Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-16
,ter P. Loomis, of the firm of Loomis &
Female Authorizations. rFrnnn tha British Msdinal In11rnaI


 Recent circumstances [the case of Lady Florence Dixie have directed attention to certain remarkable delusions to which fe- males of unstable nervous equilibrium are subject either through hysteria or through similar disorders of the nervous system. Charcot and Bonneville give instances of the extraordinary self-deceptions that are ire quent among hysterical patients. Dr. Le- grand du SauHe, physician to the Salpetriere, Paris, describes in his standard work, 'Les HysteriQues," :" some remarkable cases of hallu- cination, where females labored under the belief that they had been struck or stabbed by others, even after having inflicted blows and wounds upon themselves. In one in stance young woman was found by her husband lying on the floor of her room in 8 fainting fit her face covered with blood. On reyi7ing from her swoon she stated that she had been attacked by armed men the Paris newspapers related the case, and within three weeks two similar events occurred in the French metropolis. All these cases proved to be fabricated by the supposed victims. A young girl wounded herself slightly with pistol. She gave the police authorities the most minute details about an imaginary ss- sassin, who, according to her account, fired the weapon, but she was found to be highly hysterical, and it was proved that she had willfully wounded herself. In 0 third case in Dr. Du Saulle's experience, 8 young wo
 
 in the left side. The incident caused great excitement, but it was proved, contrary to her assertions, that she had inflicted the wound herself, and was hysterical subject A housemaid was found lying behind a door, bound, gagged and covered with bruises She stated that she had been brutally attacked by two burglars with blackened faces but she was highly hysterical woman, and there appears to have been strong evidence that she had contrived to tic her own hands, and to gag and bruise herself. Perhaps the strangest case of all occurred in NJ. Tar dieu's practice. young lady, living at Courbevoie, wished to make herself an ob. ject of public interest by passing as a victim of political conspiracy, which she pretend ed to have discovered One night she was found in state of the greatest mental per turbation at the door of her apartment. She could not talk, but stated in writing that she had been attacked outside her own house by man, who had attempted to garrote her, at the same time striking her twice with dag ger. Only tho lady's clothing was injured, 4 and the body of her dress and her corset \ were found to be cut through, but at differ ent levels. She tried to make out that the \ attempt at strangulation had caused dumb \ ness. M. Tardieu remaI ked in her hearing that this infrmity rapidly disappeared when produced under circumstances of this kind She soon managed to regain her speech, and K in short time admitted hat the whole mar rative had been developed out of her inner ' consciousness. Eccentricity in relatives is ever strongly presumptive of self deception when a female makes any statement or \ charges of ill-treatment of any kind. The \ constant fear of assassination, especially if \ based on reasonable grounds, is particularly \ liable to predispose nervous or excitable sub jects to extraordinary delusions of this kind.