[346]SeeCockayne，Leechdoms，Wort-cunning，andStar-CraftofEarlyEnglandintheRollsSeries，vol。ii，p。177；alsopp。355，356。Forthegreatvalueofpriestlysaliva，seeW。W。Story’sessays。
HadthisbeentheworsttreatmentoflunaticsdevelopedinthetheologicalatmosphereoftheMiddleAges，theworldwouldhavebeensparedsomeofthemostterriblechaptersinitshistory；
but，unfortunately，theideaoftheSatanicpossessionoflunaticsledtoattemptstopunishtheindwellingdemon。Asthistheologicaltheoryandpracticebecamemorefullydeveloped，andecclesiasticismmorepowerfultoenforceit，allmildnessbegantodisappear；theadmonitionstogentletreatmentbythegreatpaganandMoslemphysicianswereforgotten，andthetreatmentoflunaticstendedmoreandmoretowardseverity：moreandmoregenerallyitwasfeltthatcrueltytomadmenwaspunishmentofthedevilresidingwithinoractinguponthem。
Afewstrongchurchmenandlaymenmadeeffortstoresistthistendency。Asfarbackasthefourthcentury，Nemesius，BishopofEmesa，acceptedthetruthasdevelopedbypaganphysicians，andaidedtheminstrengtheningit。Intheseventhcentury，aLombardcodeembodiedasimilareffort。Intheeighthcentury，oneofCharlemagne’scapitulariesseemstohavehadalikepurpose。Intheninthcentury，thatgreatchurchmanandstatesman，Agobard，ArchbishopofLyons，superiortohistimeinthisasinsomanyotherthings，triedtomakerightreasonprevailinthisfield；and，nearthebeginningofthetenthcentury，Regino，AbbotofPrum，inthedioceseofTreves，insistedontreatingpossessionasdisease。Butallinvain；thecurrentstreamingmostdirectlyfromsundrytextsintheChristiansacredbooks，andswollenbytheology，hadbecomeoverwhelming。[347]
[347]Foraverythoroughandinterestingstatementonthegeneralsubject，seeKirchhoff，BeziehungendesDamonen-undHexenwesenszurdeutschenIrrenpflegeintheAllgemeineZeitschriftfurPsychiatrie，Berlin，1888，Bd。xliv，Heft25。
ForRomanCatholicauthority，seeAddisandArnold，CatholicDictionary，articleEnergumens。Forabriefandeloquentsummary，seeKrefft-Ebing，LehrbuchderPsychiatrie，asabove；
andforaclearviewofthetransitionfrompaganmildnessinthecareoftheinsanetoseverityandcrueltyundertheChristianChurch，seeMaudsley，ThePathologyoftheMind，London，1879，p。
523。SeealsoBuchmann，DieundfreieunddiefreieKirche，Bresleau，1873，p。251。Forothercitations，seeKirchoff，asabove，pp。334-346。ForBishopNemesius，seeTrelat，p。48。ForanaccountofAgobard’sgeneralpositioninregardtothisandalliedsuperstitions，seeReginaldLanePoole’sIllustrationsoftheHistoryofMedievalThought，London，1884。
Thefirstgreattributarypouredintothisstream，asweapproachthebloomoftheMiddleAges，appearstohavecomefromthebrainofMichaelPsellus。Minglingscripturaltexts，Platonicphilosophy，andtheologicalstatementsbygreatdoctorsoftheChurch，withwildutterancesobtainedfromlunatics，hegaveforth，aboutthebeginningofthetwelfthcentury，atreatiseonTheWorkofDemons。Sacredsciencewasvastlyenrichedtherebyinvariousways；buttwoofhisconclusions，theresultsofhismostprofoundthought，enforcedbytheologiansandpopularizedbypreachers，soontookspecialholduponthethinkingportionofthepeopleatlarge。Thefirstofthese，whichheeasilybaseduponScriptureandSt。Basil，wasthat，sincealldemonssufferbymaterialfireandbrimstone，theymusthavematerialbodies；
thesecondwasthat，sincealldemonsarebynaturecold，theygladlyseekagenialwarmthbyenteringthebodiesofmenandbeasts。[348]
[348]SeeBaasandWerner，citedbyKirchhoff，asabove；alsoLecky，RationalisminEurope，vol。i，p。68，andnote，NewYork，1884。AstoBasil’sbeliefinthecorporealityofdevils，seehisCommentaryonIsaiah，cap。i。
Fedbythisstreamofthought，anddevelopedinthewarmatmosphereofmedievaldevotion，theideaofdemoniacalpossessionasthemainsourceoflunacygrewandblossomedandborefruitinnoxiousluxuriance。
