[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。