The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-07-13
From the New York Times.l
A Doctors Diluted Delusi0n.


..I. llItCItt u all
1t has been discovered of late years that many
habits and conditions Of the body and mind are
really diseases. First it was ascertained that
tendency on the part of the excited and disap-
pointed woman to howl and throw thingsi is not
a manifes station of bad temper, but a disease
called hysteria. Then drunkenness, thievlDg
and other unpleasant habits were found TO be
diseases with difficult and painful Greek
names. The very latest discovery of this kind
has been made by the distinguished German
homeopathic, Dr. Steinerkopf, whose recent
monograph on "Gynaia, its symptoms and
Treatment" is attracting SO much attention in
medical circles. The eminent physician shows
very conclusively that those peculiarities of
character which cause certain men to be called
effeminate are symptoms which constitute q
disease called by him ''Gynaia." The patient
is timid, exctable, averse to tobacco aud dogs
and, though apparently without much energy
is, nevertheless, wonderfully persistent in
clinging to his own views and compelling other
men to yield to his wishes and whims. "Gy-
naia," remarks DR.. Steinerkopf, "may be brief
ly defined as the simulated existence of fsmi-
LuuIdl 4udllklcS III tuc pcKoOu VI u
With the existence of the disease we are all
familiar, though it has never hitherto occurred
to any man that efeminacy was a real disease.
The fact that it is disease is, however, so
clearly shown by Dr. Steiuerkopf that 1t must
be hereafter conceded. Being firm believer
not only in the universally of the law sinlilid
sinailibus curdntar, but also in the potency of
the very highest dilutions, DR.. Steinerkopf
could not long be in any doubt as to the proper
remedy for E'gynaia." The various symptoms
were by him finally classified as different man
ifestations of effeminacy, or womanliness, and
hence the remedy indicated was womauliness
itself in extremely attenuated doses. Thus far
all was plain aud simple. but how to attain q
sufficiently high dilution Of womanliness was
the next problem. Fortunately a would be ssr-
castle sentence contalne in one of the medical
journals of the old School furnished DIR. Stein
erkopf with an invaluable hint. The journal
in question said Of the fftieth dilntion of
ldcheSiS, "Phis dilution is equal to one drop of
the tincture of the alleged drug diluted with
the whole Atlantic Ocean," Rsading these
words, Dr. Steinerkopf at once saw his way.
The Atlantic Ocean was what he needed.
Could he dilute the whole Atlantic he would
have dilution at least as high as the fftieth
of any other drug, aud probably quite as effica-
cious. No sooner had thus brilliant idea flashed
across the Doctors brain than he, filled his
pockets with phials and started for the nearest
watering-pla Day after day he was OBJ
air OF expectation. 1t was not for several days
that he was able to find what he sought, girl
bathing alone aud enjoying the monopoly Of
the ocean. Tremnlously ssizlng his watch in
one hand and a glass vase 10 another, he waited
for ten minutes to elapse, and then. rushing
into the surf regardless of his shoes and trous-
ers he scooped up a gallon of water and bore 1t
triumphantly to his lodgings. He, had now
the required high dilution of girl, but it was
combined with other undesirable elements. he
therefore removed with great care the sodium,
iodine, ,magnesa, orange peel, ,old boots and other
chemical substances which are found in sea-
water. Thus, after much labor he prepared a
chemically pure remedy, which he bottled and
labelled Puela DomeStica 50tb" He had his
remedy at last, and it only remained to try ITS
efficacy. Following the example OF the devoted
Hahnemann, he proceeded TO prove the new
drug upon himself. A large part OF his mono-
graph-whlch, by the way. ought to be trans
lated and republished here without delay-is
occupied with these drng-provings, and they
are wonderfully interesting. -Four doses taken
at intervals of six hours, produced in the Doc
tors mind vague longing to wear tonnets,
and an uncolquerable tendency to SIT with one
foot doubled under him. Two doses taken at
an interval of eight hours produced distinct
desire for cats, an abnormal interest in the
clothing Of casual ladies who passed under the