Therehad，indeed，comeintotheMiddleAgesaninheritanceofscientificthought。TheideasofHippocrates，CeliusAurelianus，Galen，andtheirfollowers，werefromtimetotimerevived；theArabianphysicians，theSchoolofSalerno，suchwritersasSalicetusandGuydeChauliac，andevensomeofthereligiousorders，didsomethingtokeepscientificdoctrinesalive；butthetideoftheologicalthoughtwastoostrong；itbecamedangerouseventoseemtonamepossiblelimitstodiabolicalpower。TodenySatanwasatheism；andperhapsnothingdidsomuchtofastentheepithet“atheist“uponthemedicalprofessionasthesuspicionthatitdidnotfullyacknowledgediabolicalinterferenceinmentaldisease。Followinginthelinesoftheearlierfathers，St。Anselm，Abelard，St。ThomasAquinas，VincentofBeauvais，allthegreatdoctorsinthemedievalChurch，someoftheminspiteofoccasionalmisgivings，upheldtheideathatinsanityislargelyormainlydemoniacalpossession，basingtheirbeliefsteadilyonthesacredScriptures；andthisbeliefwasfollowedupineveryquarterbymoreandmoreconstantcitationofthetext“Thoushaltnotsufferawitchtolive。”NoothertextofScripture——saveperhapsone——hascausedthesheddingofsomuchinnocentblood。
AswelookoverthehistoryoftheMiddleAges，wedo，indeed，seeanothergrowthfromwhichonemighthopemuch；forthereweretwogreatstreamsofinfluenceintheChurch，andneverweretwopowersmoreunlikeeachother。
OnonesidewasthespiritofChristianity，asitproceededfromtheheartandmindofitsblessedFounder，immenselypowerfulinaidingtheevolutionofreligiousthoughtandeffort，andespeciallyofprovisionforthereliefofsufferingbyreligiousasylumsandtendercare。Nothingbetterexpressesthisthanthetouchingwordsinscribeduponagreatmedievalhospital，“Christoinpauperibussuis。”Butontheothersidewasthetheologicaltheory——proceeding，aswehaveseen，fromthesurvivalofancientsuperstitions，andsustainedbyconstantreferencetothetextsinoursacredbooks——thatmany，andprobablymost，oftheinsanewerepossessedbythedevilorinleaguewithhim，andthatthecrueltreatmentoflunaticswassimplypunishmentofthedevilandhisminions。Bythiscurrentofthoughtwasgraduallydevelopedoneofthegreatestmassesofsuperstitiouscrueltythathaseverafflictedhumanity。AtthesametimethestreamofChristianendeavour，sofarastheinsanewereconcerned，wasalmostentirelycutoff。InallthebeautifulprovisionduringtheMiddleAgesforthealleviationofhumansuffering，therewasfortheinsanealmostnocare。Somemonasteries，indeed，gavethemrefuge。WehearofacharitableworkdoneforthemattheLondonBethlehemHospitalinthethirteenthcentury，atGenevainthefifteenth，atMarseillesinthesixteenth，bytheBlackPenitentsinthesouthofFrance，bycertainFranciscansinnorthernFrance，bytheAlexianBrothersontheRhine，andbyvariousagenciesinotherpartsofEurope；but，curiouslyenough，theonlyreallyimportanteffortintheChristianChurchwasstimulatedbytheMohammedans。Certainmonks，whohadmuchtodowiththeminredeemingChristianslaves，foundinthefifteenthcenturywhatJohnHowardfoundintheeighteenth，thattheArabsandTurksmadealargeandmercifulprovisionforlunatics，suchaswasnotseeninChristianlands；andthisexampleledtobetterestablishmentsinSpainandItaly。
Allhonourtothisworkandtothemenwhoengagedinit；but，asarule，theseestablishmentswerefewandpoor，comparedwiththoseforotherdiseases，andtheyusuallydegeneratedinto“mad-houses。”wheredevilswerecastoutmainlybycruelty。[349]
[349]Foraveryfullandlearned，ifsomewhatone-sided，accountoftheearliereffectsofthisstreamofcharitablethought，seeTollemer，DesOriginesdelaChariteCatholique，Paris，1858。Itisinstructivetonotethat，whilethisbookisveryfullinregardtotheactionoftheChurchonslaveryandonprovisionforthewidowsandorphans，thesick，infirm，captives，andlepers，thereishardlyatraceofanycarefortheinsane。ThissamewantisincidentallyshownbyatypicalexampleinKriegk，Aerzte，HeilanstaltenundGeisteskrankeimmittelalterlichenFrankfurt，Frankfurta。M。，1863，pp。16，17；alsoKirschhof，pp。
396，397。Onthegeneralsubject，seeSemelaigne，asabove，p。
214；alsoCalmeil，vol。i，pp。116，117。FortheeffectofMuslemexampleinSpainandItaly，seeKrafft-Ebing，asabove，p。
45，note。
