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telling him to take word, that I should make his master's my first call. I may as well say, that I was on terms of friendly familiarity with Mr N. and puzzled myself all the way I went, with attempting to conjecture what new crotchet he had taken into his odd-and, latterly, I began to suspect, half-addled-head. He had never disclosed symptoms of what is generally understood by the word hypochondriasis; but I often thought there was not a likelier subject in the world for it. At length I found myself knocking at my friend's door, fully prepared for some specimen of amusing eccentricity for the thought now crossed my mind, that he might be really ill. Nambo instantly answered my summons, and, in a twinkling, conducted me to his master's bed-room. It was partially darkened, but there was light enough for me to discern, that there was nothing unusual in his appearance. The bed was much tossed, to be sure, as if with the restlessness of the recumbent, who lay on his back, with his head turned on one side, and buried deep in the pillow, and his arms folded together outside the counterpane. His features certainly wore an air of exhaustion and dejection, and his eye settled on me with an alarmed expression from the moment that he perceived my entrance. "Oh, dear doctor!-Isn't this frightful!-Isn't it a dreadful piece of business?"

"Frightful!-dreadful business!" I repeated, with much surprise. "What is frightful? Are you illhave you had an accident, eh?"

"Ah-ah!—you may well ask that!" he replied; adding, after a pause," it took place this morning about two hours ago!"

"You speak in parables, Mr N ! Why, what in the world is the matter with you?”

"About two hours ago-yes," he muttered, as if he had not heard me. "Doctor, do tell me truly now, for the curiosity of the thing, what did you think of me on first entering the room?-Eh?-Feel inclined to laugh, or be shocked-which ?"

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Mr, I really have no time for trifling, as I am particularly busy to-day. Do, I beg, be a little more explicit! Why have you sent for me?— What is the matter with you?"

Why, God bless me, doctor!" he replied, with an air of angry surprise in his manner which I never saw before," I think, indeed, it's you who are trifling! Have you lost your eye-sight this morning? Do you pretend to say you do not see I have undergone one of the most extraordinary alterations in appearance. that the body of man is capable ofsuch as never was heard or read of before?"

"Once more, Mr N—,” I repeated, in a tone of calm astonishment, "be so good as be explicit. What are you raving about?"

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Raving!-Egad, I think it's you who are raving, doctor!" he answered; " or you must wish to insult me! Do you pretend to tell me you do not see that my head is turned?". and he looked me in the face steadily and sternly.

"Ha-ha-ha!-Upon my honour, N, I've been suspecting as much for this last five or ten minutes! I don't think a patient ever described his disease more accurately before!"

"Don't mock me, Doctor

replied N, sternly. “ By G-, I can't bear it! It's enough for me to endure the horrid sensations I do!"

"Mr N, what do you"

"Why, d-n, Doctor! you'll drive me mad!-Can't you see that the back of my head is in front, Horrible!" I burst into loud laughter. and my face looking backwards?

"Doctor- it's time for you and ing his face away from me. “I'll let me to part-high time," said he, turnyou know that I'll stand your nonsense no longer! I called you in to give me your advice, not to sit grinOnce more,-finally: Doctor ning like a baboon by my bedside! are you disposed to be serious and rational? If you are not, my man shall shew you to the door the moment you please." He said this in such a sober earnest tone of indignation, that I saw he was fully prepared to carry his threat into execution. I determined, therefore, to humour him a little, shrewdly suspecting some temporary suspension of his sanity-not exactly madness-but at least some extraordinary hallucination. To adopt an expression which I have several times heard him use"I saw what o'clock it was, and set my watch to the time."

"Oh-well!-I see now how matters stand!-The fact is, I did observe the extraordinary posture of affairs you complain of immediately I entered the room-but supposed you were joking with me, and twisted your head round in that odd way for the purpose of hoaxing me; so I resolved to wait and see which of us could play our parts in the farce longest-Why, good God! how's all this, Mr N-?-Is it then really the case?-Are you-in-in earnest -in having your head turned ?""In earnest, doctor!" replied Mr N―, in amazement. "6 Why, do you suppose this happened by my own will and agency?-Absurd!""Oh, no, no-most assuredly notit is a phenomenon-hem! hem!a phenomenon-not unfrequently attending on the nightmare," I answered with as good a grace as possible.

over my back! In vain did I almost wrench my head off my shoulders, in attempting to twist it round again; and what with horror, and-andaltogether-in short, I awoke-and found the frightful reality of my situation!-Oh, gracious Heaven!" continued Mr N, clasping his hands, and looking upwards, "what have I done to deserve such a horrible visitation as this?"

