Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-01-10
IMAGINARY DISEASE.
ILLS INTENSIFIED AND MORBID FAM
CIES HARD TO CURE.
Sufferings of the Confirmed Hypochon-
driac-Cancer and Heart Disease in the
NIind-A Case in q New York Hospital
Cured in Fifteen Minutes.

| The writer called on q number of prom
inent physicians and asked them it, among
their patients. they had many who imag-
ined they had diseases which they did not
have. Some very interesting information
was obtained The doctors said it was
found to be very common trouble, and
that] the chief diseases these people i'm
| agine they have are cancer, heart disease
and Bright's disease. In the language Of
the profession, the complaint is known as
| hypochondriasis.
It was found that the disease is often
| epidemic. At 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.
One celebrated physician, who made q
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 the error
Thus the Prince Of Bourbon. when he
supposed himself to be plant, reasoned
justly when he insisted upon being
watered with the rest of the plants every
| day. In like manner, the hypochondriac
| who supposes himself to be dead reasons
with the same correctness when he
stretches his body and limbs on the bed
or board and assumes the stiffness and
silence of a dead man.
The following is from the records of
one of the New York hospitals house
surgeons:
1T was on July that q man of small
stature, who was found afterwards to be
a shoemaker by trade, who was apparent
ly about 40 years Of age. escaped from his
home and was running at large in the
streets of the city. lacerating his flesh
and beating his head against the sides of
houses. number Of citizens managed
to capture him, and they brought him to
the hospital, followed by big crowd.
With his arms tied behind him, and in
the greatest agony. his face bruised and
swollen. his lips torn to pieces and
streaming with blood, he was ushered
into the hospital by those who had him in
charge. met them at the door and in
to tell his own story, but with difficulty
collected words to convey it, His Ian
guage was copious, but his agitation so
great that he could hardly utter SEN
tence, being interrupted by constant
efforts to tear his lips to pieces Those
with him knew nothing except that they
had prevented him from beating out his
own brains. At length he conveyed the
information where his distress was and
upon which his mind was deluded. In
his upper lip he said there was a worm
gnawing his flesh and penetrating into
his body, and unless he could tear it out
the worm would soon be beyond his reach
and inevitably destroy him. This was
the cause of his misery. He was assured
Of the possibility Of relief, and with a
smiling countenance / patted him on the
shoulder and bade him no longer be un-
easy, for | would cut out the worm. His
eyes sparkled, and in an instant he re-
Piled Will your Do it then. Do it,
quick, for Gods sake
He was urged not to despair, for
was now ready to remove the insect prey
ing upon his flesh. Accordingly, we went
to the cells Of the maniacs. When being
seated he fixed himself for the operation.
l paraded six lancets on the table before
him. By making q display of this and
other preparations and sending for assist
ance he became composed, waiting with
patience the result. In the meantime
had sent in search of the worm. The
person sent, being unsuccessful, stayed
too long and hurried out the door and
picked from the ground one Of the large
worms or caterpillars which infested the
poplar trees at that time and had fallen
from the trees by the door. One end of
the insect had been trodden upon, and it
was nearly dead. This got. and on re-
turning found my patients uneasiness
increased. But upon seeing me take the
instruments he fixed himself in the chair
and requested my assistants, the apoth-
ecary and the orderly man, to hold his
hands lest he should start while under
pain Of the cutting instrument.
"With lancet the operation was begun.
pricked his lip with 1t, which made him
finch little. He accordingly leaned
back his head firmly against the person
who stood behind him, and shut his eyes
tightly. and thus fixed he bore the re-
peated pricks Of the instrument with
steadiness and fortitude. After pinching
his lip with one hand and wounding it
with the other, cut off q portion of the
upper lip which he had torn with his
nails and which was pendulous. now
assured him that the operation was nearly
completed, for the head Of the worm could
be seen. The bystanders cried out: There
it is! there it isl He raised eyes to see,
but was cautioned to be still for one min
ute longer. at which he again shut his
eyes l then gave him severe pinch,
drew the edge of the lancet across the
lacerated lip, and exclaiming, I've got
him. opened my hand and exposed the
great worm.
The man rose from his seat and gazed
at the worm with astonishment beyond
utterance At length he spoke and re-
quested me to preserve it, for, he observed
with tranquility, his friends had said he
was crazy, but this would be an evidence
to the contrary.
"The result Of this deceptive operation
was perfect cure, and this remarkable
change was effected in less than fifteen
minutes after the patient entered the
hospital"
The best doctors say that the causes Of
the disease lie in conditions usually OBJ
scure, which lower the tone of the gen.
eral health or depress the vitality of the
brain, either by physical wear or mental
worry. Disappointment, bad habits.
want of proper mental occupation, often
cause the trouble The treatment con-
sists in measures to improve the general
health, especially full diet. carefully
selected; hydro-therapeutics. massage,
gymnastics, horseback riding, walking,
rowing, abundant and agreeable exercise
in the open air, and the management OF