Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-12
THEIR AILNIENT.
interviewed by tho Gazette Phys''''"
Gives Away Some Of the secrets
.f His Patients.

A few days ago reporter vi w
| q AzETrE had occasion to VISIT q Well,
known physician of this city, ana
during the visit very full and irees
conversation ensued on the subject oil
The general ailments of mankind,
"You ask If | have many calls NJ
This season." said the physician. ~, mf es,
about rs many rs at any other lhele
il really much less sickness now IMAM
there has been for the past six months
mt there are rs many calls as during
the worst part Of the summer Many
of my best customers are oil the pseudo
sick kind. During the summer they
are of ut the springs or somewhere
else. and don't miss them, us l
have a-plenty to do anyway. But now
that the genuine sick are scarce, THESE
parties come in very handiiy."
"Wbat do you mean by the pseudo
sick. doctor?i questioned the reporter.
"Oh, those who imagine themselves
sick, but are really not. Yes, they are
very large class, my young friend;
Why, the large majority OF MANKIND
are Impressed with the idea that they
are afflicted with some disease. Iney
generally get the notion from what
thew have read or heard. The med
ical student just beginning his
course of study imagines himself
n victim of the first disease whose
SYMPTOMS he studies. After he has
| made some progress, however, he grad
uaily loses the impression, though II
sometimes takes years OF constant IN,
hibition to Danish the dread inspired
by the reading. have n number OF
patients that ! see every day or Two
that have nothing in the world the
matter with them. They don't seen
TO believe it, though tell them so ire
qucntly. Every one has his hobby
his particular ailment, though some
| have in their different moods diliereh
diseases. When go to see them they
tell me all about it, and | listen very
patiently of course, and after they fin
| ish | give them Il prescription torsome
thing entirely harmless, but having NJ
particular virtue. If didn't prescribe
they would get mad ut me. My visits
really do them good though, for wha
they want is to talk to somebody. /
gives them relief to talk freely abou
these things, and anybody but thei
physician would laugh at them. NJ,
conscience is easy after telling then
freely there's nothing the matter will
them. Can't afford to deny them
prescription upon their insistance
Heart disease is the most universe
hobby, and consumption comes neXl
1t is very easy fora person to imagin
that he has heart disease, Cor the pulsa
tons are often affected by tempera
mental conditions, y per:o
gives his liver u very heavy piece {
work to do, it strives TO perform Il
and must call the blood from all qual
ters to its help. The heart, which
the great steam engine of the system
missing its supply responds ieebly {
irrcgularly. Heart disease. A la
atmosphere is hreathed, the lungs di
cover ii and communicate ii to I'll
heart, and consumption or heal
disease is the cry. Ive seen many
man that imagined he had the hea
disease live to n ripe age. 1t Is som
| times the case that j am called upon
1 examine men for insurance. They e
1 me freely that they have the hea
G disease. but | know better. When
| give them certificates they smile We
) benignly as if they are sure they'N
| got good thing. Diseases are ofte
: induced by constant thinking aboI
them, especially when ones habits II
deleterious to the constitution. The
is such thing as the tobacco hear
caused by the weakening effects of
bacco. There are, too, broken hearts,
reality. This is when the thin wal
of the heart give way at n sudden
strong rush Of blood caused by eXeit
ment.N
do your pseudo sick, rs you ca
them, pay well?'
"They are as good paying as / hay
l The physicians experience in rega
: to gratitude is not very encor
9 ageing to optimism, In many eases
e n bill is to be collected Mt all
: must be very soon aft
!. the recovery of the patient. Gratitu
; decreases inversely MS the square of
o distance from recovery. If everybo
$ paid his doctors bill, physical
could well afford to put down the r,
}, ulation prices for their services
!, What do you think of the heal
of the city of Fort Worth?n
= '"rhere's not healthier town in Il
section. / attribute this largely
the general use of artesian water
drinking purposes. There is really
other cause for disease here than {
$ miserable water of the Trinity. Il
few that use il can not hope to esca