Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-03
Effect of Fright on the Mind.

REMARKABLE ACTIONS OF THE CROWD DURING
THE EARTHQUAKE AT ISCHIA.
From the New York sun
An interesting account of the mental states
induced by fright was given some time since by
DIR. FaZio, who was an eyewitness OF the great
earthquake at Ischia. He says the emotions
awakened by the catastrophe were of the most
varied character. During the fifteen seconds
that the shock continued everybody stood still,
seemingly rooted to the ground with terror.
Men were weak in the knees and shook as with
ague. feeling as though they were about to fall.
Soon this stiffness was broken by loud cries and
howIs, and every one rushed toward the shore
Then women and children fell into commissions
or appeared to be semi-paralyZed and speech
less. Eudeness and brutality were mingled
allied character.
Six hours after the catastrophe the stiffness of
death reigncd over CasamiccIola. Men wan
dered about the ruins halt clad and silent. as if
risen from the grave women were excited and
hysterical; children of eight or ten years seemed
daZed and stupetfed, while smaller children
stood around unconcernedly, eating whatever
attractive food they could find in the ruins. 1t
was most interesting to see the different ways
In which individuals were affected by the
shock.
The keeper of a refreshment booth, who had
lost everything, kept offering his delicaces TO
those who passed by, just as though his whole
stock had not been swept away in the debris
caused by the earthquake. A surgeon, covered
with blood and sorely wounded by the failing
mentS, and inquired after them of everybody
whom he encountered. An hysterical woman
who had been bedrdden for months, jumped
up and saved herself by flight, and remained
permanently cured. A very considerable num-
Der of instances OF this kind are we'll authent-
Gated, and the reports seem to show that
diseases not generally claSsed as nervous, and
at all events, not wholly nervous in character
often disappear under influences of strong
vino were brave and full of energy Immediately
after the first shock of the earthquake. became
depressed, or wholly apathetic, later in the day,
and crying. Sometimes attack of melan-
cholia was induced which continued for
months; and many people became incurably in
sane. These were perhaps, persons having the
insane temperament, though the actual mani
festation of it might never have taken place ey-
ccept under the influence of great nervous shock.
In many instances there was an aversion for
food, lasting for hours after the catastrophe
There were several instances In which the
hair was whitened by fright, and even some
boys OF 0 to IA years showed heads sprinkied
with gray. Many of the unfortunates who
were buried in the ruins exhibited the greatest
indifference to their fate, following listlessIy
with their eyes the motions of those busted
with their rescue. Those whose occupations
had led them to acquire a habit of GOODNESS in
danger seemed to retain their imperturbabilty
A foreign officer, whose legs We're imprisoned
under some heavy timbers, drew out a cigar
cite and smoked it with the utmost noncha-
lance. one man, as soon as he was pulled
from the ruins, shook his rescuer by the hand
and presented him with his card. Another.
WHO lay III tIle ueDTlS IOr twenty hours, lmme-
diately looked at his watch in order to ascer-
tain the exact moment of his deliverance A
lady who had just been eNtricated from mass
of rubbish would not bulge from the spot until
she could ascertain the fate of her pet dog
which was buried with her. One woman, who
was nearly covered up i'm the debris, heard a
man calling loudly for his daughter. She at
tracted his attention to her, and succeeded in
making him believe that she was his lost child
SO cunningly did she practise this deception
that the old gentleman had rescued her from
the ruins before the trick was discovered
Most of the people, however, who were i'm
prisOned beneath the ruins were too Indifferent
to their fate to make any attempt to get free
through stratagem. 1t is Il curious fact that
most of them had become regardless of the
to how long they had remained buried. In very
many cases those who had been wounded by
surgical operations. Most of them experienced
no pain while under the knife, though they
were manfestly in n condition of excessive
to most of the impressions of ordin.
airy life.