"Pho, pho, doctor!-Nonsense! -You must really think me a child, to try to mislead me with such stuff as that! I tell you again, I am in as sober possession of my senses as ever I was in my life; and, once more, I assure you, that, in truth and reality, my head is turned-literally so."

"Well, well!-So I see!-It is, indeed, a very extraordinary casea very unusual one; but I don't, by any means, despair of bringing all things round again!-Pray tell me how this singular and afflicting accident happened to you?"

66

Certainly," said he, despondingly. "Last night, or rather this morning, I dreamed that I had got to the West Indies-to Barbadoes, an island where I have, as you know, a little estate left me by my uncle, C- -; and that, a few moments after I had entered the plantation, for the purpose of seeing the slaves at work, there came a sudden hurricane, a more tremendous one than ever was known in those parts; trees-canes-huts-all were swept before it! Even the very ground on which we stood seemed whirled away beneath us! I turned my head a moment to look at the direction in which things were going, when, in the very act of turning, the blast suddenly caught my head, and-oh, my God!-blew it completely round

on

my shoulders, till my face looked quite-directly behind me

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Humph! it is quite clear what is the matter here," thought I; so, assuming an air of becoming professional gravity, I felt his pulse, begged him to let me see his tongue, made many enquiries about his general health, and then proceeded to subject all parts of his neck to a most rigorous examination; before, behind, on each side, over every natural elevation and depression, if such the usual varieties of surface may be termed, did my fingers pass; he, all the while sighing, and cursing his evil stars, and wondering how it was that he had not been killed by the "dislocation!" This little farce over, I continued silent for some moments, scarcely able, the while, to control my inclination to burst into fits of laughter, as if pondering the possibility of being able to devise some means of cure.

"Ah,-thank God!-I have it-I have it"

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"What! -what- eh? what is it?"

"I've thought of a remedy, which, if-if-if any thing in the world can bring it about, will set matters right again-will bring back your head to its former position."

"Oh, God be praised!-Deardear doctor!-if you do but succeed, I shall consider a thousand pounds but the earnest of what I will do to evince my gratitude!" he exclaimed, squeezing my hand fervently. "But I am not absolutely certain that we shall succeed," said I cautiously. "We will, however, give the medicine a twenty-four hours' trial; during all which time you must be in perfect repose, and consent to lie in utter darkness. Will you abide by my directions ?"

"Oh, yes-yes-yes!-dear doctor!-What is the inestimable remedy? Tell me-tell me the name of my ransomer. I'll never divulge it-never!"

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"That is not consistent with my plans at present, Mr N," I replied, seriously; “but, if successful -of which I own I have very sanguine expectations I pledge my honour to reveal the secret to you." "Well-but—at least you'll explain the nature of its operation-eh? Is it internal-external-what?" The remedy, I told him, would be of both forms; the latter, however, the more immediate agent of his recovery; the former, preparatory-predisposing. I may tell the reader simply what my physic was to be: three breadpills (the ordinary placebo in such cases) every hour; a strong laudanum draught in the evening; and a huge bread-and-water poultice for his neck, with which it was to be environed till the parts were sufficiently mollified to admit of the neck's being twisted back again into its former position; and when that was the case-why-to ensure its permanency, he was to wear a broad band of strengthening plaster for a week!! This was the bright device, struck out by me-all at a heat; and, explained to the poor victim with the utmost solemnity and deliberation of manner - all the wise winks and knowing nods, and hesitating "hem's" and "ha's" of professional usage-sufficed to inspire him with some confidence as to the results. I confess I shared the most confident expectations of success. A sound night's rest-hourly pill-taking-and the clammy saturating sensation round about his neck, I fully believed would bring him round:-and, in the full anticipation of seeing him disa bused of the ridiculous notion he had taken into his head, I promised to see him the first thing in the morning, and took my departure. After quitting the house, I could not help laughing immoderately at the recollection of the scene I had just witnessed; and Mrs M, who happened to be passing on the other side of the street, and observed my involuntary risibility, took occasion to spread an illnatured rumour, that I was in the habit of " making myself merry at the expense of my patients!"-I foresaw, that should this "crick in the neck" prove permanent, I stood a chance of listening to innumerable conceits of the most whimsical and paradoxical kind imaginable for I

