The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-04-08
Peculiar Cases.


In recent lecture in Boston, Dr'
Brown Sequard said: a..
In superior animals, and IN 'ne
mammals, particularly, an injury "
the auditory nerve produces also very
frequently, great disorderly move
ments Those phenomena have been
considered as depending on something
else than the irritation of the nerve;
there are semi-circular canals In the
ear which have been considered as
having peculiar power. But L think
the question is clearly decided, for
in frogs we can reach the nerve
without touching at all these SEMI
circular canals, and we produce those
phenomena | have mentioned. 1t is
thus certain that the nerve of audltion
has a power in that way to produce
very disorderly movements,
In man. an affection of this nerve
is frequently followed by the greatest
disorder. | have been called more
than once to see patients who have
been considered as afflicted with
serious affection of the brain, but
who had nothing but an affection of
the auditory nerve, more or less
quickly controlled, and at any rate
not threatening a fatal termination,
as the supposed disease would have
dom. In one of these cases an abscess
in the mastoid bone behind the ear
was the cause of all the trouble. The
ab ;cess was opened, and the patient got
well ] saw the patient at Elmira,
and the able physician who perform
ed the operation, and the cure was
perfect.
There are some other cases which
consist not merely in a disorder in
movement, but also in some disorder
of the mind associated with it.
There are cases in which, through
some irritation, patient will utter
certain words and lot always the
most desirable words. A most cmi-
nent mathematician-One of four or
FIVE most able and ingenious mathe-
maticians of the AGES suffering
from this affection. He is certainly,
; as regards power of mind, above
most men with whom / am acquaint.
ed. But very frequently, under this
affection, a word, and often one which
no man in society ought to utter
will come to his lips. He has some
times the power to contract his lip:
before the sound comes out, so that
; be can be saved the modification o.
being heard. But sometimes it oc
ours with such rapidity that it is ut.
tered fully, and the poor man has the
modification of saying something
that very few educated men would
say. My friend DR. Z. c. Seguir
related the case of a clergyman who
was troubled in this way, and whose
affection took a peculiar form. I'm
mediately after having begun the
Lords draper, after having said 'Oul
Father which art in Heaven he in
variably exclaimed, Let Him stay
there OF course he had TO give ny
: preaching.
! "a lady of the highest nobility il
|, England had to leave court FOR 4
, similar reason. She gave utteranc,
; to the most unpleasant things fol
, people to hear. You are very stu
, pid or this is madness in you AND
she said those things to the Queen OF
! to anybody else, and that quite sud
denly, frequently interrupting a con
/, versation for the purpose. In two o.
these cases. that of the mathematician
, and the lady, both of whom l have
seen, have ascertained that the affec
ton was dependant on the irritation
of certain parts of the stomach anG
bowels.
Once a patient, young lady, was
brought to me by her father NV Of
fee was up stairs at the time. / hap
pened to be down stairs when the
, gentleman came asked him to gc
! up, and told him | would follow in {
few minutes. The father turned Il
,, me and said, Please pay attention.
| did not know what he meant, hut !
said, is your daughter so very i'll 2
oh, no, but Just listen / listened,
and just then the lady called out
Hoo! hoo! hoo!' (imitating peculiar
unreportable tone. in which the sound
was uttered His daughter was af.
ficted with that peculiar trouble
which has no name in science, which
consists in the ejaculation of the sound
of word. Some of these patients,
especially those who are bysterical,
bark like dogs; which has given rise
to the name hysterical barking
There are many other facts which
show that even attacks of the great
convulsive affections may be brought
on by a mere touch, or mere tickling.
When | was lecturing in St. Barthol-
omew's Hospital in 1853, young
patient came to consult me who was
an epileptic, and who could not be
touched in the back part of the head
without having an attack. His fel-
low students there had the cruelty
to press on the back part of his head
very frequently. As he had no
chance in life, he thought, except in
the study of medicine, and as he could
not endure the treatment he received
there, he was thrown into despair
and so committed suicide.
Married af Last.