The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-09-18
CURING A NERVOUS CRANK.

Treatment -. 81 II Restoring u Well
Man " Tho Imagined He w. Ill.
On the eaA side Lv, a physician whose
success in the treatment Of dis
orders has brought t. him, rather against
his own wishes. considerable Practice
among a class WHOM he describes as
nervous cranks. One of these pa
tients. a man of large means, had caused
no end of trouble to the doctor, who,
seeing that the case was purely one OF
mental idiosyncrasy. was unwilling to
prescribe a course of drrr-ing or o,fser
injurious treatment. Tie man insisted
that his nervous system Was completely
unstrung and that the physician shoull
take his case in hand.
There you can see how nervous !
an" said the patient n day. in the doc
tors Office. as he picked up an incandes-
cent electric light bulb from an alioin-
ing table. Look at that. See how that
carbon coil inside Of the bulb vibrates
and treinbles from my nervousness
Very WELL" replied the physician. de-
termined now to deal with the case in
another way, ''you are more nervous
than l supposed, but l think | can fetch
you out all right III five or six weeks"
An assortment of bogus pills and ro-
tons was given to the patient, and he
was placed under a rigid rule for sleep.
diet, baths and exercise. His physical
health. which had been excellent to be-
gin with, improved steadily; but his nerv-
Gus condition, as indicated by the fiuc-
tuations of the incanaescent bulb, which
he found conveniently at hand every
time he visited the doctors office showed
little or no trace of mending.
One day, however. near the end of the
fourth week. the patient. upon taking
the bulb from its accustomed place and
holding it up TO the light. was surprised
to find that the vibrations of the carbon
were almost nothing. Beaming with
new hopefulIess, he called the physi.
clans attention TO the fact. The latter
was surprised and delighted. The pa
tient tested himself with the bulb in his
right hand, then changed it to his left
and then repeated the operation. Away
with the same gratifying result. The
treatment had done its work. He felt
like a well man. He was satisfied from
the first that those pills would fix him.
He sailed for Europe the other day."
remarked the physician, and as he l. 10
remain abroad for five years | guess
there Is no danger of his learning how
cured him. He was 50 taken with tine
idea Of testing the condition Of his merry
Gus system by the vibrations Of the car
bon in that electric light bulb that | hu-
mored his fancy. After three or four
weeks Of careful living, and when he had
put himself into first class physical con-
dition, / simply changed the bulbs for
him. For the ordinary bulb containing
3 carbon coil substituted Il that !
had made with a fine coil Of oxldlzed
silver wire closely resembling the other
and which was so stiff that it was eapa-
Bile of almost no vibration when the bulb
was held in the patients hand. he took
it, raw that the vibrations had ceased
and concluded that he was cured.
IN some way, perhaps by accident or
when in condition OF mental excitement,
be had noticed the trembling Of the car
bon in a bulb when held in the hand
and had instantly made up his mind thai
he was suffering from nervous disorder
he insisted upon using the same means
in testing his progress toward recovery
that had first persuaded him that he wal
III, and I was compelled to acquiesc'
and treat him from that basis. He ha
Syidsnny had little experience with thes'
bulbs. Ordinary tests and observation
would have shown him that no man
however sound. can holdaL incandescen
bulb In his unsupported hand SO steadil.
thak ta,s carbon inside Of it will not vi
hrsNe.r-Eew York Herald.