she　was　taken　into　the　market…place；　where　several　jars　of　maize　or　tsug　were　set　in　order　by　the　relations；　to　give　drink　to　the　musicians　and　dancers。　　When　the　crowd　had　assembled；　and　the　music　was　ready；　she　was　brought　forth　and　began　to　dance　and　throw　herself　into　the　maddest　postures　imaginable；　and　in　this　manner　she　kept　on　the　whole　day。　　Towards　evening　she　began　to　let　fall　her　silver　ornaments　from　her　neck；　arms；　and　legs；　one　at　a　time；　so　that　in　the　course　of　three　hours　she　was　stripped　of　every　article。　　A　relation　continually　kept　going　after　her　as　she　danced；　to　pick　up　the　ornaments；　and　afterwards　delivered　them　to　the　owners　from　whom　they　were　borrowed。　　As　the　sun　went　down　she　made　a　start　with　such　swiftness　that　the　fastest　runner　could　not　come　up　with　her；　and　when　at　the　distance　of　about　two　hundred　yards　she　dropped　on　a　sudden　as　if　shot。　　Soon　afterwards　a　young　man；　on　coming　up　with　her；　fired　a　matchlock　over　her　body；　and　struck　her　upon　the　back　with　the　broad　side　of　his　large　knife；　and　asked　her　name；　to　which　she　answered　as　when　in　her　common　sensesa　sure　proof　of　her　being　cured；　for　during　the　time　of　this　malady　those　afflicted　with　it　never　answer　to　their　Christian　names。　　She　was　now　taken　up　in　a　very　weak　condition　and　carried　home；　and　a　priest　came　and　baptised　her　again　in　the　name　of　the　Father；　Son；　and　Holy　Ghost；　which　ceremony　concluded　her　cure。　　Some　are　taken　in　this　manner　to　the　market…place　for　many　days　before　they　can　be　cured；　and　it　sometimes　happens　that　they　cannot　be　cured　at　all。　　I　have　seen　them　in　these　fits　dance　with　a　BRULY；　or　bottle　of　maize；　upon　their　heads　without　spilling　the　liquor；　or　letting　the　bottle　fall；　although　they　have　put　themselves　into　the　most　extravagant　postures。

〃I　could　not　have　ventured　to　write　this　from　hearsay；　nor　could　I　conceive　it　possible；　until　I　was　obliged　to　put　this　remedy　in　practice　upon　my　own　wife；　who　was　seized　with　the　same　disorder；　and　then　I　was　compelled　to　have　a　still　nearer　view　of　this　strange　disorder。　　I　at　first　thought　that　a　whip　would　be　of　some　service；　and　one　day　attempted　a　few　strokes　when　unnoticed　by　any　person；　we　being　by　ourselves；　and　I　having　a　strong　suspicion　that　this　ailment　sprang　from　the　weak　minds　of　women；　who　were　encouraged　in　it　for　the　sake　of　the　grandeur；　rich　dress；　and　music　which　accompany　the　cure。　　But　how　much　was　I　surprised；　the　moment　I　struck　a　light　blow；　thinking　to　do　good；　to　find　that　she　became　like　a　corpse；　and　even　the　joints　of　her　fingers　became　so　stiff　that　I　could　not　straighten　them；　indeed；　I　really　thought　that　she　was　dead；　and　immediately　made　it　known　to　the　people　in　the　house　that　she　had　fainted；　but　did　not　tell　them　the　cause；　upon　which　they　immediately　brought　music；　which　I　had　for　many　days　denied　them；　and　which　soon　revived　her；　and　I　then　left　the　house　to　her　relations　to　cure　her　at　my　expense；　in　the　manner　I　have　before　mentioned；　though　it　took　a　much　longer　time　to　cure　my　wife　than　the　woman　I　have　just　given　an　account　of。　One　day　I　went　privately；　with　a　companion；　to　see　my　wife　dance；　and　kept　at　a　short　distance；　as　I　was　ashamed　to　go　near　the　crowd。　　On　looking　steadfastly　upon　her；　while　dancing　or　jumping；　more　like　a　deer　than　a　human　being；　I　said　that　it　certainly　was　not　my　wife；　at　which　my　companion　burst　into　a　fit　of　laughter；　from　which　he　could　scarcely　refrain　all　the　way　home。　　Men　are　sometimes　afflicted　with　this　dreadful　disorder；　but　not　frequently。　　Among　the　Amhara　and　Galla　it　is　not　so　common。〃

Such　is　the　account　of　Pearce；　who　is　every　way　worthy　of　credit；　and　whose　lively　description　renders　the　traditions　of　former　times　respecting　the　St。　Vitus's　dance　and　tarantism　intelligible；　even　to　those　who　are　sceptical　respecting　the　existence　of　a　morbid　state　of　the　mind　and　body　of　the　kind　described；　because；　in　the　present　advanced　state　of　civilisation　among　the　nations　of　Europe；　opportunities　for　its　development　no　longer　occur。　　The　credibility　of　this　energetic　but　by　no　means　ambitious　man　is　not　liable　to　the　slightest　suspicion；　for；　owing　to　his　want　of　education；　he　had　no　knowledge　of　the　phenomena　in　question；　and　his　work　evinces　throughout　his　attractive　and　unpretending　impartiality。

Comparison　is　the　mother　of　observation；　and　may　here　elucidate　one　phenomenon　by　anotherthe　past　by　that　which　still　exists。　Oppression；　insecurity；　and　the　influence　of　a　very　rude　priestcraft；　are　the　powerful　causes　which　operated　on　the　Germans　and　Italians　of　the　Middle　Ages；　as　they　now　continue　to　operate　on　the　Abyssinians　of　the　present　day。　　However　these　people　may　differ　from　us　in　their　descent；　their　manners　and　their　customs；　the　effects　of　the　above　mentioned　causes　are　the　same　in　Africa　as　they　were　in　Europe；　for　they　operate　on　man　himself　independently　of　the　particular　locality　in　which　he　may　be　planted；　and　the　conditions　of　the　Abyssinians　of　modern　times　is；　in　regard　to　superstition；　a　mirror　of　the　condition　of　the　European