Fouquet died of
excessive joy on being released from prison. A niece of the
celebrated Leibnitz immediately fell dead on seeing a casket of
gold left to her by her deceased uncle.
Galen mentions death from joy, and in comment upon it he says
that the emotion of joy is much more dangerous than that of
anger. In discussing this subject, Haller says that the blood is
probably sent with such violence to the brain as to cause
apoplexy. There is one case on record in which after a death from
sudden joy the pericardium was found full of blood. The
Ephemerides, Marcellus Donatus, Martini, and Struthius all
mention death from joy.
Death from violent laughter has been recorded, but in this
instance it is very probable that death was not due to the
emotion itself, but to the extreme convulsion and exertion used
in the laughter. The Ephemerides mentions a death from laughter,
and also describes the death of a pregnant woman from violent
mirth. Roy, Swinger, and Camerarius have recorded instances of
death from laughter. Strange as it may seem, Saint-Foix says that
the Moravian brothers, a sect of Anabaptists having great horror
of bloodshed, executed their condemned brethren by tickling them
to death.
Pages:
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044
1045
1046
1047
1048