The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-06-17
HydEophObla a MaladY Ofthe Image
.rg.,.- tnattons vat..

HydrOphObia Malady Ofthe Imag.
i rI... ination. y..s..
tFrom the PhI!a LsdHtr) H .t
Having received within the present
week three letters relating to alleged
deaths form "hYdrophobl0," We infer that
an unusual "state Of mind" on that subject
must be prevailing in some quarters. It
Is very much to be regretted that people
insist on distressing themselves with their
iancies about Q disease concerning which
so much Is said on such slight foundation
In fact. Yet the irrational tear oil hydro
pho6Ia Is widespread, and Il Is this aspect
Of the case that has 10 bedealt with. The
prevalence Of the lear among the revatives
and friends oil those who have had the
misfortune to be nipped or bitten by dog,
reacting on the natural apprehension oi
the victim Of the bite, produces mis-
chleVous effect onthe nerves and tmaginS-
tion Of the sufferer, which eventually
takes on the form ol "hydrophobia." !" d =
Nothing In physiology has been more
thoroughly demonstrated than the iniiu-
ence OF the mind upon the body; the In.
huenee oil the Imagination In causing the
stimulation of disease; the influence OF
mental emoLiol.in causing dangerous tl-
Dess and death. Instances IN which the
hair has been turned gray and even white
within q lew hours BY sudden shock or
great bodily fear might be adduced by
the score. Dr.. b. D. Tuke, In his little
work on that subject, relates an abun-
dance Of them. These are, all phyBical
effects from purely mental causes. Death
itself has been caused by sudden fright,
and It Is said that the oVerpoWering effect
Ol great Joy is nearly as fatal. The illus.
tIiOus Pope Leo y, Is said TO have died
from thi6Alast named cause. There Is q
case, mentioned In the books where q
criminal, who was condemned to be.bled
to death, was handed over TO the doctors
for scientific experiment oiH He was blind
folded and laid upon table; small cuts
were made In his arms, and streams Of
warm fluid were set To- running over his
fesh, near the harmless cuts. The man
gradually sank away into death. he had
not lost ten drops Of blood, but believing
that he was being bled TO death, and i'm
Agining the life current rapidly flowing
from his two arms-he died.
To come back TO "hydrophobia" aHd
the influence Of the Imagination IN pro.
ducing simultatlons ofthat disease, there
Is q case exactly In point. DR.. Chomel,
physician of Lyons, France, who had
been aiding in the dissection Of several
bodies alleged to havebeen victims ol the
dreaded disease, iancied that he had be.
come inoculated with It So much did
he think oil II, and so much was his imag.
ination affected by It, that on attempting
TO drink water he was seized with spasms.
This continued for several days, and, in.
deed, until the persevering arguments OF
his friends convinced him OF the ground.
less character Of his fears, when he con-
quered his Imagination and banished hy-
drophobia by resolving that he did not
have It
DR.. Rush, Of our own city, has record
ed instances Of the power Of the fmagina-
tion In causing the appearance OF disease,
and Of at least one case Of what may be
denominated "RpontAneous" hydropho-
bia. Quite recently three cases Of" the
disease have been reported In Baltimore,
but 1t is not certain whether even one OF
these Is On authentic case Ali these per.
sons were bitten by the same dog, One
of them became alarmingly LII, and died
of what one doctor said was hydropho-
bla, and another said was Mdnid-d-
pOtu. Whilst this one was very III, one OF
his bitten companions called TO see him,
who went away In state OF alarm about
himself, and not long after died with the
usual popular symptoms Of hydrophobla.
Had he been reasoned with as the French
doctor was, he too might have got over
the fright. The third Of these victims OF
the same dog, instead oi giving way toI
fear, went fora doctor, and fortunately
found one who was not afflicted with the |
rabies" oi hydrophobia, and at the last
account was nearly "cured."
The moral of ell this Is, that most
potent remedy for hydrophobis, Is to re-
fuse TO believe in the existence Of the dis.
ease, except as mRlRdy caused by. imAg.
ination. This Is the view OF the matter
taken by some intelligent physicians. Dr..
Marx, Of Gottingen Germany, has given
publicity to his opinion, that the bite Of Q
"mad dog" does not Of itSelf produce even |
the symptoms Of hydrophobia, and il II |
was moi for the common belief, the
spsams and commissions would not take
place he regards what Is called "hydro.
phobiS" is an affection arising from fright
and morbidity, excited Imagination. He
advises that men, women, and especially
shall be trained into disbelief In
the disease; TO have no more fear Of Q dog |
bite than Of any other cut or yHoundi and
10 trust with conddence to the treatment Oh
tho doctor the same as they would for any
other hurt y s'sai55 .se'sriBEI SID