Case 343. (Rows, April, 1916.)
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Southard, Elmer Ernest
A soldier and a comrade were carrying a pail of water to the trenches. It was very cold and they set down the pail in order to warm their hands. The comrade placed his hand against the man’s cheek and said, “That hand is cold.” At that moment he was shot dead.
This incident was involved not only in dreams at night, but in the daytime too, if he were quiet and closed his eyes, he could feel the cold hand against his face.
He was troubled at the same time by another dream, in which he ran down a narrow lane at the bottom of which there was a well. He dipped his hands into the water, but on withdrawing them, he was horrified to find they were covered with blood. This dream was connected with a love affair, in which a good friend interfered and angered him so much that he attacked him when next they met. He left him on the ground so injured that it was necessary to take him to a hospital. The patient became anxious as to what the result might be and left the district. He traveled, but never heard whether his victim had died.
When these two dreams were traced back to their origin they disappeared: the patient made a rapid recovery and was able afterwards to bear a severe trial satisfactorily.
See remarks under Case 342.