ABSTRACT
The psychic epidemic often develops at meetings, where, owing to conditions of one sort or another, the idea of inescapable mortal danger is induced in a mass of persons. Those who have experienced panic together with others know that this is not simple cowardice, which can be intrinsically overcome through concentration on duty or can be fought through persuasion. Since the instinct of self-preservation is characteristic of animals as well, it is clear then that panic is possible in the animal kingdom. In this case, striking examples of development, under certain conditions, of panics among domestic animals, particularly horses, can be noted. Those panics, called stampedes, lead to consequences no less sad than human panic. There are known examples of whole herds of domestic animals perishing in the sea under the influence of such stampedes. Since panic concerns the instinct of self-preservation, characteristic of everyone, then it develops equally among both intelligent persons and common people.
