ferred her visual hallucinations. From this state it was easy to get into a condition where anything red exerted a very disturbing influence over them.[1] As the insanity progressed aural disturbances manifested themselves, and they were made still more unhappy by hearing noises in the rooms above, which convinced them that their enemies were not content to annoy them only when they went into the street, but that they had actually taken possession of the house in order to keep up their torment. One night the elder sister awakened the younger saying that she heard some one walking in the room above them, and that she was sure that it was some one who had come to do them injury. The younger listened and became convinced that they were in great danger, and both claimed that they could feel the presence of the stranger, although they could not see him, and they both smelled the kerosene oil with which he was to burn the house. Believing that they were in great danger, they began throwing furniture out of the house, deeming that the best way of attracting the attention of the police. While in the act of throwing the furniture out they both screamed: "We can not help it. We are not to blame!" They were, of course, taken in charge, and the next day they came under my care. They were separated at once and placed upon different wards in the hospital. In about four months from the time of admission the younger sister had given up all her delusions and had reached her normal condition. The course of the disease in the elder sister was not so satisfactory, however, and, though much improved, she is still influenced by the ideas which controlled her before admission. From frequent conversations with the younger sister after her recovery the fact was made plain that for several weeks she realized that her sister was insane and fought hard to remain uninfluenced herself. At last, however, the sane mind succumbed to the overpowering influence of the insane one, and she became her sister's second self in word, thought, and act. Of course, this would not have occurred had the condition of things been reversed and had the younger sister been the first to become insane. Neither would it have followed had it not been for the neurotic tendencies of the passive subject coupled with the debilitation due to worry, overwork, and
- ↑ This interesting peculiarity reminds us of the dancing mania so graphically described by Hecker in his Epidemics of the Middle Ages. This remarkable epidemic, which began in 1374 in Aix-la-Chapelle and lasted until 1418, when its scene was transferred to Strasburg, was characterized by dancing of the wildest and most abandoned character, which lasted until those who participated in it fell to the ground from sheer exhaustion. Thousands upon thousands were affected by it. Its victims became furious whenever they saw anything red, while on the contrary the same color exerted a remarkable fascination over those who were affected by another form of dancing mania known as Tarantism, which existed later and lasted several centuries.
