San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-09
HGSTERIA MAJOR.
EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS OF THE
EXPERIMENTS OF PROF. CHARCOT.

EXPERIMENTS OF PROF. CHARCOT.
He Makes the Nerves of His Subjects Hi:
Playthings-A Girl Who Smiled on One
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 a lecture delivered al
the Salpetriere asylum. about 200 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 hand
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 ford
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 hysteria major
The elder woman was afflicted with paralysis
years. She was at present in a 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 she would only
receive in the way Of food certain nutritive
liquids, which she swallowed automatically
Professor Charcot here directed an attend.
-. !. -.
This she did, and holding the glass with one
hand while she raised the woman's head with
the other, she waited until the entire con-
tents of the goblet had been slowly swallowed.
Several times during the seance the patent
bent slowly and heavily forward with a
swaying motion, for no apparent reason, as
If to salute the audience, ard always accom-
panying the movement with a hOGrse, mar
ticulate sound, somewhat like the snarl Of a
dog, There was something ghasily in this to
one not hardened to dsseotiug room horrors.
Various tests were MADE to demonstrate the
impossibility Of waking the woman \ large
brass gong was sounded with almost deafen-
ing din directly over her head Her nostrils
were tickled with a feather, and she was
made to inhale ammonia. Nothing had the
slightest effect. Her eyes remained closed,
and she gave no sign Of sensibility.
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 leUhargic girl,
who is one of Professor Charcots pet sub
lects. 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 a 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 smile.
Curiously enough, she only smiled on the
side where the pressure was applied.
1t 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 meSial nerve,
near the former, was touched, her arm would
spring up in a pugilistio attitude, with the
fist tightly clenched, and on applying the
pencil to what is vulgarly known as the
''funny bone' she would lift her arm as if
pronouncing a benediction, the first and
heavenward Nothing of this sort had any
effect upon the other subject.
An experiment with the gong, which had
been vainly beaten above the first patient,
produced startling effect in this case. The
Chef de Cliniqus had struck but single
blow on the sounding brass when the young
girl started up as by an electric shock. She
sat straight up, with her eyes wide open, and
but for their fixed, stony gaze one might
have fancied her awake. She had passed in
an instant from the state of lethargy into
that of catalepsy. She neither moved nor
spoke.
Professor Charcot proceeded. to show that
pressure upon the nerves no longer produced
muscular contra ction. We were in the pres
ence Of new set Of phenomena. The pro
fessor lifted the girls right hand to her lips,
as if she were throwing Axis. .Inst2ntlY the
ro,-r,,r,--,, ~, NJuxr Dr.