The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-07-20
mn DOUsrxxo MALADx
otpasss lGsAsal Anisaisss witch have Bees
AssribsA % Modern Csvtnsassss.

01poo1o AeAea1 A0tet1oas witch have Been
AssrissA - Modern CsvtNsasiss.
Some months ago Prof Tamburini, . dis
tinguished italian alienist. and later Prof.
Magnan Of Paris eave an interesting account Of
certain sccentriclties Of nervous origin which
he had met with In some Of biz patients. The
eases cited appear 10 belong 70 What some
writer's have called the diseases Of oivilisa-
tion." and their groundwork 10 regarded
a. resting In impaired volition. Tho
intellect itself II believed TO be. at least
for the time being. practically unim-
paired. and recognizes the sbsurdity OF the
ideas which constitute tho trouble. with.
out being able 10 Danish tho thought Of them
from the mind. The essential characteristics
Of this mental disturbance are said to be ever
recurring and tormsnting doubts about the
most trivial things. followed By some form Of
morbid dread. Sometimes II II . fear Of dirt.
called "mysophobia" Tho individual breads
TO touch anything. An example 10 given Of .
lady having this afiction. who washed her
hands more than 400 times q day. Another
patient would not touch door knob, without
putting on gloves. while another. who spent
Sis SrnSs. Serious case 81 The "s sort l. thst q
q naS sSS sd s.ss s:a e.
addrsssss 20 her, that she hoapod together ell
q: Ss "a her Dfsr 70 yS s hA1 bee:
iS msntionsd Of postmistress who washed her
hands after each letter she handled. At the
ors e % b hardly abe 20 % hs
home. She vas we'll aware OF her folly-xs. In
fact. oil Of them are-but could not resist il
Cases arc given of people who have fear Of
pr 81 sq o.
and cisa tro phObia Is the issr Of remaining ID
square IA called ssorsp6c6is. According 70
the Journal q. Nseecins this trouble may give
syncoDs. Curiously enough. the fear wholly
By . psrson whose hand or clothing be. may b
house. and insisted that every door except the
night and day. Another patient troubled with
einustrophiiia. however Was unable 70 sleep IN
.1S @ The e
Magnan says that In cases OF this sort. which
sso% to BE- Wholly i%Dusy it e
selves have NO idea whatever Of the origin Of
u" Cases s ~ What is called Jo,ie ;mDu,si,e arc
cited a. Increasing with the advance Of civili-
zation. One class Of them IL caused by an I'M
sds bronsh an o6nas
Of nervous sleeplessness In imagining tho suf.
fsring she supposed horses must feel when
her i nssrly Wild. and he .ixht p soaehn man
. eonvulsion or = state Of syncope. II u, horse
fell near her In the street she always rushed to
b. a asS . ss s s. s S1, raise. s him
" while Harvesting him, aud fastened to In
tsrfere In the animals behalf. The seene made
able TO resist an Impulse 70 90 every morning
to the ,s stable to make sure that the animal was
Other persons are described a. suffering
these The. e arc constantly seeking for some word
whose purport they cannot even describe.
Others ind their happiress In life utterly de-
they feel OF pronouneing.. at. short intervals.
some particular word which they dstest. Some
certain words which they wish to avoid utter.
Ing. A lady in the latter category was certain
that Il she pronounced particular WORDS some
people OF hor acquaintance would die. The
rspsstsd them As: However; the persons a aid
the time. at least. Of her malady. A man be:
longing to the ,frst- mentioned group DEVOTED
'Rs haa to S n to ne
ono elected With The word nsnis ''xss pursued
pronoanca. psrfSrmine certain acts or sIscus.
e se amusing y ss
aeS da nS 81 SH1 s:
A student. for instance. is described as follows
Wishing to make journey. he set about packing his
yase hut began to hesitate about the disposition
he ahouh make Of esch particular object Then he
changed their places great number OF times and fell
into great perplexhy with regard to each Of his
m0dinc utioha Finally he arrived At condition Of
trsis mental anguish and was forced to c0nhds the
operation Of packing up 10 another person.
One Of the eAnno class OF doubters prepared to
reply TO the letters Of some friends Interested
In his health. but experienced SO, many. doubts
all OF them trivial-concerning what he
SHOULD Say. that he was at last seized with q
profound feeling Of anguish and DESPAIR and
was restrained with difficulty from hanging
The origin Of these affections which have been
| described by Prof. l., Grand du Saulle under
the designation Of "mniady Of doubling with
dairium OF the sense of touch" is thought to
be due In q considerable degree to hercdita ry
predisposition. The other causes ,named are
| nature. such a. directly alter or exhaust the
brain: those which act indirectly. by exhaust
| Ing the energy OF the nervous System In gem
eral. or by impairing the nutrition OF nerve
centres. Among tho causes mentioned are
| fright. injuries to the head. intellectual ia
| tigue. certain reflex physiological actions. The
affection is more frequent in women than in
| men. and occurs oftonsst In young people
among the better educated classes. II may
have serious results. but its amenabiity to
| treatment does not seem to be fully defined.
~ .rvNnasn