So，too，atthelastInternationalExposition，theFrenchGovernment，observingtheevileffectsproducedbythemaniafortableturningandtipping，tookoccasion，whenagreatnumberofFrenchschoolmastersandteacherswerevisitingtheexposition，tohavepubliclecturesgiveninwhichallthebusinessofdarkclosets，hand-tying，materializationofspirits，presentingthefacesofthedeparted，andghostlyportraiturewasfullyperformedbyprofessionalmountebanks，andafterwardasfullyexplained。
Sointhiscase。TheGovernmentsimplyorderedthegateofthecemeterytobelocked，andwhenthecrowdcouldnolongerapproachthetombthemiraclesceased。AlittleParisianridiculehelpedtoendthematter。Awagwroteupoverthegateofthecemetery。
“DeparleRoi，defenseaDieuDefairedesmiraclesdanscelieu“——
which，beingtranslatedfromdoggerelFrenchintodoggerelEnglish，is——
“Byorderoftheking，theLordmustforbearToworkanymoreofhismiracleshere。”
Butthetheologicalspiritremainedpowerful。TheFrenchRevolutionhadnotthenintervenedtobringitunderhealthylimits。Theagitationwasmaintained，and，thoughthemiraclesandcasesofpossessionwerestoppedinthecemetery，itspread。
Againfullcoursewasgiventomyth-makingandtheretailingofwonders。Itwassaidthatmenhadallowedthemselvestoberoastedbeforeslowfires，andhadbeenafterwardfounduninjured；thatsomehadenormousweightspileduponthem，buthadsupernaturalpowersofresistancegiventhem；andthat，inonecase，avoluntarycrucifixionhadtakenplace。
Thisagitationwaslong，troublesome，andnodoubtrobbedmanytemporarilyorpermanentlyofsuchlittlebrainsastheypossessed。Itwasonlywhentheviolencehadbecomeanoldstoryandthecharmofnoveltyhadentirelywornoff，andtheafflictedfoundthemselvesnolongerregardedwithespecialinterest，thattheepidemicdiedaway。[401]
[401]SeeMadden，Phantasmata，chap。xiv；alsoSirJamesStephen，HistoryofFrance，lecturexxvi；alsoHenryMartin，HistoiredeFrance，vol。xv，pp。168etseq。；alsoCalmeil，liv。v，chap。
xxiv；alsoHecker’sessay；and，forsamplesofmyth-making，seetheapocryphalSouvenirsdeCrequy。
ButinGermanyatthattimetheoutcomeofthisbeliefwasfarmorecruel。In1749MariaRenataSinger，sub-prioressofaconventatWurzburg，waschargedwithbewitchingherfellow-nuns。
Therewastheusualstory——thesameessentialfactsasatLoudun——womenshutupagainsttheirwill，dreamsofSatandisguisedasayoungman，pettyjealousies，spites，quarrels，mysteriousuproar，trickery，utensilsthrownaboutinawaynottobeaccountedfor，hystericalshriekingandconvulsions，and，finally，thetorture，confession，andexecutionofthesupposedculprit。[402]
[402]SeeSoldan，Scherr，Diefenbach，andothers。
Variousepidemicsofthissortbrokeoutfromtimetotimeinotherpartsoftheworld，thoughhappily，asmodernscepticismprevailed，withlesscruelresults。
In1760somecongregationsofCalvinisticMethodistsinWalesbecamesoferventthattheybeganleapingforjoy。Themaniaspread，andgaverisetoasectcalledthe“Jumpers。”AsimilaroutbreaktookplaceafterwardinEngland，andhasbeenrepeatedatvarioustimesandplacessinceinourowncountry。[403]
[403]SeeAdam’sDictionaryofAllReligions，articleonJumpers；
alsoHecker。
In1780cameanotheroutbreakinFrance；butthistimeitwasnottheJansenistswhowereaffected，butthestrictlyorthodox。
Alargenumberofyounggirlsbetweentwelveandnineteenyearsofage，havingbeenbroughttogetheratthechurchofSt。Roch，inParis，withpreachingandceremoniescalculatedtoarousehysterics，oneofthemfellintoconvulsions。Immediatelyotherchildrenweresimilarlytaken，untilsomefiftyorsixtywereengagedinthesameantics。Thismaniaspreadtootherchurchesandgatherings，provedverytroublesome，andinsomecasesledtoresultsespeciallypainful。
AboutthesameperiodcameasimilaroutbreakamongtheProtestantsoftheShetlandIsles。Awomanhavingbeenseizedwithconvulsionsatchurch，thediseasespreadtoothers，mainlywomen，whofellintotheusualcontortionsandwildshriekings。
Averyeffectivecureprovedtobeathreattoplungethediseasedintoaneighbouringpond。
II。BEGINNINGSOFHELPFULSCEPTICISM。
