Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-08
BODILY EFFECT OF EMOTIONS.
Puerperal Fever, ErysipelaS and Other
Diseases Sometimes Result.

Many serious maladieS have been at
trlbuted to the action of moral influ-
, eIces, says the Revue Scientifique
Sennert believed that fear was capable
OF inducing erysipelaS Hoffman also
made fear and the consequent adyna-
! mia play an important part as a pre-
diSpoSing cause in contagious disease.
Dr.. II. luke laid stress on the inf1u-
, ence of fear in the contagion of rabies,
and, i'm fact there are innumerable cases
on record of emotional patients who
suffered all the pains and inconven-
fences of numerous maladleS, inaugu-
rated solely by emotional disturbances.
Depressing emotions frequently appear
to play an important part in the de
yclopment of tuberculosis. PuerperaI
fever is also encouraged by depressing
moral emotions. Il have often" says
NJ HervieuX, ""seen young women in
fair way to recovery hurried into NOR
tai illness by reproaches or mental agi-
tatiOn from whatever cause" The
view finds very general support among
the members of the profession The
emotions also play an important part
in the evolution of diseases following
surgical operations. The facts observed
under this head are apparently in
harmony with modern theories as to
the causes of contagiOn and of immu-
nifty from infectious disease On one
of these theories, the mesOdermic cells,
and particularly the white corpuScles
are charged with the function of pro-
tecting the organism against the inva-
sion of disease microbes. We know
that these leucOcyteS possess the pow
er of sending out prolongatiOns, and
of envelOping the object of their attack.
In this way they destroy the invading
foes by a process of real intracellular
digestion Now, dilatatiOn of the peri
pheric vessels occurs in a3thenic emo
tons, as is manifest by ruddiness of
the skin, increase of volume of circula-
ton and functional eXaltation. In as
thenic emotions, on the contrary, there
are diminution of circulation, contrac-
ton of the blood vessels and conse.
quently a condition unfavOrablc to the
activity of the leucocytes.
Asthenic emotions may thus be regard
ed as corresponding in their action to
trauma tisms, chill, fatigue, hamilton,
loss of blood, etc. 1t is not merely
that the condition of the vessels change
under emotional disturbances, but the
leucocytes themselves exhibit the infiu-
ence of changed condition in apparent
loss of vitality with corresponding loss
of the property being attracted to the
invading microbes or the products OF
their secretion. 1t has been observed,
too, that under defective conditions OF
nutrition, as well as after nervous ex-
element or emotional disturbance, the
liability to Infection is greatly enhanced
and this appears easily explicable
on the theory that the whole organism
is under such conditions, impregnated
with a poison sufficient to engage all
the activities of the leucOcyteS, to the
neglect of the invading foe. The infiu-
ence of the emotions on infection Is,
moreover, susceptible of direct expert
mental demonstration. Having under
my care a number of feeble-minded
persons capable Of taking interest in a
mOnOtOnOuS exercise, l made use OF
them to Try the effect of fear upon 4
considerable number of small animals
pigeons, rabbits and white mice.
Both the frightened animals and others
which had been left at rest were then
inoculated with cultures of pathogenic
microbes carbUlncle, chicken cholera,
pneumo- enteris, and FraenkeFs pneu-
mo-cocus. In all the experiments
without exception, the frightened ami
mails were the first to succumb, if the
cultures were virulent enough to cause
death, while if the cultures were atten-
uated, only the frightened animals
died We have seen animals little sUs-
ceptible to the influence of fear. Moral
shock is in reality equivalent to a cere-
bral commotiOn, and without forcing
analogies too far, it is easily compre-
hensible hat it is capable of provoking
cerebral LESSONS.