The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-11-06
STIMULATING DISEASE.
STRANGE CASES MET WITH BY Ply
sIcIANS AND OTHERS.

cred.
man. apparently in great bodily PAIN
was found lying upon the sidewalk o.
Front and Chestnut streets, by police
man. Tho man lad fallen "all in heap"
and his story was that he had been way
laid and 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 1t wa:
found necessary to discard the patrol
wagon and to carry the man on stretch
er to a hospital. On arriving as the ia'.
ter institution he was carefully removed
from the stretcher TO a 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 IN sx-
animation, it was found that when pan
was stuck in any portion OF the mani
body below the neck he apparently faaIss
10 feel it, and the natural CONCLUSION IN
der the circumstances was that he had
suffered a spinal injury. 1t was then
proposed to place the patient under IN
anesthetic, with the view OF performing
IN operation, but when the man heard
this he Jumped OF tho cot and darted
quickly out OF the hospital gate aad was
soon lost 10 view. He had been playing
posmm," but for what reaeon will, per-
haps, never be known.
TO AVOID THE DRAFT.
Such eases arc not infrequently ma
with by physicians in their regular prae-
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 10
the medical profession as "malingerers,
and they become particularly numerous
on certain occasions. During the civil
war. mt the time conscriptions were made,
IL was surprising to see the number o.
able bodied men limping along with canes
and apparently suffering with rheuma-
tism or other gripping ailments. While
il Is not always easy, even for an expert
doctor, 10 detect between real and sim
ulated disease, yet he can generally dis
tlnguish between tho genuine and feigned
rheumatism by tho manner In which a
man plants his cane on tho pavsnnsnt.
To understand the difference II b only
necessary 10 watch a man who carries .
cane TO assist him In walking and one
who fourishes cane for pleasure.
Among the disorders generally sanu-
lated are fainting and epilepsy. Both
have been 80 well counterfeted as ~ have
been mistaken for genuine cases. 1t r
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
10 a middle aged woman, apparently suf-
fering with an erleptic attack. She was
surrounded by group OF sympathetic
men and women, and one Of the latter
had procured from a neighboring resi-
dence a pinch Of salt. The woman re-
covered consciousness, however, without
the use OF the 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 number OF nervous peo-
ple. The poor woman was carried out
to the vestibule of the church, and the
physician followed. The seeming epllep-
tic seizure passed off in about Ave min
utes.
FEIGNING DEAFNESS.
The next Sunday there was a repeti.
ton Of the attack. The woman, who
was a stranger to tho 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 settee should be procured
and the woman carried through the
street to police station. In a twink
ling the woman sprang from the chair
in which she had been placed, hurried
from the building and he's not since ap-
peaed at the church.
One Of the methods adopted to mis-
lead Is to feign deafness. This Is one Of
tho tricks resorted to by men who desire
to avoid being placed upon juries. Gen
orally, however, the judges are able &c
fathom the deception, and, by tho use Of
4 little stratagem, it is easily exposed
Men who simulate deafness will clasp al
ear in the palm OF the hand and lear
forward as though tho auditory nerves
were strained to catch what was said
In an unguarded moment tho supposed
deaf man is asked q question in an ordi
nary tone, 10 which he generally replies
md his deception is unmasked.
As q rule, however, illness and Other
physical disabilities are simulated by
people who wish to avoid work or whS
lesire to obtain admission to some in
;titution where they may live without
cost TO themselves, and sometimes by
,onyicts with the hope Of lettering theil
condition. In fact very many disease.
,re feigned. but in the hands OF skill
,ul physician they are soon exposed. A
common method OF Stimulating apoplsxy
by falling down as II deprived OF ssa
;ation and consciousness. Powerful
,timuants, an electric shock, the apph
cation Of hot water or an irritation o.
he nostrils, quickly detect the hnposi
ion. -Philadelphia Ledger.