knew N-'s natural turn to humour. It was inconceivable to me how such an extraordinary delusion could bear the blush of daylight, resist the evidence of his senses, and the unanimous simultaneous assurances of all whobeheld him. Though it is little credit to me, and tells but small things for my self-control -I cannot help acknowledging, that at the bedside of my next patient, who was within two or three hours of her end, the surpassing absurdity of the "turned head" notions glared in such ludicrous extremes before me, that I was nearly bursting a blood-vessel with endeavours to suppress a perfect peal of laughter!

About eleven o'clock the next morning, I paid N a second visit. The door was opened as usual by his black servant, Nambo; by whose demeanour I saw that something or other extraordinary awaited me. His sable swollen features, and dancing white eye-balls, shewed that he was nearly bursting with laughter. "He-he-he!" he chuckled, in a sort of sotto voce, "him massa head turned!-him back in front!-him waddle!-He-hehe!"-and he twitched his clothesjerking his jacket, and pointing to his breeches, in a way that I did not understand. On entering the room where N, with one of his favourite silent smoking friends, (M-, the late well-known counsel,) were sitting at breakfast, I encountered a spectacle which nearly made me expire with laughter. It is almost useless to attempt describing it on paper-yet I will try. Two gentlemen sat opposite each other at the breakfast table, by the fire: the one with his face to me was Mr M; and N sat with his back towards the door by which I entered. A glance at the former sufficed to shew me, that he was sitting in tortures of suppressed risibility. He was quite red in the face-his features were swelled and puffy-and his eyes fixed strainingly on the fire, as though in fear of encountering the ludicrous figure of his friend. They were averted from the fire, for a moment, to welcome my entrance -and then re-directed thither with such a painful effort-such a comical air of compulsory seriousnessas, added to the preposterous fashion

after which poor N

had chosen to dress himself-completely overcame me. The thing was irresistible; and my utterance of that peculiar choking sound, which indicates the most strenuous efforts to suppress one's risible emotions, was the unwitting signal for each of us bursting into a long and loud shout of laughter. It was in vain that I bit my under lip almost till it brought blood, and that my eyes strained till the sparks flashed from them, in the vain attempt to cease laughing; in full before me sate the exciting cause of it, in the shape of N—, his head supported by the palm of his left hand, with his elbow propped against the side of the armchair. The knot of his neck-kerchief was tied, with its customary formal precision, back at the nape of his neck; his coat and waistcoat were buttoned down his back;-and his trowsers, moreover, to match the novel fashion, buttoned behind, and, of course, the hinder parts of them bulged out ridiculously in front!Only to look at the coat-collar fitting under the chin, like a stiff military stock-the four tail buttons of brass glistening conspicuously before, and the front parts of the coat buttoned carefully over his back-the compulsory handiwork of poor Nambo! N, perfectly astounded at our successive shouts of laughter-for we found it impossible to stop-suddenly rose up in his chair, and almost, inarticulate with fury, demanded what we meant by such extraordinary behaviour. This fury, however, was all lost on me; I could only point, in an ecstasy of laughter, almost bordering on frenzy, to his novel mode of dress-as my apology. He stamped his foot, uttered volleys of imprecations against us, and then ringing his bell, ordered the servant to shew us both to the door. The most violent emotions, however, must in time expend their violence, though in the presence of the same exciting cause; and so it was with Mr M-and myself. On seeing how seriously affronted N was, we both sat down, and I entered into examination, my whole frame aching with the prolonged convulsive fits of irrepressible laughter.

sations in which I ever bore part. N's temper was thoroughly soured for some time. He declared that my physic was all a humbug, and a piece of quackery; and the "d-d pudding round his neck," the absurdest farce he ever heard of; he had a great mind to make Nambo eat it, for the pains he had taken in making it, and fastening it on-poor fellow!

