The Opelousas courier., 1885-08-29
THE EFFECTS OF FRIGHT.
How the Mind is Affected Dur
ing an Earthquake.
Remarkable Action of the People at the
Upheaval in Ischia.

An interesting account Of the men,
tai states induced by fright was given
some time since by DIR. Fazio, who
was an eye witness of the great earth
quake at Ischia. He says the emo.
tions 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 sho tx as with the ague, feelinga
though they were about to fall. Soon
this stiffness was broken by loud cries
and bowls, and everyone rushed to-
ward the shore. Then women and
children fell into commissions. or APP.
peared to be semi-paralyzed and
s%peechless. Rudeness and brutality
were mingled with ~self-sacritice and
leroism of the most exalted character.
Six hours after the catastrophe the
stiffness of death reigned over Cassa-
micciola. Men wandered about the
ruins half clad and silent, as if risen
from the grave ; women were excited
and hysterical children of eight or
ten years seemed dazed and stupefed,
while smaller children stood around
unconcernedly, eating whatever at
tractive food they could find in the
ruins. 1t was most interesting to see
the different ways in which individ-
uals were affected by the shock.
The keeper of a ~refreshment booth,
who had lost everything, kept offering
his delicacies 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 wound
ed by the falling beams, was concerned
only tor his instruments, and inquired
after them of everybody whom he en-
countered. An hysterical woman,
who had been bed ridden for months,
jumped up and saved herself by flight,
and remained permanently cured. A
very considerable number of instances
Of this kind are well authenticated,
and the reports seem to show that dis
eases not generally classed as nervous,
and, at all events, not wholly ner-
vous, in character, often disappear un-
der influences of a strong emotional
character. Many persons at lschia,
who were brave and full of energy
| Immediately after the first shock of
the earthquake, became depressed. or
wholly apathetic, later in the day, or
had commissions, or alternate fits of
laughter and crying. Sometimes an
attack of melancholia was induced
which continued for months, and many
people became incurably insane. These
were, perhaps, persons having the in
sane temperament, through the actual
manifestation of it might.never take
place except under the influence OF
great nervous shock. In many in
stances there was an aversion for
food, lasting for hours after the catas-
trophe.
There were several instances in
which the hair was whitened by fright
and even some boys Of ten or fourteen
years showed heads sprinkled with
gray. Many of the unfortunates who
were buriedin the ruins exhibited the
greatest indifference to their fate, fol,
lowing listlessly with their eyes the
motions of those busted with theil
rescue. Those whose occupations had
led them to acquire a habit Of GOODNESS
in danger seemed to retain their i'm
perturbability. A foreign officer
whose legs were imprisoned under
some heavy timbers, drew out "a cigar
cite and smoked it with the utmost
nonchalanca. One man, as soon as he
was pulled from the ruins. shook hi
~rescuer by the hand and presente'
him with his card. Another, who la.
In the debris for twenty hours, i'm
mediately looked at his watch in orde
to ascertain the exact moment Of hi
deliverance. A lady who had jus
been extricated from a mass of ruE
Dish would not bulge from the spo
until she could ascertain the fate @
her pet dog, which was buried wit
her. One woman who was nearl
covered up in the debris. heard a ma
calling loudly for his daughter. sh
: attracted his attention to her, and SUI
8 ceeded in making him believe she Wa
his lost child. So cunningly did 81
! practice this deception that the o.
Q gentleman had rescued her from I'll
9 ruins before the trick was discovers
{ Most of the people, however, wi
were imprisoned beneath the ruiz
n were too Indifferent to their fate
9 make any attempt to get free throus
strategem. It is a curious fact tn
.. most OF them had become regardle
o of the flight of time, and had not Il
Is eain1a,t idaa rs To how long they h!