The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-06
ST.LOUIS STORM.
Aftermath of Great lorna
do in That City.
Many Nervous Diseases Were
Caused by the Storm.
Various Forms Of Hysteria and
Other Mental Ailments.

Little has been said of ono Of Che sad.
dest as we'll as one of the most serious re.
suits of the recent tornado. There are
hundreds of persons In st. Louis who, al.
though they passed through the storm ap-
parently uninjured, are nov suffering
from various forms of hysteria, or neuras.
thenia (nervous prostration). The great
excitement of that dark day has caused
somo persons Of nervous dispositions to
lose the power of speech, some have be-
como blind, some have lost the sense Of
taste and smell, and others have been made
so lame that they have never been able to
walk upright since the storm swept over
them. These cases were all due to the
effect upon the nervous system and not to
any external violence.
DR.. Warren B. Outten, chief surgeon Of
the Missouri Pacific Railway hospital and
editor of Tho Railway Surgeon, who for
years has made an especial study of hys-
terra and neurasthenia In cases caused by
great shocks to the nervous system, such
rs railroad wrecks, ETC., has collected some
valuable statistics and information con.
cerning the many cases caused by the tor.
nado. In speaking of the matter, he said:
Nervous shock under the influence Of
tornado seems almost the same as a nerv-
Gus shock from any other source where
sheer intensity Of circumstances makes 10
productive of all the degrees Of this pas
sion as expressed by the words fear, dread,
terror and CONSERVATION. The psychic
condition was one Of general obliquity &c
external impressions In which many vol.
untary aots wero performed almost au-
tomatically, the higher mental faculties
alone being In abeyance Here strobe a
woman up the street Immediately after
tho cyclone had ceased with her dress high
up around her waist, oblivious to sur
roundings, with fixed look, staring straight
ahead, carrying beneath her arm flower.
pot and in 1t q ruined plant Another
woman followed almost in nude con.
dition, carrying q bird cage minus its oc.
cupont. They acted as In a dream, thor.
oughly dazed and having the vacant stare
of tho hypnotic.
Person after person aimlessly wan.
dered, unconscious Of their surroundings
or Of the calamity which had occurred.
One person informed me that he had wan
dered for four hours In this condition, ut
terly oblivious of what had occurred or
where he was; that he was 80 dazed that
he lost his way home many times, and at
times found that he was talking at an ex-
cited rate; also that when he arrived at
home there was an almost Irresistible i'm.
pulse to still aimlessly wander. On the
faces Of many could be noticed a blank,
yet pinched expression, an inattentive,
blunted mentality, seeming inability to
concentrate attention or to think, while
In others an increased impressionability
arose, making them refrain from CONVEX
sation, and, as some expressed 1t, 'Oh, l
want Co be alone, entirely alone. The
change In voice was very noticeable. Some
talked with cyclonic explosiveness, while
others had "a halting speech and again
others whispered utterance. In many
claiming to be unaffected by the tornado
was seen the hysterical involuntary SYM
metry Of movement SO frequently charac-
teristio of this disease, Some would detail
stories, showing plainly that peculiar ex-
citability present in hysteria, where ener-
getic movements were necessary to prevent
irritating mental effects.
MANY persons spoke OF the inordinate
oppression of the silence which followed
Immediately after the terrific and almost
Supplying roar Of the cyclone. Tho infiu'
encc of this silence seemed TO add an In
tense impressionability In many persons,
al cause.
"Spcaking in regard to the loss of voice
by Persons who passed through the storm,
Imay mention the interesting case OF q
mother who rushed TO her child immedi'
ately after the disaster, and, taking it In
her arms, saw Its lips moving, but could
hear no sound. She at once surInised that
the child had lost its voice. and IL was some
time before shc could bo brought 10 the
realization of the fact that she had lost the
sense of hearing and that her child was
all right. Many instances can be related
where, owing 20 the intense fright, all the
special senses were involved. / have seer
two cases whore the nervous system was
40 affected that the gait or carriage wal
materially changed. Both OF these were
from purely hystcricai causes. Neither
| Of these persons was injured externally In
| tho least, but after tho storm they walked
with bent back, dragging leg and much
trembling.
"ln many instances insomnia was the
constant attendant of the other maladics
| The loss of momory was not infrequcnt
| This was undoubtedly due 70 the weaken
cd coalition OF the brain incidental 10 th'
fear I'll ~ the tornado. However, II
isN wn that the memory exists IN
SUI on cxtent sufficient 70 p"-
| m. i'gr 90 Give dates and incidcnt'
cot ~ ae,idont but there Is IL
WIN inability 10 concentrate th'
att any Other subject, hence tbcil
cor is not only halting, bu
cont they refuse % talk ~ all
"lt D, well demonstrated fact that con
tributcd elements Of modern civilization
generate mental conditions with full fo-c'
and effect; that the exccssivo use OF mar
cotics and stimulants and tho lack q
proper exercise, high living and tho con,
qucnt absorption OF Organic poisoms n
| inintcd foods all tend I'm the direction 81