Butneartheendoftheeighteenthcenturyafactveryimportantforsciencewasestablished。Itwasfoundthatthesemanifestationsdonotariseinallcasesfromsupernaturalsources。In1787camethenotedcaseatHoddenBridge，inLancashire。Agirlworkinginacottonmanufactorythereputamouseintothebosomofanothergirlwhohadagreatdreadofmice。Thegirlthustreatedimmediatelywentintoconvulsions，whichlastedtwenty-fourhours。Shortlyafterwardthreeothergirlswereseizedwithlikeconvulsions，alittlelatersixmore，andthenothers，until，inall，twenty-fourwereattacked。Thencameafactthrowingafloodoflightuponearlieroccurrences。
Thisepidemic，beingnoisedabroad，soonspreadtoanotherfactoryfivemilesdistant。Thepatientstheresufferedfromstrangulation，danced，toretheirhair，anddashedtheirheadsagainstthewalls。Therewasastrongbeliefthatitwasadiseaseintroducedincotton，butaresidentphysicianamusedthepatientswithelectricshocks，andthediseasediedout。
In1801cameacaseoflikeimportintheChariteHospitalinBerlin。Agirlfellintostrongconvulsions。Thediseaseprovedcontagious，severalothersbecomingafflictedinasimilarway；butnearlyallwerefinallycured，principallybytheadministrationofopium，whichappearsatthattimetohavebeenafashionableremedy。
OfthesamesortwasacaseatLyonsin1851。Sixtywomenwereworkingtogetherinashop，whenoneofthem，afterabitterquarrelwithherhusband，fellintoaviolentnervousparoxysm。
Theotherwomen，sympathizingwithher，gatheredabouttoassisther，butoneafteranotherfellintoasimilarcondition，untiltwentywerethusprostrated，andamoregeneralspreadoftheepidemicwasonlypreventedbyclearingthepremises。[404]
[404]Fortheseexamplesandothers，seeTuke，InfluenceoftheMindupontheBody，vol。i，pp。100，277；alsoHecker’sessay。
Butwhilethesecasesseemed，intheeyeofScience，fataltotheoldconceptionofdiabolicinfluence，thegreatmajorityofsuchepidemics，whenunexplained，continuedtogivestrengthtotheolderview。
InRomanCatholiccountriesthesemanifestations，aswehaveseen，havegenerallyappearedinconvents，orinchurcheswhereyounggirlsarebroughttogetherfortheirfirstcommunion，oratshrineswheremiraclesaresupposedtobewrought。
InProtestantcountriestheyappearintimesofgreatreligiousexcitement，andespeciallywhenlargebodiesofyoungwomenaresubmittedtotheinfluenceofnoisyandfrothypreachers。
Well-knownexamplesofthisinAmericaareseeninthe“Jumpers。”
“Jerkers。”andvariousrevivalextravagances，especiallyamongthenegroesand“poorwhites“oftheSouthernStates。
Theproperconditionsbeinggivenforthedevelopmentofthedisease——generallyacongregationcomposedmainlyofyoungwomen——anyfanaticoroverzealouspriestorpreachermaystimulatehystericalseizures，whichareverylikelytobecomeepidemic。
Asarecenttypicalexampleonalargescale，ItakethecaseofdiabolicpossessionatMorzine，aFrenchvillageonthebordersofSwitzerland；anditisespeciallyinstructive，becauseitwasthoroughlyinvestigatedbyacompetentmanofscience。
Abouttheyear1853asickgirlatMorzine，actingstrangely，wasthoughttobepossessedofthedevil，andwastakentoBesancon，wheresheseemstohavefallenintothehandsofkindlyandsensibleecclesiastics，and，undertheoperationoftherelicspreservedinthecathedralthere——especiallythehandkerchiefofChrist——thedevilwascastoutandshewascured。Naturally，muchwassaidoftheaffairamongthepeasantry，andsoonothercasesbegantoshowthemselves。ThepriestatMorzineattemptedtoquietthematterbyavowinghisdisbeliefinsuchcasesofpossession；butimmediatelyagreatoutcrywasraisedagainsthim，especiallybythepossessedthemselves。Thematterwasnowwidelydiscussed，andthemaladyspreadrapidly；myth-makingandwonder-mongeringbegan；amazingaccountswerethusdevelopedandsentouttotheworld。Theafflictedweresaidtohaveclimbedtreeslikesquirrels；tohaveshownsuperhumanstrength；tohaveexercisedthegiftoftongues，speakinginGerman，Latin，andeveninArabic；tohavegivenaccountsofhistoricaleventstheyhadneverheardof；andtohaverevealedthesecretthoughtsofpersonsaboutthem。Mingledwithsuchexhibitionsofpowerwereoutburstsofblasphemyandobscenity。
Butsuddenlycamesomethingmoremiraculous，apparently，thanallthesewonders。Withoutanyassignedcause，thisepidemicofpossessiondiminishedandthedevildisappeared。
