The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-18
IMAGINARY DISEASE.
ILLS INTENSIFIED AND MORBID FAN
cIsS HARD TO CURE.
suffesirss Of the Confirmed Bypochon-
driac-Cancer nnd>Heart Disease In the
Mlnd-A Case In New York Hospital
Cured In Tifsecn Minutes

Cured In Fifteen Minutes
The writer called on number OF prom
inent physicians and asked them If, among
their patients. they had many who mag
ined they had diseases which they did not
have. Some very interesting information
was obtained The doctors said ii was
found TO be q very common trouble. and
that, the chief diseases these people inn
agine they have are cancer, heart disease
and Bright's disease. In the language of
the profession, the complaint is known as
hypochondriasis.
Ii was found that the disease Is often
epidemic. AZ the time Of Gen. Grants
sickness and death from cancer OF the
throat, and during the illness Of the late
Kaiser Friedrich, hundreds OF people with
nothing serious at all the matter with
them called upon DR.. Shrady, WHO attend
ed Gen Grant, and told him they had can
Ger Of the throat coming on and wished
TO be treated for it.
Ono celebrated physician, who made a
special study Of the disease. said that it
was worthy Of note that in all these cases
the patient reasons correctly-that Is, he
draws just differences from tho error.
Thus the Prince Of Bourbon. when- he
supposed himself to be plant, reasoned
Justly when he insisted upon being
watercd with the Test Of the plants every
day IN like manner. the hypochondriac
WHO supposcs himself 20 be dead reasons
with the same correctness when he
stretches his body and limbs on the bed
or board and assumes the stiffness ana
silence of a dead nan.
The following is from the records Of
one # the New York hospitals house
surgeons.
1T was on July G that man Of small
stature who was found afterwards TO be
q shoemaker by trade. who Was apparent
~ about ~ Years cf rec, escaped from his
homo aud vas raining 40 largo in tho
streets # the city. .-ccrating bis flesh
ard lcating his read c-ciust the sides of
h9usce 4 number q citizens managed
& capture Linn. c.d they brought him 10
tho Ecsrtcl. followed by hig crowd
With hi a..-s tied bctild Lin md in
tho Erc-tcat aCcny. his face bruised AID
swollen. Ifs lips torn 20 pieces and
strraui.g Vitt l.oc1 he was r.hcred
into thc hospital D. hose who bad him d.
cllrcc mct tlcu ~ the door end IN
| quircd into the casc. Tic nan wno eager
70 tell his ovn story. bat with difficulty
collected wori8 To convey IL. lis Ian
guage was coqi0ua but bis agitation so
great that De could hardly utter O. sen
tcncc. Icing interrupted By constant
ciIUts to tcar Ii l.Q3 TO pieces. Those
with him lncW nothing except that they
had prevented Lin from beating c1t IN,
own brains. - length De conveyed tie
! information Ulcr. bis distress was. and
upon which IFS ri.d was dolndcd. Ia
/ bis upper lip lca1il there was % worm
cnaving IFS Sch GAd penetrating into
I j. body. cul unless be could tear II out
| tie worm Uouid soon b. beyond bis reach
and inevitably destroy him. This was
the cause OF hii misery. lie was assured
Of the possibility On relief, and With a
smiling c0uutcr5rcc patted hin ca tho
shoulder and blde lim no longer be TN
easy. for would Cut out the worm Ills
/ eyes spafsled and ia AZ instant he rc-
Piled VIII ycW 10 it then. Do 1t,
/ Qui x. for Gods cake.
"Ilc was urged rot t. despair, for
vas nov ready g. remove tie insect prey
! i1g upon III flesh Accordingly we went
! 90 the cells of the L-ui1l1 When Being
seated DE- fixed Linz -li fer tho operation.
/ pladcd SIX. lancet, ca the table before
hin. ny making a display Of this cni
/ otncr lrepaTtious and sending for assi &
ancc hc became composed. waiting with
/ patience the result In the meantime
| had sent I'm search OF the worm. Ih.
person sent. Icing unsuccessful stayed
too long and h-rIcl ont tho door and
picked frol the ground ono Il lac large
worms or caterpillar which infested tho
poplar trees at That time aud had fallen
| from tie trees by the door Ono end ot
the insect had been iroddcn upon, and it
was nearly dead. This got. and on re-
turning found my PATIENTS uncasiness
| increased But upon seeing ne take the
instruments De- fixed himself in the chair
and requested ms assistants, the apoth.
ccary and the orderly man, 20 hold ms
hands lest he should start willie under
pain of the cutting instrument.
"With lancet the operation was begun.
pricked Lis lip with n, which made him
linch little. he accordingly leaned
bacl, his head firmly against TIC person
who stood behind him and shut liz eyes
tightly. and thus hxrd lie bore the re-.
peated pricks Of the instrument with
steadiness aud fortitudc. After pinchng
his lip with one hand and wounding il
with the other. cut of portion Of tho
upper mp which he had torn with his
nails and which was pcndulous. now
assured him that the operation was nearly
completed. Tor the head Of the worm could
be seen The bystanders cried out: There
it is, there it ~ lie raised eyes to see
but was cautioned % be- still for one min
ute longer at which he again shut his
ewes. then gave Ain severe pinch
drew tic edge Of the lancet across the
lacerated lip. aud cyclaimiag Ivo got
him, opened my hand and exposed the
| great worm.
The man rose from lis seat and gazed
10 the worm with establishment beyond
utterance. At length he spoke and re-
questcd me top.cscryo Is, for. be observed
With tranquility. his friends had said lie
was crazy. but this would be an evidence
! 10 the contrary.
"Tlc result Of this deceptive operation
was perfect cure. and this remarkable
chenr5 was elected Ia less than fifteen
minutes after the patient entered the
hospital"
The best doctors sly that the causes OF
the disease lie In conditions usually OBJ