The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-06-13
HYPOCHONDRIA.
A Peculiar Condition of the Human sub
ject Closely Allied to insanity.


An unreasonable anxiety as to health
is the principal characteristic Of what is
known as 1.-THE vapors, y ''the spleen
or 1.-THE hypo''-the latter being an
abbreviation Of the ancient name which
is given above. This term literally sig
niiies under the cartilage" and refers
to the uneasy feeling located in the re-
gion of the stomach, just below the
cartilage which is attached to the end
OF the breast-bone. 1t is also applied to
the parts under The Carriages OF the
ribs at each side. which cover the liver
on the right and the spleen on the left.
A diseased concentration of the atten-
ton upon sensations. and thus an exag-
geration of these feelings, results finally
in distemper of the imagination to
such degree that slight bodily all
monts become of greater importance
than the gravest Of real diseases. This
fact is sometimes well understood by
the sufferer. Thus the poet C0wper,
who was confirmed hypochondriac,
writing to a friend who had recently re-
covered from a severe disease, says:
Your illness has indeed been a sad one,
causing, no doubt. great distress to
yourself aud considerable anxiety to
your relations and friends, but, oh!
what are your bodily sufferngs, acute
a. they Undoubtedly were, to the I'M
ceasing mental torture | suffer from a
fever of the mindP'
Camerarius records that the great
Melancthon was much troubled with
Inv Iria nd hnl tk.t -
common to all men whenever grievous
trouble, passion or discomfort assals
them too continuously. He therefore
held sit most necessary and profita-
BILE study for every man to know the
accidents of it, and dangerous thing
to be ignorant" The renowned author
of the Augsburg Confession was I'M
doubtedly right, for every one at the
present day, at one time or another,
has unduly concentrated his attention
upon some trivial sensation, and thought
himself the victim of ncurabe disease
without reasonable foundation in fact
for the idea.
o'sssapeet Burf5 describes his own
ION in the following characteristic
'wofus; 81 have been for some time
ptoing under secret wretchedness. The
ReYg OF disappointment, the sting of
rfide and some wandering state of re-
morse settle on my life like vultures.
when my attention is not called away
by the claims OF society or the vagaries
OF music. Even in the hour of social
miftE, my gayety is the madness of an
intoxicated criminal under the hands of
an executioner. My constitution was
blasted, ab origine, with deep, incur
able faint of melancholy that poisons
my existence. 1t seems that. from
early life, his digestion was dsordered,
he suffered from frequent head
aches, and the action of the
heart was very irregulor-al cs which
We're aggravated by his irregular life.
Edgar A. Poe was subject to much the
same physical symptoms, but they
showed their influence more by depres-
sion OF spirits than by attention to inn
aginary diseases ce the bodily frame,
characteristic CT hypochondria. In
stances might be cited in considerable |
numbers to show how much of our best
literature has been produced while the
authors We're the prey to mental disease
of some sort, -hypechondria particularly
Hypochondria, in many of its phases,
must not be COMPOUNDED with insanity.
AT the same time, many eases of mad
ness first show themselves as hypochon-
dria, and all their symptoms ere stamped
with the original motives Of exaggerated
attention to bodily sensations. So long
as these ideas do not interfere with the
conduct or social relations, the case is
one of hypochondria, pure and simple
When, however, absurd actions arise,
such as those attributed to the late Lord
Dudley, there is undeniable insanity. 1t
is difficult to draw the line where the
one ends and the other begins, as in
every ease of mental disturbance Many
d man flor the sake of life neglects the
vsiy causes for which life was granted
(JNvenaD without becoming insane
ST. SLouts Globe Democrat.