Notlongafterthis，Prof。Tissot，aneminentmemberofthemedicalfacultyatDijon，visitedthespotandbeganaseriesofresearches，ofwhichheafterwardpublishedafullaccount。HetellsusthathefoundsomereasonsforthesuddendepartureofSatanwhichhadneverbeenpublished。HediscoveredthattheGovernmenthadquietlyremovedoneortwoveryzealousecclesiasticstoanotherparish，hadsentthepolicetoMorzinetomaintainorder，andhadgiveninstructionsthatthosewhoactedoutrageouslyshouldbesimplytreatedaslunaticsandsenttoasylums。Thispolicy，soaccordantwithFrenchmethodsofadministration，castoutthedevil：thepossessedweremainlycured，andthematterappearedended。
ButDr。Tissotfoundafewofthediseasedstillremaining，andhesoonsatisfiedhimselfbyvariousinvestigationsandexperimentsthattheyweresimplysufferingfromhysteria。Oneofhisinvestigationsisespeciallycurious。Inordertoobservethepatientsmorecarefully，heinvitedsomeofthemtodinewithhim，gavethemwithouttheirknowledgeholywaterintheirwineortheirfood，andfoundthatitproducednoeffectwhatever，thoughitsresultsuponthedemonswhenthepossessedknewofitspresencehadbeenverymarked。Evenafterlargedraughtsofholywaterhadbeenthusgiven，thepossessedremainedafflicted，urgedthatthedevilshouldbecastout，andsomeofthemevenwentintoconvulsions；thedevilapparentlyspeakingfromtheirmouths。ItwasevidentthatSatanhadnottheremotestideathathehadbeenthoroughlydosedwiththemosteffectivemedicineknowntotheoldertheology。[405]
[405]Foranamazingdelineationofthecurativeandothervirtuesofholywater，seetheAbbeGaume，L’EaubeniteauXIXmeSiecle，Paris，1866。
AtlastTissotpublishedtheresultsofhisexperiments，andthestereotypedanswerwassoonmade。ItresembledtheanswermadebytheclericalopponentsofGalileowhenheshowedthemthemoonsofJupiterthroughhistelescope，andtheydeclaredthatthemoonswerecreatedbythetelescope。TheclericalopponentsofTissotinsistedthatthenon-effectoftheholywateruponthedemonsprovednothingsavetheextraordinarycunningofSatan；
thatthearchfiendwishedittobethoughtthathedoesnotexist，andsoovercamehisrepugnancetoholywater，gulpingitdowninordertoconcealhispresence。
Dr。Tissotalsoexaminedintothegiftoftonguesexercisedbythepossessed。AstoGermanandLatin，nogreatdifficultywaspresented：itwasbynomeanshardtosupposethatsomeofthegirlsmighthavelearnedsomewordsoftheformerlanguageintheneighbouringSwisscantonswhereGermanwasspoken，oreveninGermanyitself；andastoLatin，consideringthattheyhadhearditfromtheirchildhoodinthechurch，thereseemednothingverywonderfulintheirutteringsomewordsinthatlanguagealso。
AstoArabic，hadtheyreallyspokenit，thatmighthavebeenaccountedforbytherelationsofthepossessedwithZouavesorSpahisfromtheFrencharmy；but，asTissotcoulddiscovernosuchrelations，heinvestigatedthispointasthemostpuzzlingofall。
Onacloseinquiry，hefoundthatallthewonderfulexamplesofspeakingArabicwerereducedtoone。HethenaskedwhethertherewasanyotherpersonspeakingorknowingArabicinthetown。Hewasansweredthattherewasnot。Heaskedwhetheranypersonhadlivedthere，sofarasanyonecouldremember，whohadspokenorunderstoodArabic，andhewasansweredinthenegative。
HethenaskedthewitnesseshowtheyknewthatthelanguagespokenbythegirlwasArabic：noanswerwasvouchsafedhim；buthewasoverwhelmedwithsuchstoriesasthatofapigwhich，atsightofthecrossonthevillagechurch，suddenlyrefusedtogofarther；andhewasdenouncedthoroughlyintheclericalnewspapersfordecliningtoacceptsuchevidence。
AtTissot’svisitin1863thepossessionhadgenerallyceased，andthecasesleftwerefewandquiet。Buthisvisitsstirredanewcontroversy，anditsechoeswerelongandloudinthepulpitsandclericaljournals。BelieversinsistedthatSatanhadbeenremovedbytheintercessionoftheBlessedVirgin；unbelievershintedthatthemaincauseofthedeliverancewasthereluctanceofthepossessedtobeshutupinasylums。
UnderthesecircumstancestheBishopofAnnecyannouncedthathewouldvisitMorzinetoadministerConfirmation，andwordappearstohavespreadthathewouldgiveamoreorthodoxcompletiontotheworkalreadydone，byexorcisingthedevilswhoremained。