The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-06
Ml1Il}n f,agle
WALL PAPER UELIRIUM.
EFFECT OF GRoTESoUE DESIGNS
ON THE WEAK AND SlCKLY.

How the Figures the Wall Photo
graph Themselves on the Mind of the
Invalid and Repeat the Patterns in the
Lonely Brain of the Helpless.
az was nearly driven out of my mind
this morning at the barber's," said a man
complainingly, a day or two ago. "You
see, the ceiling is decorated in an odd way
with white and gold plaster, put Oh in
circles. The rings begin small and gradu-
ally enlarge to about the size of cheese
plate, and are repeated again and again.
Lying back on the chair, my eyes had only
the ceiling to look at, and Of course
dared not move my head
Presently caught sight of fly, or a
spot of black that mistook for one, and
began to speculate whether it was fly.
watched it to see whether it would move,
80 that lmight be sure. One does the most
fdiotic things at times under enforced still
ness, as when in BARRIERS chair The
more watched the more certain l was
that the thing was fly, but it wouldn't
move. Something else did. After a few
minutes Of steady watching the circles be-
gan to revolve faster and faster, but the
black spot remained perfectly still
''In desperation / removed my glare to
another set of circles, only to find that the
one revolving set had started all the others.
Round and round they went in perfectly
bewildering fashion, until, in a sort of
agony, closed my eyes, but even then ]
could see them whirfing around. l never
was so relieved in my life as when got of
that chair and out of the shop"
That mans experience was not an I'M
common one, as any person will testify
who has lain on bed of sickness, unable
to move or to think very clearly, and has
watched the pattern of the paper on the
wall.
WALL PAPER AND IMAGINATION.
Nothing could well be more horrible
than the waking delirium produced upon
the Imagination of the sick by tracing the
wall paper pattern. 1t will assume all
sorts of ghostly, CHASTITY and grim designs.
An elaborate pattern in cream white and
gold will easily take on the appearance of
an Indians head in full war paint and
feathers, with grinning teeth and CLEAN
ing eyes.
When this is seen over and over again
on all sides of the room, in every corner,
at every angle, when the terrible eyes at
last seem to follow the sick sufferers
glance whichever way he looks, then the
than described.
A short time ago there was a craze for
wall paper decorated with feathers in gilt
OF course the pattern, though elaborate
and ever changing to the appearance at
first, was in reality repeated over and over
again. The same sets of peacock, chicken
and pheasant feathers required in slanting
rows upon each strip of paper. 1t took the
Sroa Of or fO
conjure up a delirium from the pretty
design. To him the feathers performed a
sort of diabolic quadrille; they flew hither
and thither. They jumped and pranced.
The peacocks bowed to the pheasants, and
the chickens curled around and over and
under the rest like the widest flights of
the widest troupe CT Majiltons or Girards
In existence.
Then the feathers began to have eyes
that looked at the sick man, that Ieered at
him, that laughed at him. They began a
sort of hellish witches frolic over and
around his bed, close to his pillow, until at
last, in an agony of conscious delirium (for
he was perfectly cognizant of the illusion),
he shrieked out aloud for some one to talk
to him. to say something to divert the fear
full current of thought that very soon
would have made a raving maniac of him.
ONE SICK GIRLS EXPERIENCE.
What is known as the Greek key pattern
Is prolific of this delirious illusion. 1t has
many variations, but it is always more or
less alike. The squares, after being stared
at steadily for a short while, begin to re-
volve like wheels, only they are square
wheels, and they take on a peculiar lessen
ing and enlarging effect which is horribly
Irritating at first, and then agonizingly be-
wildering.
Some parents think they are giving a
great deal of pleasure to their children
when they paper the nursery with design
repeating again and again the stories of
'Little Bo-peep," Mother Hubbard"
"The House That Jack Built and the
like. 1t is not always kindness. A tiny
girl patient of five years a little while ago
had her recovery from a low fever retarded
for some weeks by one of these wretched
wall papers. She knew all the stories by
heart, but from her position in the little
cot in which she lay some of them were I'M
finished on the wall. Notably one of Jack
and Gill going up the hill to fetch pail OF
water.
She could see all of the series except the
tumble There she lay, day after day, look
ing at the pictures and wondering. Il
wonder if they will" she kept on saying,
and not one of her nurses was clever enough
TO find out what was troubling the poor
little brain. At last she almost fretted
herself into a second attack of the fever,
when one day the doctor entered the room
snd heard her plaintive, wondering cry.
Wonder if they Will what, little one?"
he asked.
Fall down the hill" she said. ''I tan't
Bee!'
"Who2 Jack and Gill? Why, of course
they will. Look, I'll raise you up so you
can see." And suiting the action to the
word he raised the weary little body, and
she saw the picture of the sprawling
youngsters From that day she began to
recover.
A TERRIBLE MALADY.
Another painful amusement for the sick
is making fancy designs out of the patterns
on the wall paper. Take, for example. one
Of those common, cheap papers with a
sprig of flowers repeated in diagonal lines
The patient begins by forming square Of
four flowers. Then larger one with six
teen, then he cuts it up into four small
ones, then makes an oblong, then dia-
mond, then hectagon, a triangle, half a
dozen trlangles, squares and diamonds
He forms chess board.
He breaks it up in pieces He follows it
about all round the room. He starts in TO
count the sprigs or punches of flowers He
tries to change the design by converting
the squares into circles and so on. He at
last can trace the design behind the pieces
of furniture where he cannot see it. He
becomes hopeessly and imbecilely insane.
He hides his face in the bedelothes only
10 find himself doing the same thing IN
the dark, and when he again uncoverS his