The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-01
PhlIosophy OF Painting.


real aud the counterfeit. Many danes
either affect the one or are affected by
the other. The apparent symptoms of
both are similar; but In the genuine the
patient suffers herself, while in the
false she causes others To suffer. This
latter form OF the malady Is familiar to
most tender husbands of'the henpecked
order, whose wives are liable to u severe
attack on the least Indication of a
tightening OF the purse strings, be-
tween which and the female constltu-
ton there seems to be strong sympa-
thy. Tho smallest constitution ofthe
former is accompanied by a cores
pondiug arrangement of the latter, and
closed purse and a restrained expen-
diture are followed Immediately by a
structure of the chest, u diminished
circulation OF the blood, and other
symptoms of a well-gOt-up fainting fit.
A remarkable case, successfully
treated, may be found recorded in the
Taller. A fine lady was married to a
gentleman who had connubial tender
ness to II weakness. She determined to
profit by 1t, and therefore took upon
herself to govern her husband by fall
ing into fainting fits whenever she was
refused any thing or contradicted. She
made her first trial at dinner. While
eating the fish she made signs that she
had swallowed a bone. The man grew
pale as ashes, and ran to her assistance,
calling for water. mo, my DEAR"
be frightened" This was sufficient
proof of her husbands softness, and she
now went confidently TO work. On the
next day she complained that her
neighbours chariot was more stylish
than her own. Her husband answered.:
know have lost two coach-horses this
spring" Down she fell. "Hartshorn!
Betsy! Susan! Alicel throw water in her
face" With much care she was atlast
brought to herself, and new carriage
Immediately bought by her husband to
prevent relapses of the fainting-f fits.
Chese, however, continued 10 occur
until her husband had the good fortune
to escape further suffering by death.
The widow married again, and tried
the fainting-hts upon her second hus-
band. he, however, proved 10 be of
sterner stuff than his predecessor. One
day it happened that discourse arose
about furniture. he was glad of the
occasion, and stouuy declared that he
would never lay out more of his money
for any fashionable gewgaws. His wife
Immediately tainted. He chafes her
face, bends forward, and beats the palms
of her hands. Her commissions in
crease. and down she tumbles on the
floor, where she lies quite dead, in spite
of what the whole family, from the
nursery to the kitchen, could do for her
relief.
While every servant was thus help
ing or lamenting their mistress. the
husband, fixing his cheek to hers, Sc
cretly whispered to her, MY dear, this
will never do; what is within my power
and fortune you may always command;
but none OF your articles. You are
quitein other hands now than those of
Vour former husband" This almost
put her in the condition she pretended,
and the fainttng fits came thicker. The
kind man redoubies his care, helps the
servants to throw water In her face by
full quarts, and when the sinking was
at the worst, said, "Well, my dear, I
must take my leave of you till you are
more sincere with me. Farewell forev-
err" With that he ordered the maids
to keep plying tho hartshorn,
and went away. He had hardly
got TO the head of the stairs
when his wife came after him, and
pulling him aside, thanked him for her
cure. 1880
|. The genuine faintlng III Is a more se-
rious affair, aud would not be readily
assumed by any woman, not even for
acashmere shawl or a new chariot and
pair.
Painting, or syncope, as the doctors
technically term 1t, has for Its 1mmedi-
ate cause sudden diminution of the
action of the heart. Hence the famil-
lar symptoms of a death-like paleness
and GOODNESS of the whole surface of
the body, ringing of the ears, sickness
of the stomach, confusion of thought,
loss of voluntary power. and finally
.IRkr
The exciting causes OF falnting are, as
is we'll known, very numerous. Excess.
sive pain, sudden loss of blood, or
any discharge from The body which
may produce instantaneous weakness,
great fatigue, intense heat, prolonged
excitement, and almost any depressing
emotion of the mind, as fear, disap-
,pointment, grief, and the rest, will
bring on a faintIng-tit. The manner of
action of these various exciting causes
may be different, but they will finally
result in producing the same depress-
ing effect upon the heart.
AL persons are by no means equally
liable to faint. While there are many
who pass their whole lives without any
personal experience, there are others
with whom 1t is-almost daily occur
renee. Original constitution may
have something to do with this
difference, and there is no doubt
that a very delicate nervous sensi-
bility predisposes to fits of faintinR.
Thus 1t is that women are more liable
than men, not only to the false but the
genuine. Making all due allowance
for natural predisposition, there can be
no doubt that most of the feminine
fainting Is attributed to artificial caus-l
es. The excessive sensibility to i'm
pressions, or nervousness, as 1t is COM
monty called, SO favorable to a fit of
aUnRnn9 dine. In ninntU.nfna naaH9
out of hundred, to a disobedience of
the laws of health, 1t is not surprising
that orr danes Of waxen structure
thus subside in daily faint but it is
remarkable that, unSubstantial as they
are, they should survive to undergo Il
repetition of the vanishing process.
So familiar, unfortunately, is the Or
binary fainting.fit that most ftweIl-reg-
ulated families" are provided with all
the means and appliances for its prop
er treatment. There Is, however, one
remedy, the most essential of all, which
enerallY escapes the vulgar expert
ence. The smelling-salts, the harts-
horn, the dash of wates, the sal. UoIdtiEe.
and the glass of wine are all very we'll
in their places but these are far less
Important than the simple process of
letting the patient take the position she
naturally assumes, Of lying upon her
back, with her head somewhat lower
than her chest. The fit has for its cause
weakness of the heart, and the
graVest symptoms arise from the
fact that the brain Is In consequence
of blood. To aid the diminished force
of the circulation, It Is necessary to
give it the benefit of grayitation. which
Is done by letting the head fall below
the chest, SO that the current, flowing
from the heart In the latter, may be