Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-19
COFFEE AND CABBAGE
A Lady Dying from Hysteria Makes .
Very Singular Request

very U1oG request
From the Cleveland Leader.
"There Is Q man who, for the time being. feels
perfectly happy" remarked leading physi-
clan Of this city to . reporter yesterday. The
person referred to was young, but his face,
though now wreathed In smiles, possessed q
standing haggard expression. He had Just
emerged from the doctors private room, and
was evidently delighted at the result of his talk
with the man of medicine.
''That man thought he had q cancer" contin-
ued the physician, in response to an implied in
terrogation on the part OF the newspaper man.
happy. He will remain so until he imagines
that he has some other of the troubles that
flesh is heir TO-, for he is Of that nervous dispo-
is the matter with him. That nervousness and
abnormal power Of the Imagination render his
early grave through worry, ii he is not careful
"Has he no diseasee"
mo; he is as healthy as you or I, but he is
nervous, and must worry about himself. Per-
haps that should be called q disease; class
1t as simply nervousness, which a large class of
generally, OF course, the latter. Few may be-
come nervous about their health, but many are
SO about their business and other matters
ness q short time ago; In fact, there have been
number of these cases since the newspapers
published such c0nsise accounts of the nature
of Gen. Grants disease. One young man dis
covered pimple on the side OF his face and
made sure It was a cancer in its incipiency. 1
negatived the idea at once, but he insisted on
1t, and he felt of his little pmple so often that
he nourished 1t until it grew to considerable
hn the sss
must be q cancer. My friends all tell me it
must be so, and I want you to cut it out
i saw that extreme measures were necessary.
Putting my hand in my pocket | whipped out
ps snd S his
hands up to his face. which was bleeding a
tribe, and said; There is your cancer; now
mad; he'll never come near me again. for ad-
vice. but then that is the only way to treat such
suppose Imagination has a great deal
10 90 with patients recovery in some cases?"
yes, the mind exercises q great influence
scribe bread pills, stin patients are often given
ooses Just as harmless, because We wish more
TO reach the mind than the body. If physi-
Of his patient his battle is often nearly won.
Women afflicted with nervous difficulties, or
nysIerical troubles, can often be cured by
1remember one case where the attending ply
slcians had given lady up, saying that she
kind of last resort. The woman seemed to be
In stupOr, the friends were weeping the ply
slcians In charge were still in consultation in an
was no hope, and the family were already
thinking of notifying the undertaken. 1 had
seen SO many similar cases, although not SO far
advanced, that 1 knew, or strongly believed,
could cure the case mainly by sheer force of
character, or influence. So took the hand of
face appearing like marble-and called her by
name. There was no response. called again,
Mary! Again no answer. I applied a light
rather softly, but emphatically and command
1ngiy: She began to show signs of animation,
aRng WSat tnnK shs II nss and
She asked for her relatives, SUPPOSE"
mo, she didn't; she wanted to know If she
strong coffee. Think of that, cabbage and
conee! Why, She was hungry, and the poor
thing had an abnormal appetite. and didn't
del1cacies prepared Tor her, too although the
other physicians-of nay school, too-arose up
in a few days, she was around as well as ever.
In another somewhat similar case on st.
CAR street, clergyman was obliged to keep
his hands on woman constantly, as other
wise she became hysterical and would fly
away off,, SO they said. The minister had
been called to comfort the poor woman, who
death, and only his hands apparently could
keep her quiet He finally took his coat of
misery, having been detained for about ten
off from her said I. He mustn't do
well es her y tSeS u SAID ID SOMEWHAT ons Ss
irreverentlyy for l knew that only plain,
prompt measures would answer. Did the lady
try any of her hysterical tantrums with me?
Not exactly; she knew meant what said,
and she obeyed. OF course she got well. The
clergyman went home offended, but no doubt
happy at his release He would not speak to
me for a long time afterward, however,
II suppose that Imagination will have a great
deal OF effect when the Asiatic cholera comes
here?"
Eyes; people that are nervous and prone to
give way to the least little excitement will
simply brighten themselves into it. Others
that are fearless and careless will escape
although they may be exposed many times
while the nervous people are nearly free from
serious exposure. We physicians very rarely
have any of the diseases that are likely to
result from nervousness or abnormal imagina-
tion."