The sequel of this disease was favourable; he was directed one grain of opium at six every morning, and then to rise out of bed; at half past six he was directed fifteen drops of laudanum in a glass of wine and water. The first day the paroxysm became shorter, and less violent. The dose of opium was increased to one-half more, and in three or four days the fits left him. The bark and filings of iron were also exhibited twice a day; and I believe the complaint returned no more.
[2]. In this paroxysm it must be observed, that he began with pain, and ended with stupor, in both circumstances resembling a fit of epilepsy. And that therefore the exertions both of mind and body, both the voluntary ones, and those immediately excited by pleasurable sensation, were exertions to relieve pain.
The hunting scene appeared to be rather an act of memory than of imagination, and was therefore rather a voluntary exertion, though attended with the pleasurable eagerness, which was the consequence of those ideas recalled by recollection, and not the cause of them.
These ideas thus voluntarily recollected were succeeded by sensations of pleasure, though his senses were unaffected by the stimuli of visible or audible objects; or so weakly excited by them as not to produce sensation or attention. And the pleasure thus excited by volition produced other ideas and other motions in consequence of the sensorial power of sensation. Whence the mixed catenations of voluntary and sensitive ideas and muscular motions in reverie; which, like every other kind of vehement exertion, contribute to relieve pain, by expending a large quantity of sensorial power.
Those fits generally commence during sleep, from whence I suppose they have been thought to have some connection with sleep, and have thence been termed Somnambulism; but their commencement during sleep is owing to our increased excitability by internal sensations at that time, as explained in Sect. [XVIII. 14]. and [15]., and not to any similitude between reverie and sleep.
[3]. I was once concerned for a very elegant and ingenious young lady, who had a reverie on alternate days, which continued nearly the whole day; and as in her days of disease she took up the same kind of ideas, which she had conversed about on the alternate day before, and could recollect nothing of them on her well-day; she appeared to her friends to possess two minds. This case also was of epileptic kind, and was cured, with some relapses, by opium administered before the commencement of the paroxysm.
[4]. Whence it appears, that the methods of relieving inflammatory pains, is by removing all stimulus, as by venesection, cool air, mucilaginous diet, aqueous potation, silence, darkness.
The methods of relieving pains from defect of stimulus is by supplying the peculiar stimulus required, as of food, or warmth.
And the general method of relieving pain is by exciting into action some great part of the system for the purpose of expending a part of the sensorial power. This is done either by exertion of the voluntary ideas and muscles, as in insanity and convulsion; or by exerting both voluntary and sensitive motions, as in reverie; or by exciting the irritative motions by wine or opium internally, and by the warm bath or blisters externally; or lastly, by exciting the sensitive ideas by good news, affecting stories, or agreeable passions.