mental disease the physician looks
for delusions, illusions, and hallucinations.

A delusion is a false belief, concerning which the individual who holds
it is unable to admit evidence such as would be admitted by ordinary
individuals.

An illusion is a deception of the senses, a misinterpretation of sensory
impressions; the normal person can be convinced of this deception. The
mirage, for example, is an optical illusion which has a starting point
in an external stimulus.

A hallucination is a deception of any of the five senses, in which there
is no starting point but it is fabricated in a disordered mind.
Illustrations of hallucinations are the hearing of voices when none are
present, smelling of odors, the seeing of visions in a vacuum.

With the elementary understanding of fundamental symptoms of mental
diseases as a point of departure, let us consider the cases of Mohammed,
Jesus, and Moses, three of the most influential prophets in the history
of civilization.

MOHAMMED

Of the three, Mohammed should be considered before the others for
several reasons. First, there is no question regarding the actual
existence of Mohammed. We know that he was born at Mecca about 571 A.D.
and died at Medina on June 8th, 632 A.D. From the facts of his life and
the religion which he founded we are able to see the manner in which
legend and superstition were superimposed on its original simple form.
The historical records of his life and teachings are easier of access
since he is nearer our time than the other two prophets, and we can get
a better understanding of his character.

It was Gibbon who said, "It may be expected that I should balance his
faults and his virtues, that I should decide whether the title of
enthusiast or impostor more properly belongs to that extraordinary
man.... At the distance of twelve centuries, I darkly contemplate his
shade through a cloud of incense."

In attempting to peer through this cloud of religious incense we find
the following facts: In the city of Mecca, probably in August, in the
year 571, Mohammed, the Prophet of Allah, was born. There seems little
doubt that he was descended from those lofty Koreish, whose opposition,
which at first nearly succeeded in holding his name in perpetual
oblivion, eventually caused him to emerge into the light of deathless
fame.

His birth was surrounded by all manner of signs and omens, we are told.
The labor of his mother, Amina, was entirely painle