Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-01
COFFEE AND CABBAGE
A Lady Dying From Hysteria
Makes a Very Singular Request.
Cleveland Leader.

SIeFeldnQ LcdueT-
"There is man who, for the time
being, feels perfectly happy" remark
ed a leading physician of this city to
reporter yesterday. The person re-
ferred to was young, but his face
though now wreathed in smiles, pos,
sessed a standing haggard expression.
He had just emerged from the
doctors private room, and was evil
IDENTIFY delighted at the result Of his
talk with the man of medicine.
" That man thought he had a cans
Ger, Continued the physician, in re-
Spouse to an implied interrogation on
the part of the newspaper man. II
have convinced him of his error, and
he is happy. He will remain so until
the troubles that flesh is heir to, for
he is of that nervous disposition that
is always imagining that something is
the matter with him. That nervous
ness and abnormal power of the inn
agination render his face haggard,
and will tend to drive him to an early
grave through worry, if he is not care
full to mend"
"Has he no diseases"
"No; he is as healthy as you or I,
but he is nervous and must worry
about himself. Perhaps that should
be called a disease; class it as simply
nervousness, which a large class of
Americans possess in a greater or less
degree, generally of course, the latter.
Few may become nervous about
their health, but many are so about
their business and other matters. I
had another peculiar case of cancer
nervousness a short ago; in fact, there
have been a number of these cases
since the newspapers published such
concise accounts of the nature of Gen.
Grants disease. One young man dis
covered a pimple on the side of his
face and made sure it was cancer in
it's incipiency. I negatived the idea
at once, but he insisted on 1t. and he
felt of his little pimple SO often that
he nourished it until 1t grew to a con-
siderable piEply size. Finally met
him on the street one day, when he
said" Doctor I know this must be a
cancer. My friends all tell me it must
be so a1a want you to cut it out.
Well, my patience became exhaust
ed, and I saw that extreme measures
we're necessary. Putting my hand in
my pocket whipped out my jack
knife, and, opening it, slashed off his
pimple in twinkllng. He hurriedly
put up his hands to his face, which
was bleeding trife, and I said:
There is your cancer; now try and
be man. He'll never come near me
for advice, but thensthats the onl y way
to treat such cases"
[ suppose imagination has o great
deal to Go with a patients recovery in
some cases 2"
Yes, the mind exercises a great in
fuence over the body. While we do
not often prescribe bread pills, still
patients are often given doses just as
harmless, because we wish more to
reach the mind than the body. II a
physician can insure perfect conf
dence in the mind of bis patient his
battle is nearly won. Women aft cts
ed with nervous difficulties or hysteric
al troubles can often be cured hy promJ
and emphatic, even rude, treatment.
I rememember one case where the
attending physicians had given lady
up, saying that she positively could
not recover. was as a kind of last
resort. The woman seemed to be IN
a stupor, the friends were weeping,
the physicians IN charge were still In
consultation in an adjoining room,
but said they had decided there was
no hope, the family was already
thinking of notifying an undertaken.
I had seen so many similar cases, al
though not SO far advanced, that I
knew or strongly believed, [ could
cure. the case mainly by sheer force
of character, Or influence. So took
the hand of the fair patient-she was
very beautiful her face appearing like
marble-and called her by name.
There was no response. L called
again, Nary Again no answer.
I applied light restorative, and
once more spoke her name rather
softly, but emphatically and com
mandingly. She began to show signs
of animation, and in short time was
sitting up in bed talking. What do
YOU think she said frst?"
She asked for her relatives, sup>
pose,"
81 No, she didn't; she wanted to
know if she could have plate of cab
bage and a cup of strong coffee.
Think Of that, cabbage and coffee
Why, she was hungary, and the poor
had an abnormal appetite, and didn't
realize the incongruity Of it. I had
these little dalicacies prepared for Der
too, although the other physicians-of
my school, arose up and said
it would surely kill her. But, IN a
few days, she was around as well
as ever.
SIN another somewhat similar case
on st. Clair street, a clergyman was
obliged to Keep his hands on a woman
constantly, as otherwise she became
hysterical and would fly away off,
SO they said. The minister had been
called to comfort the poor woman,
who was believed to be at the point of
death, and only his hands apparently
could keep her quiet. He finally took
70 L