The Dickinson press., 1889-07-13
ATTACKS OF MYSTERIES.
THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS LIMITED TO
WOMEN, AS SUPPOSED.
Quite Common Among Soldicrs-The Ma
t"re and Cause of tho Trouble--Often
Wade to Resemble Hydrophobia-Cases

0ul1e common Among SOldierS-The Ma.
s"re and Cause of tho Trouble-Often
Wade t" Resemble Observation-Disclosures
That Doctors Would Rather Not Have,
Hystcria is a arrangement of the nervous
system which -manifests itself in many diff.
ierent ways. and presents many different
PHRASES As, for instance, one patient may
'~ so violent as to be dangerously unnan.
';-,@a''!e. while another may lie for hours as
though dead. 1t is functional disorder.
affecting different parts Of tho nervous sys
tenn. but exhibiting itself first by mental dis
turhances, the will, reason and Imagination
';'ins perverted. Women suffer from it the
,ncst. and it usually makes its appearance
Between the ages of 20 and 50 years But
men are by no means exempt from it, al
though it is quite rare among them, at least
III this country That would not appear to
!e ;tie rule everywhere, however, for it has
recently been stated that the existence of
hv>tcria among Russian soldiers is by no
means an exceptional occurrence. The affec
tion. it is said, presents in them tho same
diversiticS of form rs it does among women
SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS.
The influences which render one liable to
attacks of hysteria are many 1t is most
likely to occur in women who suffer from
nervous debility, or in those in whom tho
nervous system is highly excitable, and
hence, easily disturbed. Those whose parents
have had such nervous diseases as epilepsy
81 Nitus' dance, insanity, ETC., are peculiarly
liable to become victims of hysteria. Great
mental disturbance, such as fright, anger,
grief, etc, prelisl,oses to its development In
fact, any influence which depresses and
weakens the nervous system may be held as
one of its causes. Children, and especially
li,tlr girls destined in later life to become
hys'erical, often exhibit, says one writer a
peculiar fightiness and excitability of tenn
permanent, violent and unreasonable temper,
ready disposition to cry or scream on the
least provocation, and are especially liable to
the forms Of digestive disturbances which
torment adult Mysteries.
Whimsical appetite, regurgitation of food
Immediately after swallowing and without
nausea, sensations of sinking at the pit of tho
stomach, craving for food, of which only
few mouthfuis cause safety or even disgust
These and other indications of nervous dys-
persia are to be dreaded, not only for their
immediate influence on the nutrition, but as
system most liable to predisposc to the serious
disease in question. Headache, especially
VIXEN seated on one side or in ono temple, is
another symptom, often, of hystsrical sig
niiicance. So, also is liability to pain in
the left side under the heart, which is neural
gia, or else seated in the muscles of the part
The pcrvclsions of sensibility in hystcria are
generally seated OH the left side of the body
nj ip,it tof ofat hos If
ilepsy, but without loss of consciousness
There is no knowing just what turn an hys,
terical attack will take after it's first out
break Sometimes the patients act in the
most insane manner, are mischievous, talk
most ebusively, and even those who are at
other times uncxccptional in their language,
while hysterical "swcar like troopers. Some
are wholly unmanageable and appear dam
gerous to themselves and to others. Not in
frequently, after violent fit of hystcria, the
victims suddenly become quiet-so quiet i'll
decd that they lie as though in deep sleep.
In that state they remain for hours. That
they breathe is, of course, evident, but be-
yond that they do not seem to move muscle.
Among tho symptoms of hystcria, that
which is termed by physicians "globus hys-
tericus" is quite common Patients present.
ing that imagine that lump arises from the
pit of the stomach to the throat, and remains
there, threatening to choke them. In some
hysterical subjects there is also trouble with
the respiratory muscles, causing peculiar,
harsh, rasping breathing What is called
the hysterical cough is not uncommon. 1t is
loud, barking and brassy. Hysterical hydro
phobia, in which tho patients bark like q
dog, snap at things, have convusions, etc, is
doubtless many times taken for the real dis
ease simulated, and certainly would be sus-
pccted in those cases where recovery takes
rlncn