The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-11-15
S1.NULATING DISEASE.
STRANGE CASES MET WITH BY PHY-
SICIANS AND OTHERS.

sIcIANs AND OTHERS.
How People FeiGn Injuries and Other Disa-
bilities-Soveral Illustrations Taken from
Life-How tho Deceptions Are Discov-
cred.
Aman, appare,sely in great bodily pain,
was found lying upon the sidewalk at
Front and Chestnut streets, by police
man. The man had fallen "all in a heap
and hiastory was that he had been way
laid md beaten. a patrol wagon was
summoned, but when an attempt was
made to place him in the vehicle he COM
planned Of such. exquisite pain it was
found necessary to discard tho patrol
wagon and to carry the man on stretch
er to a hospital. On arriving ut the lat
ter institution he was carefully removed
from the stretcher to cot in the receiv-
ing ward, and, although handled very
tenderly, the change of position seemed
to aggravate his suffering. Singularly
enough, when the surgeons made an ex-
animation, 1t was found that when n pin
was stuck in any portion of the mans
body below the neck he apparently failed
to feel it, and the natural conclusion un-
der the circumstances was that he had
suffered spinal injury. 1t was then
proposed to place the patient under an
ansesthetic, with the view of performing
an operation, but when the man heard
this he jumped off the cot and darted
quickly out Of the hospital gate and was
soon lost to view. He had been playing
possum," but for what reason will, per-
haps. never be known.
TO AVOID THE DRAFT.
Such cases are not infrequcntly met
with by physicians in their regular prac-
tice and at hospitals and other charitable
institutions. Either to excite sympathy,
or from other motives, people sometimes
cultivate the power of Stimulating dis
eases. These individuals are known to
the medical profession as "malingerers,'
and they become particularly numerous
on certAn occasions. During the civil
war, at the time conscriptions were made,
it was surprising to see the number Of
able bodied men limping along with canes
and apparently suffering with rheuma-
tism OF other crippling ailments. While
1t is not always easy, even for an expert
doctor, to detect between real and sim
ulated disease, yet he can generally dis
tinguish between the genuine and feigned
rheumatism by the manner in which Q
man plants his cane on the pavement.
To understand the difference 1t Is only
necessary to watch Q man who GREEiesss.
wild wild ff6drishes q cane for pleasure.
Among the disorders generally simu.
lated. are fainting and epilepsy. Both
have been so well counterfeited rs to have
been mistaken for genuine cases. 1t IA
only when heroic measures are proposed
that the imposition is disclosed. Not long
since an up town physician, while pass.
ing an open air religious meeting on
Broad street, had his attention attracted
to n middle aged woman, apparently suf.
fering with an epileptic attack. She was
surrounded by q group Of sympathetic
men and women, and ono Of the latter
had procured from neighboring resi-.
dence pinch Of salt. The woman Tu
covered consciousness, however, without
the use of tho latter remedy.
On the following Sunday the physician
noticed the same woman in church. and,
thinking she might be seized with another
spell, took seat several pews from her.
Sure enough, an attack came on, to the
discontinue Of O number Of nervous peo,
pie. The poor woman was carried out
to the vestibule Of the church, and the
physician followed. The seeming epilep
tic seizure passed off In about five min.
utes.
FEIGNINa DEAFNESS.
Tl,o ,,avt SUNDAY fhoro rarof1.
ton Of tho attack. The woman, who
was a stranger to the congregation, was
again taken to the vestibule, and the
physician who had previously attended
her was again called upon. Thinking
that the attack was simulated, he pro
posed that q settee should be procured
and the woman carried through the
street to police station. In o twink
ling the woman sprang from the chair
In which she had been placed, hurried
from the building and has not since ap
peared at the church.
One Of the methods adopted to mis-.
lead is to feign deafness. This Is one Of
the tricks resorted to by men who desire
to avoid being placed upon juries. Gen.
orally, however, the judges are able td
fathom the deception, and, by the use Of
little stratagem, it is easily exposed.
Men who simulate deafness will clasp an
ear in the palm Of the hand and lean
forward as though tho auditory nerves
were strained to catch what was said.
In an unguarded moment the supposed
deaf man is asked question in an ordi'
nary tone, to which he generally replie'
and his deception Is unmasked.
las rule, however, illness and othes
physical disabilities are simulated BY
people who wish to avoid work or whs
desire to obtain admission to some In.
stitution where they may live without
cost to themselves, and sometimes by
convicts with the hope Of lettering thei'
condition. In fact very many diseases
are feigned, but in the hands Of skill.
f,,I ~ .oso axryNca1