Only Their Fancy.

Otago Witness, Issue 2241, 11 February 1897, Page 52

Only Their Fancy.

'•It is astonishing to find what queer delusions sometimes take possession of people," says a certain physician. "In the course of i my practice I have often come across persons who held long conversations with perfectly imaginary individuals. I have seen persons manifest the greatest alarm at animals whose presence and voic-s near them they asßured me they were as positive »s ot my owa, absolutely refusing to beiieve that the creatures were not really there. " One young lady, who was frightened by the euddon presentation to her of a white mouse, | has been troubled for years by seeing this | mouse running about her. upon her clothing, ( upon anything she is handling, and even upon j bfic food ; and in conpequence she is in a state < of conscanfc a»;icab'iOD, t-unwgh at times she is ' convinced that the animal is merely imsgicary, ' She often washes her hands and cloches because j she is sure that tbe animal has dirtied them, ' • and she cwnnot diveßt herself of the belief that it is real. ; 1 ' I have been sometimes able to convince per- : sods that such fancied figures were not real by ! asking them to push one eyeball up a little with the finger. This makes all real objects in their neighbonrhood appear double, as anyone can prove to himself, but it does not double the false image. The young lady I have just mentioned derived much comfort by the adoption of this simple device." ]