New Ulm weekly review., 1879-10-22

to disease, it is not surprising that it
should be one Of the most common causes
Of the attack and spread Of epidemics.
There is an Eastern apologize which
describes . stranger on the road meet
ing the Plague coming out Of Bagdad.
s. You have been committing great
havoc there" !" said the traveller, pointing
to the city. Not so great" replied
the Plague; 81 only killed one-third
Of those WHO died, the other two-t thirds
killed themselves with fright
Fear, by rendering those subjected
to its depressing effects peculiarly SEN
:sible to all morbific, influences, not on
" greatly predisposes to any prevail
ing ailment, whatever it may be, but
will actually become in itself q specific
cause Of disease. The mere dread of
certain affections, when the emotion is
intense and long continued, will pro-
duce the very diseases feared. The
continued objection of anxious thought
to any part of the body will cause an
!nordinate flow to it of what is called
the nervous energy, the power of which
is certain, though its nature still re-
mains hidden, and thus derange the
function and finally disorganize the
structure of the particular organ of
which it may be the object. The heart,
the liver, brain, ETC., are especially liza
BILE to be thus affected, and some of the
most serious forms of the diseases of
these vital organs are found to have
no other origin than senseless fear of
their existence. The demon so per-
sistently invoked by the frightened i'm
agination comes at last with all his re-
alitY of mischief.
Without. moreover, the perverse
fancies just spoken Of, fear often pro.
duces in persons of delicate, and some.
times even in those of robust constitu-
ton, diseases of such organs of the
body as are particularly liable to feel
the influence of this depressing emo
tion. Susceptible women and young
children frequently become victims of
fatal heart-disease from continued ex-
posure to causes of fright. The daily
dread awakened by dissipated and
violent husband has broken the heart
of many tender wife, not metephoric-
ally only, but literally, by destroying
the natural structure of that organ.
Children have been tortured into the
same fate by the ever-recurring fear of
a cruel parent or tyrannical master.
Many of the ailments of early child
hood may be traced to the perpetual
fright caused by it's being left alone in
the darkness, which its own imagina-
ton or the stupidity ofsome nurse has
made terrible with visions of ghosts
and hobgoblins.
In the progress of a disease, pro-
duced by whatever cause originally,
fear is always observed to have most
unfavorable influence. It will not only
intensity and prolong the illness, but
often turn it to a fatal result. Nothing
is regarded by doctors as so discour-
aging a symptom as the abiding fear
on the part of the patient of a mortal
termination to his disease.
The lessons to be learned from the
facts which prove indubitably the great
influence of fear in causing and exas-
perating disease are obvious. During
the prevalence of epidemics everything
should be done to encourage public
confidence and prevent the creation of
panic. All the means which modern
hygiene offers with such assurances of
safety should be diligently and thor
oughly used, both by municipal author
tiles and private individuals, that the
obvious causes of disease may be de-
stroyed. By thus removing all occa-
sion for rational fear, there will be less
chance of the rise of senseless alarms.
In regard to those imaginary concep-
tions of attacks of disease which are
apt to engender the reality, all ten
dency to such morbid fancies should be
studiously checked, and every effort
made to divert the mind from the self
inflicting pestilence of its own thoughts.
Where fear is awakened by brutal
cruelty and ignorance, which even a
consciousness of it's fatal effects will not
check, there seems no other protection
for the tender victims of vice and stu
pidity than an appeal to the law.
The anxious fears of patient in the
course of his malady, whatever it may
be, are best relieved by the firm and
confident bearing of his physician and
attendants. Long faces, weeping eyes
and solemn tones of voice should be
banished from every sick-room, and re-
served for the funeral, should that be
the immediate result, as it is sure to
be, alas! sooner or later, the closign
scene of all.-Haaper' Bazar.