An Essay on the Incubus, or Night-mare

The essay investigates the disorder commonly called the night-mare, offering a concise history, symptom description, and critical survey of prior explanations ranging from supernatural agency to nervous and circulatory causes. Drawing on the author’s own attacks and accounts from others, it links posture and vascular congestion to transient paralysis, evaluates competing theories, and compiles prognostics and practical suggestions for prevention and treatment. The work is organized as analytical chapters that move from etymology and reported cases to causal argument and remedial recommendations.