Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-05-07
CURING A NERVOUS CRANK.
rrentment Employed In Restoring Wen
Ran Who Imagined He Was III.

Trcntnent Employed In Restoring Wen
Ran Who Imagined lie Was III.
On the east side lives q physician whose
success in the treatment of nervous dis
orders has brought to him, rather against
his own wishes, considerable practice
among 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 enc Of
mental idiosyncrasy, was unwilling to
prescribe a course Of dragging or other
injurious treatment. The man insisted
that his nervous system was completely
tlnstrung and that the physician should
take his case in hand.
There You can see how nervous !
am" said the patient one Gay, in the doc
tors Office, rs he picked mp an incandes-
cent electric light bulb from an adioin-
ing table. Look at that. See how that
carbon coil inside Of the bulb vibrates
ard trec2blos from my nervousness"
Very well, replied the physician, de-
terrined now to deal with the case in
| another way, lyon are more nervous
than supposed, bat think can fetch
you oct al right il i've or six weeks"
An assortment Ct bogus pills and po-
tions was given 10 the patent, and he
was placed unde- rigid rule for sleep,
diet, baths ard exercise. His physical
| health, which had baen excellent TO be-
! gin with. ill., proved steadily: but liisn erv-
Gus condition, as indicated by the ffuc-
tuatiors CT the inc2rdescent bulb. which
he found conveniently at hand every
| time he visited the doctors Office showed
little or 10 trace CT 1.cnding.
One day, however, near tire end Of the
fourth week, the patient, upon taking
| the bulb from its accustomed place and
holding il up to the light. was surprised
| to find that the vibrations OF the carbon
were almost nothing. Bea-aing with
new Lopcfulncss, he called the physi-
| clans attention to the fact. The latter
was surprised and delighted. The pa
tent tested himself with tie bulb in his
right hand, then changed it to his left
! and then repeated the operation, always
with the same gratifying result. The
treatment had done its work. He felt
Ike well man. He was satisfied from
the first that those pills would fix him.
He sailed for Europe the other day."
| remarked the physician, land as he is to
remain abroad for FIVE years l guess
there is no danger CT his learning how
| cured him. He was so taken with the
idea Of testing tho condition of his nerv-
Gus system by the vibrations of the car
bon in that electric light bulb that 1 hu-
Ilored his fancy. After three or four
nr H.
put himself into first class physical con-
dition, l simply changed the bulbs for
him. For the ordinary bulb containing
carbon coil | substituted enc that l
| had made with a fine coil Of oxidized
| silver wire closely resembling the other
and which was so stiff that it was eapa-
| bic of almost TO vibration when the bulb
was held in the patients hand. He took
1t, saw that the vibrations had ceased
and concluded that he was cured.
In some way, perhaps by accident or
when in condition Of mental excitement,
| he had noticed the trembling OF the car
bon in 4 bulb when held in the hand,
and had instantly made up his mind that
| he was suffering from nervous disorder.
| He insisted upon using tho same means
IN testing his progress toward recovery
| that had first persuaded him that he WIS
Ill, and l was compelled TO acquiesce
| and treat linn from that basis. He had
evidently had little experience with these
| bulbs. Ordinary tests and observation
would have shown him that no man.
| however sound, can hold an ircandescent
bulb in his unsupported hand SO steadily
that the carbon inside Of it Will not vi
| brate. New York Herald.