B971 <=> B973 [BTG XLII Beelzebub in America, p. 972]

“Even their weight did not diminish. Only after five months did its harmful effect begin to be evident in the common presence of a being in the gradual weakened functioning of certain perceptive organs and of the manifestations of their so to say ableness and sensitiveness. For example, their voices would grow weaker, and their sight, hearing, and so on, worse. Furthermore, in several of them from the beginning of the derangement of these being-functions, changes were observed in their common psychic state.

“In the document composed by these brethren, there was among other things, a lengthy description of the changes in the character of beings after five months’ use of this remarkable preparation of Asiman, and, in illustration, some very excellent and apt comparisons were given.

“Although the examples themselves which were given for comparison in this document have not remained in my memory, yet thanks to the so to say ‘flavor’ of them which I have retained, I shall be able to give you their purport if I use the language of our respected Mullah Nassr Eddin.

“For example, an ordinary good fellow with a character of as they say one of ‘God’s angels,’ suddenly became as irritable as those of whom our dear Mullah Nassr Eddin once said:

“’He is as irritable as a man who has just undergone full treatment by a famous European nerve specialist.’

“Or again, beings who one day had been as pacific as the little butter ‘lambs’ which the pious place on the festal table at their most important religious feasts, would on the next day get as exasperated as a German professor when some Frenchman, also a professor, discovers something new in contemporary science.