San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-02
CHEATING HYsTERIA.
A RbysicIan Says the Best Cure Is
to Ignore IL.

"A Oil" OlOAOh
who has been married about q year
to young woman who appeared al.
together admirable to the eyes of the
world, called on his family physician
the other day and said:
"Doctor, wish you would come
and look at my wife. She seems
healthy, and can go about without
difficulty, but she has hystericsl
fits.n
"Ah! At what time do these fits
overtake herr"
"When she IL alone with me. Auy
contradiction or opposition to her
wishes brings on q tit."
"How long has she been troubled
in this manner"
Ever since We were married"
"Were any OF the symptoms shown
while you we're courting?"
mo. sir.n
"Ah! What do you do during the
prevalence of these fits?"
II loosen her dress, battle her fore
head, give her smelling salts end en-
deavor to soothe her."
"Of course you yield the point at
issue that originally excited her ?"
"Oh, yes. l invariably do that at
once. Otherwise the paroxysms be-
come 80 violent that they seem dan
gerous."
"Humph! Next time sine has such
q fit leave her alone and walk out of
the house."
"Sir !"
you heard me. Now do as I tell
you or don't come to me for any more
advice"
With q very red face the young
husband picked up his hat and
marched to the door.
"Sir, you are no gentlemsnW he
shouted. Then he marched away.
"TheTe goes another fool, said the
doctor.
"Two-thirds of this hysteria Is
shamming, and the cure In many
cases can only be effected by leaving
the subject strictly alone. The half
insane desire to deceive becomes 80
strong by cultivation that in very
fully developed hystericsl subjects
the mind achieves such extraordina-
ry triumphs over the body that ex-
pert students OF hysterioal phenOme-
ma are constantly deceived.
"Four years ago there came to this
country from Honduras q man who
had developed hysteria. He was six
feet in height and q magnificent speci-
man. He had broken his kneepan and
needed treatment. So he claimed
Really there was nothing the matter
with him except q desire to deceive
the doctors This desire had became
an overmastering impulse q sort ofin-
sanity. He did persuade many physi.
clans who examined him that his
kneebau was fractured. Afterward
ne took 1t into head to make the doc
tors believe that he was psralyzed on
one side. They applied burning
matches TO his skin, they branded
him with red-hot irons, cut him with
knives and stuck him with needles,
but he never betrayed any feeling.
They did not let him see what they
were going to do. In many cases
one physician would engage his
attention by talking to him in
front while the other would stab him
suddenly from behind when he was
in the midst of an interesting CONVEX
sation. 1t made no difference. He
had made up his mind to be para
lyzed and to all intents and purposes
he was psralyzed. After two years
OF this kind of thing he went to
Europe, found that things in.
terested him more than fool
ing doctors, and his paralysis
and broken knee completely dissp-
peared. When he came back to
America year later, he was in per-
feet health. He is married and living
in this city, and is as solid a man you
would be likely to meet anywhere.
1--WE had another very extraordin-
airy case in this city not very long ago,
in which q woman sued wealthy
man for damages for assault.
she had come and made disturb
ance in his house and he had
put her out. She claimed that
she had received most serious in
juries and that she was paralyzed for
life. Many experts examined her, and
all, except one. came to the conclusion
that she really was psralyzed. They
tested her every way they could think
of, pretending to attempt a cure, but
really DESTROYS of assuring them
selves whether she was really para
lyzed. On one occasion they told her
that they were going to see whether
scoring her back bone with a red-hot
iron would not effect cure. They
made q display of the red-hot iron
and suddenly drew q piece of ice
down the back bone. There was not
a twiDge or finch. So it was when
they tried her with concentrated es.
sence of ammonia and with needles
plunged suddenly into the feet when
she was plunged suddenly into the
feet when she was talking. She ne
yer seemed to know what was done.
All these experts testified that the
woman was paralyzed for life; yet
when she got q big sum of money
from the rich man the paralysis left
her and she walked IS well as ever.