Litchfield enquirer., 1853-11-24
[Br nrouEsr.1
From the Puriia,s Recorder.
HEBDOMADAL HYDROPnOprA.

of disease, extensively and fearfully
 prevalent in our land but concerning
 which. the medical men have not written, so far as am conyervant with their books --and to which disease belongs the name above written. To save your readers the
 trouble of looking in the dictionary for definitions of tke words, will give free translation of them, as meaning in plain English. seyean dag horror Of waier. .--
 Through some very mysterious cause or concurrence of circumstances, it SO hap- pens that " the Sabbath or Lords day. 1" is the time of the principal prevalence of this very singular disehse.
 The symptoms are such as the follow~ ing 1.-The patient. early on every Sab bath morning, begins 10 manifest an un. accountable inclination to sec what the weather is. or is going to bc. for tho day especially to ascertain whether tkere be not, somewhere. under the whole heavens. l" . little cloud as big as mans hand." If the patient discovers such thing, still more, if he discovers clouds to the number of three. five, dozen or more. as big as pocket handkerchief ;; much more if F4s Y The dawn is overcast, the morning lowers,
 And heavily in clouds leads on the day '
 and above all, if there be the fall of ac- tual and nndeniable rain drops. tor snow in win,e') few or many the patient man. ifests great apprehensions and dread of the dangers ofgoing ont on :" said day." in exposure 10 dampness Or vet. This fear and horror of water are not at all allayed. by the palient'a being reminded that he or she has at command plenty of oyercoats. cloaks. shawls. man,illas. um-l brellas. gum-elastics, &c. &c. For the dread of rain or snow, or of mist the thinest, or even of fog the most delicate and harmless. is such in the patient, that he sits down 10 breakfast with the con-l clusion almost ilremoyably fixed, that he cannot go out to church on that day.
 IL should be here observed. however, that these symptoms are no. atall attend :. ed with those which appear in genuine mad dog hydrophobia.. Thepalient does not roth tt the month nor bite any thing. butshis breakfast. dirner and sup.
 per, which Lc generally does with as good |s guslo as on any other day in the seven. There is no furious ruoning. nor bowling ;; nor are there any nervous spasms or tie. n,ors; nothing unnaiural in the cast of the countenance. oi in the appearance cf the tongue, or in the beating of the pulse i--noT anything like an unnaturaltenden> Icy of the blood 10 tho brain or to the heart. Nor has the patient any accom- spaBying antiquities or revulsions against face and hands washing, or water drinks ing. or water bathing, or indeed. the whole length practice of hydropathy.-- In short. on this unfortunate seventh or. Sabbath. or Lords day. he has no fear of most water contingencies ]; but to sec . d,op of ram fall anywhere in the vi cinity; or from . cloud over another town or state or to observe n dlizzle or shower the most gentle and refresh. ing to tho earth, begeis in him q most mysterious shrinking from any out door movement in the line of place of pub
 lic christian worship. His nervous sys- tenn isas calm and quiet, as on Monday or any other day unless lle happens 10 experience in the course of the day, an occasional twinge of conscience. In short, the patient can eat. drink. sleep. talk, read slhc newspapers, write letters. plan busi> ness for other days of the seven: and cnn " do all other acts and deeds, men tai ar physical. pertaining to this mum dane sphere, wiih as much calmness. self possession and deliberation as at any oth- er time. This peculiarity also appears, in relation 10 this very singular disease. thai it never lasts much beyond sunset of
 the Sabbath: except the patient happens
 10 hear that some religious service has
 teen appointei for the evening: q lec-
 iure. or monthly concert Of prayer, or .
 conference meeting; in which case. the symptoms of the disease finger atoai him till is is sine for the evening meeting 10
 be out Andat alI events. the patient |isleniirelY free from ihis sort of bydro- phobis by bed time, and he sleeps as sweet as infancy itself on the Saboath night afies the most violent parOxisns of t. Nor does the regular and sevefe re-
 currence Cf this very peculiar disease fifty times q year for lhe whole life Of q pa. tient, appear to produce any unhalancing or undermining sf5ect on the mental or physical system. have known persona who had been susjecs to hebdomadal hy .drOphobia for ten, twenty. llliriy. yes. sor seventy q eighty years, still tc enjoy as good condition of the nervous system aud Of physical keaIili generally. as iho' they had never heard or known of sucli a disease. I have never known q patient to dis Of LebdomsdaI hy drophobia, if hs had iteves so hAd while t sesms gen orally 10 be understood as . ss gone case"
 wilh any peEson uhos has ths regular
 bona-fde mad dog hydrcphohias
 Is should have been observed. that this dsasass1 1is not absolutely ccAfasa to .s the Snhlsnek nf .6rA16 dav fs VI I hata kto an