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OF THE PASSIONS.

But the gradual effects of fear prove most hurtful.The constant dread of some future evil, by dwellingupon the mind, often occasions the very evil itself.Hence it comes to pass that so many die of those verydiseases of which they long had a dread, or which hadbeen impressed on their minds by some accident, orfoolish prediction. This, for example, is often the casewitli women in child-bed. Many of those who die inthat situation are impressed with the notion of theirdeath a long time before it happens; and there is rea-son to believe that this impression is often the causeof it.

The methods taken to impress the minds of womenwith the apprehensions of the great pain and peril ofchild-birth, are very hurtful. Few women die in labour,though many lose their lives after it; which may bethus accounted for. A woman, after delivery, findingherself weak and exhausted, immediately apprehendsshe is in danger; but this fear seldom fails to obstructthe necessary evacuations, upon which her recoverydepends. Thus the sex often fall a sacrifice to theirown imaginations, when there would be no danger, didthey apprehend none.

It seldom happens, that two or three women in agreat town die in child-bed, but their death is followedby many others. Every woman of their acquaintancewho is with-child, dreads the same fate, and the diseasebecomes epidemical, by the mere force of imagination.This should induce pregnant women to despise fear,and by all means to avoid those tattling gossips whoare continually buzzing in their ears the misfortunesof others. Every thing that may in the least alarm apregnant or child-bed woman, ought with the greatestcare to be guarded against.

Many women have lost their lives in child-bed bythe old superstitious custom, still kept up in most partsof Britain, of tolling the parish-bell for every personwho dies. People who think themselves in danger, arevery inquisitive; and if they come to know that the belltolls for one who died in the same situation with them-selves, what must be the consequence? At any rate thev