The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-04-13
Female ltallucinations.

Recent circumstances have directed stten.
ton to certain remarkable decisions to
which females of unstable, nervous eouili
brium are subject, either through hystcria
or thsough similar disorders Of the nervous
system. Charcot and Bonneville give
instances of extraordinary self deceptions
that are frevuent among hysterlcal
patients. Legrand du Saulle, physician TO
the Salpcterlre, Paris, describes in his
standard work, Lies Hysteriques, some
remarkable cases of hallucination, where
females labored under the belief that they
have been struck or stabbed by others
even after having inflicted blows and
wounds upon themselves. In one instance
young woman was found by her husband
Tying on the il,or of her room in
faintlng fit, her face covered with
blood. On reviving from her swoon
she stated that she had been attacked nv
armed men; the Paris newspapers related
the case, and within three weeks two SINH
lar cases occurred in the French metropolis
All these cases proved to be fabricated by
the supposed victims. A Young rjrl
wounded herself slightly with pistol She
gave the police authorities the most minute
details about an imaginary assassin who
according to her account fired the weapon
but she was found to be highly historical
ana IL was proved that she had wllltully
wounded herself. Ina third case in DR..
DuSaulles experienced young woman was
found in a railroad carriage stabbed in the
lett side. The incident caused great excite
ment, but it was proved, contrary to her as-
scrtions, that she had inflicted the wound
herseli, ana was historical
subject. A housemaid was found
dying behind a donr, bound, gagged,
and covered with bruises, She stated that
she had been brutally attacked by two
burglars with blackcned faces, but she was
highly hysterical woman, and there ap-
pears 10 nave been strong evidence that she
| had contrived to tic her own hands and Ia
gag and bruise herself. Perhaps the
strongest case of all occurred in Nj, Tar
uieu' practice. young lady, living at
courbevoie, wished TO make herself an oh
lect of public interest by passing as "A VIC.
| TIM OF political conspiracy, which she
pretended 10 have discovered. One nirht
she was found in u state OF the greatest
mental perturbation at the doors of her
apartment. She could not talk, but
| stated, in writing, that she had been at
lacked outside her own house by man
VINO had attempted To garrote her, at the
same time striking her twice with a dagger,
only thu lady's clothing was injured, and
tho body of her dress and her cor.
set were found to be cut through.
but at different levels. She / led TO make
out that the attempt at straugulation had
caused dumbness. NJ. Tardieu remarked,
IN her hearing, that this inhrmity RAPIDLY
Disappeared when produced under oircum
stances OF this kind. She soon managed to
regain her speech, and in short time nd.
mttted that the whole narrative had been
developed out of her inner consciousness,
Eccentricity in relatives is ever strongly
presumptive OF seltdeception, wheh a fe-
male makes any statement or charges of
ill'treatment OF any kind. The constant
lear OF assassination, especially il based on
! reasonable grounds, is particularly liable to
predispose nervous or cXcitable subjects TO
extraordinary delusions of this kind
british Medical Journal.