The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-26
EFFECT OF FRIGHT ON THE MIND.
Remarkable Actions of the Crowd Dur
ing the Earthquake in Ischia-
New YORK Sunl

Remarkable Actions of the Crowd Dur
ing the Earthquake in Ischia.
New York SUM-
An interesting account of the mental
states induced by fright was given some
time since by DR.. Fazio, who was an
eye witness of the great earthquake in
lschia. lie says the emotions 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 shook as
with ague, feeling as though they were
about to fall. Soon the stiffness was
broken by loud cries and bowls, and
every one rushed toward the shore.
Then women and children fell into con
WILSON'S, or appeared to be semi-par-
alyzed and speechless. Rudeness and
brutality were mingled with self-sacr
fee and heroism OF the most exaltel
character.
Six hours after the catastrophe the
stiffness of death reigned over Casamic-
cola. Men wandered about the ruins
halt clad and silent, as if risen from
the grave; women were excited end hys-
terical; children of y or 10 years
seemed da ed and stupefed, while
smaller children stood around NEON
cernedly, eating whatever attractive
food they could find in the ruins. 1t
wa most interesting to see the differ
ent ways in which individuals were af-
fected by the shock.
The keeper of a refreshment booth,
who had lost everything, kept Offering
his delicaoies 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 wounded by the
falling beams, vas concerned only for
his Instruments, and inquired after
them Of everybody whom he ncoun
tered. An h sterical woman, who had
been bedridden for months, jumped up
and saved herself by flight, and re-
manned permanently cured. A very
considerable number Of instances of
this kind are we'll authenticate !, and
the reports seem to show that diseases
not generally classed as nervous, and, at
all events, not wholly nervous in char
acter, Otter disappear under Influences
of a strong emotional character. Many
persons at Ischia, 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 cow lsions. or alter
nate fits of laughter and crying. Some
times an attack of melancholia was in
duced which continued for months, and
many peopse became incurably insane.
These were, perhaps, persons having the
insane temperament, though the actual
manifestation of it might never have
taken place except under the influence
of a great nervous shock. In many
instances there was an aversion for food,
lasting for hours after the catastrophe.
There were several instances in which
the hair was whitened by fright, and
even some boys of 10 to IA years showed
heads s%prinkled with gray. Many of
the u~nfortunates who were buried in
the ruins exhibited the greatest indif-
ference to their fate, following list
lessly with their eyes the motions of
those busted in their rescue. Those whose
occupations had led them to acquire a
habit of GOODNESS in danger seemed to
retain their imperturability. A foreign
officer, whose legs were imprisoned un-
der some heavy timbers, drew out a |
cigarette and smoked it with the utmost
nonrhalance. One man, as son as he
was pulled from the ruins, shook his
rescuer by the hand and pre- !
sented him with his card. An |
other, who lay in the debris
for twenty hours, Immediately looked
at his watch in order to ascertain the
exact moment of his deliverance. A
lady who had just been extricated from
a mass of rubbish would not bulge from
the spot until she could ascertain the
fate of her pet dog, which was buried
with her. Une woman, who was nearly
covered up in the debris, heard a man
calling loudly for his daughter. She
attracted his attention to her, and sue
'ceeded in making him believe that she
was his lost child. So cunningly did
she practice this deception that the old
gentleman had rescued her from the
ruins before the trick was discovered.
Most of the people however, who were
imprisoned beneath the ruins were too
indi erent to their fate to make any at
tempt to get free through stratagem. 1t
is a curious fact that most of them had
become regardless of the fight of time
and had not the faintest idea as to how
long they had remained buried. In
very many cases those who had been
wounded by falling buildings werr
obliged to undergo severe surgical oper-
atoms. Most of them experienced no
pain while under the knife, though they
were manifestly in a condition of exces-
sive sensibility to most of the impress
sions of ordinary life.