Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-11-19

Diseases Which Exist Only in the Imagination
''This is Il singular case, sure enough"
said young physician recently, but there
are great many diseases which exist only
in the imaginations of their supposed VIC
tims.n The doctor had been reading the
story of a man who thought himself vic
tim of heart disease until his physicians
discovered that the "creaking sound" of
which he complained whenever he took
deep breath was caused by a little pulley
wheel on 81 pair Of patent suspenders which
he wore. The doctor laughed aud laid
down his paper. This is the first case |
ever heard Of where suspenders were TO
blame" said he" but great deal OF what
passes Tor heart-disease is mild dyspepsia.
Nervousness is an aristocratic name for
irri;abiity and bad temper, and two thirds
of the so-caled malaria is nothing but laZi.
ness. \ fellow practitioner once told me OF
an old lady he knew of in Newburyport,
Mass. She bad kept her bed for three
wears. and in spite cf her physicians assur-
auces she believed herself hopelessly para,
lyzed. On" night her grandson got up a
shos: TO scare her, and The old lady ran half
Il mile before they could Catch her.
''The longer hallucina!ion is indulged
the more deeply rooted 1t becomes. In many
cases il ultimately develops into monoinana
or Gelusional insanity. DIR. 5. Weir Mitchell
performs many CT his most remarkable
cures or so-called nervous diseases simply
bv his wonderful success in persuadlng pa
teni5 that nothing ails them. Few physl.
clans have the ability. 10 do this, and still
iower have the discretion to adopt course
of treatment adapted 10 the mental pecull-
a:ilies of each particular case. Sometimes
persuasion is necessary, but frequently lit
tie tonic combined with Il good scoldlnS
produces the desired result.
"When dclusion is harmless it is often
the best plan to humor it. 4 relative Of
mine, who was y Clergyman, lived several
Years in my family. He firmly believed
that be could not sleep after preaching on
Sunday night unless he was under the in
iluence of all opiate. Time and again l
have seen him dcze oil as soundly as tired
chill! after taking a teaspoonful of sweeten-
ed water. which had prescribed as "nor-
phia." Without this. harmless little dose,
however. he would toss about restlessly for
hours.
''rhc negroes indulge some very funny supcr-
s,itiuns about diseases and their cures. One of
the things of which they have a peculiar horror
is the common difficulty known rs cIonsation of
the palate When | WAS practcing as newly
icdgcd student in Virginia, an old ncgress called
on inc Que evening. Her hair was pulled back
frotn her forehead and knottcd with cord in
light bunch o.: the crown of her head. She was
evidently suffering from bad cold. Mars doc.
tor she said. i sc afraid Isc got fallin' OBJ de
palate. Isc done tied UP my ha,' Us hard as l
can, but ii Gon'r pea: IN make il 10 better, an
spccts lnebby cci so:ac pills / examined her
throat and found nothing III" matter but slight
intlarulnatiou 4 ion't think yoG need any pills
aIntic,' said l. II you only get your hair
tied up !. little closer for day two l have 40
Gouht your palate will shorten up AL right She
came in again in few days aud told me she was
much better, bus her ole man bad tied her hair
SO ha;d that she had to sleep with her eyes open,
cause she couldn't even make a wink. -Ph'lo-
dclpho Times.