The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-08-13
NERVOUS "PHOBIAS."
CURIOUS MENTAL DISEASES OF MOD
ERIN CIVILIZED LIFE.
characteristics of a Glass of Nervous
Troubles Which Owe Their Existence
to the Strained Conditions of
aIIgh Civilization.

Inc NaIlOuS CuhTaCLeTEClCS tnaC Class
OF nervous troubles which are said to owe
more or less of their development to the
strained conditions Of q high civilization are
becoming gradually grouped together, and
the neurolozlsts are giving them descriptive
names Some of these designations, such,
for instance, as photophobia, or the aversion
to light, have already crept into general
literature, and others which have been re-
Gently added to the list will soon find their
way to most readers The words are recog-
nized not only as handy terms with which
to express a some what complicated class of
facts, but they represent a wide range of
those nervous feelings which most people
have observed in themselves or their
friends, but of which they have hesitatei to
speak.
While the symptoms referred to may be
\ sometimes Indicative of alteration of mind
q large ma 1rity OF persons affected by then,
eve the troubles in a very mild and harm
form, which often gives rise to amuse
mt rather than anxiety. In claustro-
Pbia, for example-the dislike of being in
closed place-we smile because tho vic
nm seems to have a mild mania of leaving
he doors and windows open. The trouble
n its severe form is described in a recent
Tease in which lady insisted upon leaving
h'r hall door open at inconvenient times,
and would even leave her bed in the middle
o. the night to open it. In her case settled
d ease resulted, for she became at last IN
able 10 understand that there was more dan
ger to be apprehended from burglars than
from q cl sed door, Her house was, in fact
twice robbed on account of her trouble of
clau.tFophobia. In its opposite, claustro-
phiiia, tho person will close up all the doors
with exec sive care, and make matters
warm for her friends during the summer
season.
In agoraphobia, the fear of crossing a
square or walking across a large room. we
have very common trouble, which may be
greatly lessened by being in company with
some one. Most of the troubles are asso-
ciated with kind of fear nervous dread
Thus atremia describes the fear of moving
from u place where are seated, or even
OF getting out of bed.
One Of the quite recent terms is anthro-
phobia, or the fear of meeting people Men,
and more especially women, suffering from
tho trouble, avoid, wherever it is possb BILE,
the simplest kind of a business interview
They evon dislike to meet any one about tho
house, and have horror of being intro
duced to people. A case is cited of a lady
who always ran out of her house whenever
a visitor entered, but would return pres
emily, and then, as if she had dono enough
to satisfy her dread, settle down to a chat
with her caller.
Phobophoba is q moro serious trouble
Tho victim Is afraid that something is GO
ing to happen to brighten him. 1t is some
times developed through nervous shock,
though the cause, like that of the other
nervous "phobias" seems to be largely
hereditary. physician describes a case in
which a man had progressive nervous symp-
toms of this kind after having observed an
explosion by which several people were in
jured. The patient came at last to imagiu-
ing, whenever he walked out at night, that
some was following him with evil in
make gestures while speaking with him for
fear he would mistake their import The
man recovered under treatment. One
patient felt In constant dread of some i'm
pending calamity, though her life had been
especially free from accidental troubles.
She would speak of these fears to her friends
until they became almost out of patience
with her. She was not able in any instance
to state what she feared. A change of air
and scene, with suitable dietary, restored
her completely
One of the most curious of these affections
is lately described as toxiphobia, or tho fear
of being poisoned DR.. c. NJ. Hughes states
that it begins most frequently in ALTERED
feeling, sensation, or impression, unnatural
and unaccouatable to the victim II the NOR
bill change; the judgment is soon swayed to
a remarkable degree, for despite all vain
Boosting as to the superiority OF the intel
iect over the feelings and Impulse, the latter
usually mould the character Of the mental
processes and the intellect is soon captive
- the unresl impression" The unfortunate
person may be under the conviction that
things without and beyond himself contamin-
oted him that he has become TO within
and that everything he touches is morally cr
physically befOuled. But this is an extreme
instance. 1t is usually found in the self
accusing religious insane.
a physician lately described TO the writer
4 VIZ % n I'm ono of
them the patient was with difficulty per
suaded to purchase the necessary medical
prescriptions. He said he was afraid the
druggIs5 would put arsenic or something
into his medicine In another city a man
was reported to the doctor as behaving curl
ously at the table. In cutting broad he
tue loaf only, and he regularly left the table
g. I'LL his goblet with water at the faucet.
He would take no food that was offered to
hin, but always insisted upon helping him
lions of q dish. As his affection progressed
h:s suspicious dread became more profound,
AM his friends took him to the doctor after
two or three cooks had been discharged as
offensive to him.
The most curious case of toxiphobia."
said the physician, "was that of one of my
patients who was suffering from great de-
HlitY. One day as he entered my office / |
observed that he was about to faint.
placed him at full length upon a sofa and
hastened to offer him a spoonful of am
nitric ethar-a mixture often
used IN such circumstances-butw was greatly |
surprised 10 observe a look of horror upon |
my PATIENTS face and to see his almost i'm
perceptihle gesture of refusal He went oft |
In a faint almost Immediately afterward, |
and on coming out of it made explana-
ton, nor dill question him / had been |
treating nun Tor anPmia. but now suspected
mental trouble, and on consulting with his
friends found he was prey to toxiphobia.
1t Is mistake for people to conceal such |
troubles from their doctor We can often
do great deal for them. and frequently
put them in the way of cure when we meet
them in time"
Why He Lost His .Jcs
New York TimesI