The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-04-10
JUMPERS.
A Singular Disease Found Among French
Canadian Wood choppers

Singular Disease Found Among French
Canadian Wood-choppers.
from the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal
DR.. j. u. Thornton, of the United
States Marine Hospital Service. gives
some account in the Medical Record o
the French Canadians who are victims
or that form of hysterical disease re
Gently described under the term mir
yacht. This affection, characterized
by an uncomfortable impulse to iri.
tatlon, has been noted among the
Canadian French lumbermen who 90
over into Maine for work. The cause
which the writer assigns for the dis.
ease Is worthy Of note, though it seems
rather inadequate.
II had from time to time" SAYS DR..
Thornton, "heard lumbermen and 9th
ers whose ayocations lead them to
spend much time among the French
camps, speak OF these jumpers but
had gwen no cre9ance to the, as !
thought, absurd Tories they related
IN regard to them, until one day, while
attending to my duties in the waiting
room OF my fumi2ating station, in.
cldentally let fall the window near my
desk, by turning the button suddenly,
thus letting the frame fall a short dis
lance, making q quick, sharp noise,
when three out OF seven French Cana
dlanB who were sitting near, awaiting
their certificates OF inspection. leaped
into the air as ii they had been shot.
at the same time uttering a yell which
would have done credit to a North
American Indian. From that time
was on the watch for these strange
characters, and, when possible, made
inquiries OF them through nv in
terpreter in regard to the cause Of their
condition. Before speaking OF this.
perhaps it will be we'll to enumerate
some OF the manifestations which give
them the characteristic name OF Jump
ers.' One or two instances will be
sufficient. Recently one OF them, a
French Canadian OF small stature.
came out from an adjacent camp to
the post othca. Just as be was about
to ask the postmaster for his mail, he
being q total stranger to the official,
man OF 50 years of age, some one
knowing the fellow to be a Jumper,
mischievously cried out, Grab him by
the throat The fellow sprung like a
cat and grasped the old man by the
throat, and held onuntil removed, the
rate postmaster pouring forth tor
rents OF lnvectives on the poor fellow,
who really was perfectly guiltless. An
other unfortunate woodchopper had
just come into camp from two days
work, and was standing near the large
camp heater, in which was q very hot
fire, when some one cried, Graz the
furnace No sooner were the words
said then the poor fellow obeyed the
order and, as a result, left scorched
pattern OF each hand on tbs nearly
red hot pipe, thus rendering him unfit
for his work in the backwoods for
some weeks. / could, were it not for
taking up valuable space, enumer-
ate instance alter instance fully
as peculiar as the above. In brief it
may be stated that at any time and
under any circumstances, with the
slightest provocation, and almost in
simultaneously on being spoken to, one
OF these fellows will obey any COM
mand, initiate any action, without re-
gard to its nature, trivial or serious.
He will leap on table, or over stove
OF iulO ~ river Or pOHu5 oufoW ttEy
article or weapon he may HAVEN hand
in any direction Indicated; will repeat
any sentence CT exclamation. So
serious matter is this, that many OF
the lumbermen absolutely refuse to
admit man known as Jumper into
their camps. find they renot Who'll
~ confined to French Canadians IS
occasionally g. Canadian of Irish
parentage will exhibit the same symp-
toms. AS stated above, l have en-
deavored, when possible, to investigate
as to the the cause of this peculiar
and distressing condition, and while
find, without doubt, that primarily it
is due to an inherited nervousness, the
immediate cause is in taking such chill
dren when small, and while firmly
held, tickling them until convulsive
symptoms appear. This seems to be
the story Of such ones as have made
inquiries Of Whatever the cause, the
condition is one much more easily &C
quired than lost, as it firmly clings to
its victim far into adult life"