The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-27
HICcoUGHLVG NOT UNDERsTooD.
Doctors Not Able to Explain the
Phenomen on or Control IT..
Tow, +1,s III ,,e,r Fr,i..a.


New York. Jan. 1S-The case Of DR.. G.
II. Clark, who has been hiccoughing for.
more than a week, attracts renewed al
tention to the subject.
\ hiccough seems to be a phenomenon
beyond the conlTol of medical science.
Doctors can describe it and have described
it, and the substance of their wisdom ni
the matter is that a hiccCugh is "a spas
modic contraction of the diaphragm, with
a concomitant closure of the CLOTHS" but
when it comes to a remedy, the farmers
wife, with her prescription OF salt and
water to be taken in great gulps, or the
fifteenth century leech who treated this
ailment with a horse hair, fastened across
the upper lip, are as near to and as far
from curing 1T as the most learned physi-
clan Of this learned age. So far no reme~
dy has been found for it.
At the outset Mr.. clark thought little Of
the matter, except as he was annoyed by
being kept awake, but when the trodhls
had continued for about two hours.
sudden and violent spasm of the throat
attacked him. Mrs. Clark came at his call
and, between gasps, he told her to send
for the doctor at once.
I'm choking to DEATH" he cried. u
can't get my breath"
DR.. Jenkins, a homeopathic physician
who had been treating Mr. Clark, was
summoned at once. The choking spasm
had passed, but the hiccoughing still kept
up with regularity. After staying until
morning with the sufferer, Dr. jenkins
left, saying that he would come back later.
You need have no fear of his dying fron4
one of those choking SPELLS he assured
Mrs. Clark. They are very painful but
not dangerous. They are merely nervous
spasms of the CLOTHS, and will take. care
of themselves. The muscles of the throat
being wearied by the continual hiccough-
ing, contract, causing the choking sensa-
ton.
When DR.. Jenkins called in the morning
he found the patient still hiccoughing. Hes
tried some simple remedies, which had
little or no effect and later called IN Dr.
Hallock in consultation. Since then tne'
two physicians have been devoting a.
great deal of time and study to the case.
All that they tried in the way of stopping
the hiccoughing was in vain Instead OF
growing lighter the trouble seemed to in
crease. The hiccoughs racked and shook
the patient terribly, and from time TO
time the spasms would seize and choke
him so that his struggles for breath Were
distressing to witness. A trained nurse
was secured to be within call OF the
patient 1t all times. Twice day the ooc-
tors called, but still the hiccoughs per-
sisted Eight hiccoughs to the minute
little variation. The only change mas
been that from time to time the hiccoughs
seemed to moderate in violence. Inc
WEAKNESS of exhaustion finally asserteI
itself to such an extent as to produce
sleep even while the trouble endured. In0
patient eats, although swallowing re
quently brings on the spasms of the glol-
tbs. Except for the hiccoughlng' en0
patients condition is good.
Two dif6pu1tiaS fprpSent themselves ~
the doctors in the treatment of the cas-
The first is the uncertainty as to the eausSs
of the trouble. and the other is the iach ~
medical precedent and literature on ~
subject. 1t is possible that some OF a.
trouble, such as a tumor underhes W
case, and If this is so the hiccoughlhs .
merely symptom. The regularity OF tilo
hiccoughing would seem to point to th-s-
Last summer Mr.. Clark had al severe a.
tack of the grip, which left him SUBJECT ~
sudden attacks of dizziness.
Whether or not this may have any pea
ing on the case, the doctors do not khe".
If the brain is affected nothing definite Ao9
yet appeared to show the nature OF tho
trouble. Drs. jenkins and Hallock bele.o
that the hiccough is simply nervous o.
lection, q phenomenon arising from sun
peculiar nervous condition, ana Aot
symptom of some underlying dincuiy.
A similar case to that of DR.. Clark o.
CURED IN Newark IN 1855. A res
that city was attacked with hiccousls
which defed the efforts of all the doctors
to cure them. The patient himseH a.
that he was subject to hiccoughlng
after shaving. a statement which leu
the discovery that pressure on a Ger a. e.
nerve just under the chin affected the -
coughs. The nerve was cut at pol,nss
above the point of pressure. The rev. ~
was only temporary, however. Later -
hiccoughs stopped of their own acco--
for several hours. but began again as l-s -
teriously as they had stopped. The n''--
died in about three weeks,
Another case was that of a New JeIsIIy
bartender, who hiccoughed for 49,
People sent him hundreds Of prescrlp -,
Of all sorts, many of which he tried Ises
gave him no relief. Finally he discaI u -
them all, and one day the hiccousn a,
stopped abruptly. He has never Oe'7
troubled with. them since 24-~L--------