ThefirstmainweaponagainsttheindwellingSatancontinuedtobetheexorcism；butundertheinfluenceofinferencesfromScripturefartherandfartherfetched，andoftheologicalreasoningmoreandmoresubtle，itbecamesomethingverydifferentfromthegentleprocedureofearliertimes，andsomedescriptionofthisgreatweaponatthetimeofitshighestdevelopmentwillthrowlightonthelawswhichgovernthegrowthoftheologicalreasoning，aswellasuponthemainsubjectinhand。
Afundamentalpremiseinthefullydevelopedexorcismwasthat，accordingtosacredScripture，amaincharacteristicofSatanispride。Prideledhimtorebel；forpridehewascastdown；
thereforethefirstthingtodo，indrivinghimoutofalunatic，wastostrikeafatalblowathispride，——todisgusthim。
Thistheorywascarriedoutlogically，totheletter。Thetreatisesonthesubjectsimplyastoundonebytheirwealthofblasphemousandobsceneepithetswhichitwasallowablefortheexorcisttouseincastingoutdevils。TheTreasuryofExorcismscontainshundredsofpagespackedwiththevilestepithetswhichtheworstimaginationcouldinventforthepurposeofoverwhelmingtheindwellingSatan。[350]
[350]ThesaurusExorcismorumatqueConjurationumterribilium，potentissimorum，efficacissimorum，cumPRACTICAprobatissima：
quibusspiritusmaligni，DaemonesMaleficiaqueomniadeCorporibushumanisobsessis，tanquamFlagellisFustibusquefugantur，expelluntur，……Cologne，1626。ManyofthebooksoftheexorcistswereputuponthevariousindexesoftheChurch，butthis，therichestcollectionofall，andincludingnearlyallthosecondemned，wasnotprohibiteduntil1709。Scarcelylessstartlingmanualscontinuedevenlaterinuse；andexorcismsadaptedtoeveryemergencymayofcoursestillbefoundinalltheBenedictionalsoftheChurch，eventhelatest。Asanexample，seetheManualeBenedictionum，publishedbytheBishopofPassauin1849，ortheExorcismusinSatanam，etc。，issuedin1890bythepresentPope，andnowonsaleattheshopofthePropogandainRome。
Someofthosedecentenoughtobeprintedinthesedegeneratedaysranasfollows：
“Thoulustfulandstupidone，……thouleansow，famine-strickenandmostimpure，……thouwrinkledbeast，thoumangybeast，thoubeastofallbeaststhemostbeastly，……thoumadspirit，……
thoubestialandfoolishdrunkard，……mostgreedywolf，……mostabominablewhisperer，……thousootyspiritfromTartarus！……Icasttheedown，OTartareanboor，intotheinfernalkitchen！……
Loathsomecobbler，……dingycollier，……filthysowscrofastercorata，……perfidiousboar，……enviouscrocodile，……
malodorousdrudge，……woundedbasilisk，……rust-colouredasp，……swollentoad，……entangledspider，……lousyswine-herdporcariepedicose，……lowestofthelow，……cudgelledass。”etc。
But，inadditiontothisattempttodisgustSatan’spridewithblackguardism，therewasanothertoscarehimwithtremendouswords。Forthispurpose，thunderousnames，fromHebrewandGreek，wereimported，suchasAcharon，Eheye，Schemhamphora，Tetragrammaton，Homoousion，Athanatos，Ischiros，Aecodes，andthelike。[351]
[351]SeetheConjuratioonp。300oftheThesaurus，andthegeneraldirectionsgivenonpp。251，251。
Effortswerealsomadetodrivehimoutwithfilthyandrank-smellingdrugs；and，amongthosewhichcanbementionedinaprintedarticle，wemaynameasafoetida，sulphur，squills，etc。，whichweretobeburnedunderhisnose。
Stillfurthertoplaguehim，picturesofthedevilweretobespatupon，trampledunderfootbypeopleoflowcondition，andsprinkledwithfoulcompounds。
Buttheseweremerelypreliminariestotheexorcismproper。Inthisthemostprofoundtheologicalthoughtandsacredscienceoftheperiodculminated。
Mostofitsformswerechildish，butsomerisetoalmostMiltonicgrandeur。Asanexampleofthelatter，wemaytakethefollowing：
“BytheApocalypseofJesusChrist，whichGodhathgiventomakeknownuntohisservantsthosethingswhichareshortlytobe；
andhathsignified，sendingbyhisangel，……Iexorciseyou，yeangelsofuntoldperversity！
“Bythesevengoldencandlesticks，……andbyonelikeuntotheSonofman，standinginthemidstofthecandlesticks；byhisvoice，asthevoiceofmanywaters；……byhiswords，`Iamliving，whowasdead；andbehold，Iliveforeverandever；andIhavethekeysofdeathandofhell，’Isayuntoyou，Depart，O
angelsthatshowthewaytoeternalperdition！”