Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-07-21
A STRANGE DISEASE
WHICH CAME UNDER THE NOTICE
OF A NATURALIST IN JAVA
One of the Curious Characteristics Of the
Disease Called '.Lata"-Involuntary
Imitation-Some Queer Cases
Tho Will-Power Gone.
fH. O. Forbes. z. r. G. 81

III. o. Forbes, F. R. G. 81
The first thing Of interest to attract mo
within few hours Of my arrival at Kosals,
in Java, wa, o case in one Of tho servants
O. the house of that curious cerebral affec-
ton called by the natives -lata-' It IS OF q
hysterical nature, and is confined chiefly to
women, although have also seen q man
affected by it On being startled or ex-
cited suddenly the person becomes lata, los
ing the control Il her will, and can not re-
frain from initiating whatever she may hear
or see done, and will keep calling out as
long as the fit lasts, the name-and gener-
ally that word alone-of whatever has
flashed through her mind Is the cause Of it:
@He-ih-heh, matjanl' tiger; che ih-heh
boorung besar" IA great Bird. Her pur-
pose will he arrested, as, II walking. she
will stop short, and, on going on again, will
often follow some other course.
TIE predatory exclamation is an invari-
able symptom. seemingly caused by invol-
untary hysterical inspirations. According
10 the degree Of alarm the symptoms may
remain only few moments or last for the
greater part Of day. especially if the per-
son be prevented from calming down. The
afflicted. il not seriously affected, are not
altogether incapacitated from performing
the little duties to which they are accus-
toned. The most curious characteristic OF
the disease is their imitation Of every action
they see On one occasion, while eating Q
banana, 1 suddenly met this servant with a
piece Of soap in her hand, and perceiving
she was slightly lata, but without appearing
TO take auy notice Of hsr. made vigor-
Gus bite OF the fruit in passing her, an action
she instantly repeated ON piece Of soap
On another occasion, while she was look
ing on as l placed some plants in
drying paper. not knowing that caterpil-
lars were objscts Of supreme abhorrenc,
to the natives, ficked off in a humorous
way on her dress one that happened to b,
on a leaf; she was instantly intensely lata,
and, throwing of all her clothing she made
of like chased deer along the mountain
road, repeating the word for caterpillar as
she ran, until compelled by exhaustion to
stop when the spasm gradually left her.
Ny own boy" who would uncoucernedly
seiz, all sorts Of snakes in b hands, b. .
came one day lata also on suddenly touch
ing large caterpillar.
Ny hosts maid onc., while alone at soma
distance from tho house. having come unex-
pectediy on a large lizard, the Baiawak.
was siezsd by a paroxysm; dropping down
On her hands and knees Co initiate the rep
tile, sh. thus followed it through mud,
water. AMI mire to the tree in which it took
refuge, where she was arrested and came to
herself. Another case which came under
my knowledge was moro tragic in its re-
suits This woman. startled by trea1ing in
a fell On one Of the most venomous snakes
in Java. became so lata that she vibrated
her finger in imitation Of the tongue Of the
reptile in front OF its head till the irritate1
snake struck her, and the poor creature died
within an hour.
During tho attack the eyes have Q slightly
unnatural stare, but there il never n total
loss of consciousness, and throughout the
paroxysm the patient il wishfui to get away
from the object aff.ctin. her, Yet is with
out the strength If will to escape or to cease
acting in the way l have described. L1ta
person are constantly teased by their fell
lows and are often kept in an excited state
for whcle days.