Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-28
HlSit.hiA MAJOR.
EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS OF THE
EXPERIMENTS OF PROF. cHARcoT.
He Makes the Nerves of Els Subjects His
Piaythings-A Girl Who Smiled on One
lions.

Side of Her Face-Amusing Instruc-
lions.
Professor Charcot, the removed specialist |
OF diseases of the nervous system, performed |
some striking experiments on hysterical sub
jects in the course of lecture delivered at
the Salpetriere asylum About 300 students
were present.
The attendants introduced into the amphi-
theatre two women stretched on cots and
perfectly unconscious. One was pale faced
girl, with abundant black hair and a band
some face. As she lay helpless against the
white pillow, her long lashes curving over
fast closed eyes, she suggested the sleeping
beauty. Her companion was large woman,
about fifty years Of age, with coarse florid
features. The contrast between them was
complete.
The distinguished specialist began by ex.
planning that the two subjects before him
were In different stages of hys.eria major.
Tie elder woman was afflicted with paralysis
of the legs which had kept her in bed for
years She was at present in profound
hysterical sleep, which had already lasted
eighteen days, and from which human sci
ence knew no means OF rousing her She
might remain in this condition for weeks or
months, during which time sha would only
receive in the way Of food certain nutritive
liquids which she swallowed automatically.
Professor Charcot here directed en- attend
ant to administer some milk TO the patient
This she did and holding the glass with one
hand while she raised the wo1nan's head with
the other, she waited until the entire con-
tents Of tho goblet had been slowly swallowed
Several times during the seance the patent
bert slowly and heavily forward with q
swaying motion, for 10 apparent reason, as
il to salute the audience, and always accom-
| penylng the movement with a hoarse, mar
| ticulate sound, somewhat like the snarl of a
dog. There was something ghastly in this to
one not hardened to dissacting room horrors
| Various tests were made to demonstrate the
| impossihility of waking the woman. A large
brass gong was sounded with almost deateu-
ing din directly over her head Her nostrils
were tickled with feather, and she was
/ made to inhale ammonia. Nothing had the
| slightest effect Her eyes remained closed,
and she gave no sign of senslbility.
| Then the professor called attention to the
remarkable condition of her muscular system
Her arms would remain rigid in any position
IN which they were placed, nor would they
| leave it until sheer physical fatigue over
came the automatic resistance The joints
| OF her fingers. wrists, elbows and shoulders
were moved in a variety of ways, and in
| every case the poor woman was powerless to
change their position. She WAS like well
made, wooden jointed doll.
Next came the turn of the lethargic girl,
who is one of Professor Charcot's pet sub
Jects She remains constantly in the hospital,
and on special occasions the savant demon
strates the wonderful power he has over her
So sensitive is her temperament that he can
at his will throw her into the profound
lethargy in which she lay on this occasion
He first stated that this young woman was
in q stage of hysteria radically different from
that OF her companion. She was like an in
ert mass; her muscles were all relaxed and it
was impossible for any member of her body
to retain fixed position without support.
There was also a marked difference in the
condition OF the nervous systems CT the two
women. The one was keenly sensitive, the
other apparently dead In each case the pro
fessor pressed pencil upon the facial nerve
which lies directly in front of the ear This
had not the slightest effect upon the woman
in the hysterical sleep whereas the face of the
young girl instantly lighted up in a smile
Curiousiy enough, she only smiled on the
side where the pressure was applied.
II was the same with other nerves The
lethargic girl would raise her hand when the
operator pressed upon the radial nerve above
the elbow joint When the mesinl nerve
mar the former, was touched, her arm would
spring up i'll d pugilistic attitude, with thu
| tiuf tifrbr lry al nbaA IT,. ~.
pencil to what is vulgarly known as tbs
funny bone" she would lift her arm as ii
pronouucing a benediction, the first ant
second fingers Of the hand being raiset
heavenward, Nothing of this sort had any
effect upon the other subject.
An experiment with the gong, which hae
been vainly beaten above the first patient
produced startling effect in this case. TIL,
Chef de Clinique had struck but single
blow on the sounding brass when the youni
girl started up as by an electric shock Sh
sat straight up, with her eyes wide open, ant
. but for their fixed, stony gaze one nigh
/ have fancied her awake. She had passed il
an instant from the state of lethargy int
that of catalepsy She neither moved no
2 spoke
) Professor Charcot proceeded, to show tha
pressure upon the nerves no longer produce
muscular contraction. We were in the pres
4 ence of new set Of phenomena. The pre-
t fessor lifted the girls right hand to her lip'
-, as IL she were throwing kiss. Instantly tt
unconscious association of ideas caused tt
= right side Of the face to smile 1t was th
4 same when the left hand was raised, an
when both hands touched her lips the enttl
face radiated the minds happy though
The young gentlemen present enjoyed tn
t greatly.
frown was produced with equal faciIit,
Clenching one of the fists caused q scowl ,
II pass over the corresponding side OF the fac
e and the professor succeeded by combinir
the two processes in making her smile on OF
. side and frown on the other, No one who sa
n this extraordinary contortion could for
n moment question the genuineness of the der
, onstration-
- Still mora extraordinary was the facili'
n with which Professor Charcot made his p
" tieut pass back from catalepsy to letharg
"A This he accomplished by simply closing d
lids and pressing gently on one or both OF h
s. eyes. By touching the right eye he chang
rs the girls right side into the lethargic co
dition while leaving the left side Under the
fluence Of cataepsy.
Is He demonstrated to the satisfaction of 1
a. that such was really the case, The right e
:, was closed while the left remained start
open The nerves on the right side respond
Is To pressure, while those on the left remain
< dead One side of the body was rigid while
10 other was inert Through all this the patio
never uttered sound. Having sufficient
ID established the existence of this dual state
D. professor pressed simultaneously upon be
of the girls eyes, when she fell back on
pillow like lumpof lead
he The final experiment consisted in waki
I'd the lethargic girl This was easily done
breathing sharply in her fac. SIZE start
IN up, glanced about her in dazed way, a
m then realizing that she was only half dress
" before a crowd OF jovial medical students, 1
Is seized her scattered garments and disappear
or from the scene with astonishing rapid
u The attendants wheeled out the other patie
is who calmly continued her historical slesp
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