It would be in vain to attempt a recital of one of the drollest conver

He

Presently he lapsed into a melancholy reflective mood. He protested that the laws of locomotion were utterly inexplicable to him-a practical paradox; that his volitions as to progressive and retrogressive motion neutralized each other; and the necessary result was, a cursed circumgyratory motion-for all the world like that of a hen that had lost one of its wings! That henceforward he should be compelled to crawl, crab-like, through life, all ways at once, and none in particular. could not conceive, he said, which was the nearest way from one given point to another; in short, that all his sensations and perceptions were disordered and confounded. His situation, he said, was an admirable commentary on the words of St Paul-"But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind." He could not conceive how the arteries and veins of the neck could carry and return the blood, after being so shockingly twisted-or "how the wind-pipe went in," affording a free course to the air through its distorted passage. In short, he said, he was a walking lie! Curious to ascertain the consistency of this anomalous state of feeling, I endeavoured once more to bring his delusion to the test of simple sensation, by placing one hand on his nose, and the other on his breast, and asking him which was which, and whether both did not lie in the same direction; he wished to know why I persisted in making myself merry at his expense. I repeated the question, still keeping my hands in the same position; but he suddenly pushed them off, and asked me, with indignation, if I was not ashamed to keep his head looking over his shoulder in that way-accompanying the words with a shake of the head, and a sigh of exhaustion, as if it had really been twisted round

into the wrong direction. "Ah!" he exclaimed, after a pause, "if this unnatural state of affairs should prove permanent-hem!-I'll put an end to the chapter! He-he-he! He-hehe!" he continued, bursting suddenly into one of those short abrupt laughs, which I have before attempted to describe. "He-he-he! how d-d odd!" We both asked him, in surprise, what he meant, for his eyes were fixed on the fire in apparently a melancholy mood.

"He-he-he! exquisitely odd, by G- He-he-he!" After repeated enquiries, he disclosed the occasion of his unusual cachinnations. "I've just been thinking," said he, suppose-He, he, he!-suppose it was to come to pass that I should be hanged-he, he, he! God forbid, by the way; but, suppose I should, how old Ketch would be puzzled!—my face looking one way, and my tied hands and arms pointing another! How the crowd would stare! He, he, he! And suppose," pursuing the train of thought, "I were to be publicly whipped-how I could superintend operations! And how the devil am I to ride on horseback, eh? with my face to the tail, or to the mane? In short, what is to be come of me? I am, in effect, shut out from society!"

"You have only to walk circumspectly," said M; "and as for back-biters-hem.'

"That's odd-very-but impertinent," replied the hypochondriac, with a mingled expression of chagrin and humour.

"Come, come, N-, don't look so steadily on the dark side of things," said I.

"The dark side of things?" he enquired-"I think it is the back-side of things I am compelled to look

at!"

"Look forward to better days," said I.

"Look forward, again! What nonsense!" he replied, interrupting me; "impossible! How can I look forward? My life will henceforth be spent in wretched retrospectives!" and he could not help smiling at the conceit. Having occasion during the conversation to use his pocket-handkerchief, he suddenly reached his hand behind as usual, and was a little confused to find that the usual

position of his coat-pocket required that he should take it from before! This I should have conceived enough to put an end to his delusion, but I was mistaken.

"Ah! it will take some time to reconcile me to this new order of things

but practice-practice,you know!" It was amazing to me, that his sensations, so contradictory to the absurd crotchet he had taken into his head, did not convince him of his error, especially when so frequently compelled to act in obedience to long accustomed impulses. As, for instance, on my rising to go, he suddenly started from his chair, shook my hands, and accompanied me to the door, as if nothing had been the

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He did not persevere long in the absurd way of putting on his clothes which I have just described; but even after he had discontinued it, he alleged his opinion to be, that the front of his clothes ought to be with his face! I might relate many similar fooleries springing from this notion of his turned head, but sufficient has been said already to give the reader a clear idea of the general character of such delusions. My subsequent interviews with him, while under this unprecedented hallucination, were similar to the two which I have attempted to describe. The fit lasted near a month. I happened luckily to recollect a device successfully resorted to bya sagacious old English physician, in the case of a royal hypochondriac abroad, who fancied that his nose had swelled into greater dimensions than those of his whole body beside; and forthwith resolved to adopt a similar method of cure with N. Electricity was to be the wonder-working talisman! I lectured him out of all opposition, silenced his scruples, and got him to fix an evening for the exorcisation of the evil spirit-as it might well be called-which had taken possession of him. Let the reader fancy, then, N's sittingroom, about seven o'clock in the evening, illuminated with a cheerful

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