The San Francisco call., 1897-04-08
encs of Qualters is very remarkable,

ence OF Qualters is very remarka BILE,
though not uncommon.
At an early hour this morning a man
named Hans Olsen was brought to the
hospital suffering from a crushed arm.
He had been struck by a freight train
somewhere near Berkeley, and when
brought to the hospital was sufferin z
acutely. An examination of his inju ury
convinced the doctors that it would be
necessary to amputate the arm near the
shoulder. The operation was performed
and Olsen was put to bed in the ward.
A few minutes later The doctor was fold
ing the arm at the elbow to wrap up and
take away with him. At the same ii me
Steward Tobin heard Olsen screaming in
his cot. He went at once to the sufferer,
who SAID that he could feel his missing
arm being doubled up, and he requested
that 1t be at once Strengthened out into a
conf iorta bic position. Both the steward
and the doctor convinced Olsen that his
limb would be buried in a position of
comfort and the sufferer at once said that
the pain that he had felt had left him.
A few months ago Mrs. Caters, wife of
a well-knowu barber, experienced the
same annoyance from a disme m bered
limb. Mrs. Caters was out hunting and
in drawing her gun after her through
fence the weapon accidentally exploded
ard the charge shattered her leg. 1t was
necessary 20 perform amputation and the
member was duly buried.
Mrs: Caters soon after complained of
suffering great discomfort and pain from
Ter missing limb, and she was not re-
Heved until the leg was disnterred and
placed In another position, since which
TIM it has eased to troubles her.
DR.. c. o. Hamlin, one of the leading
surgeons OF this city, said to-day that such
instances are not uncommon in surgical
practice.
1T is not at all unreasonable" said he
''for any one to have such an experience
when We apply little common-sense to
the existing conditions. A patient who
suffers amputa,ion has been accustom ed
to the use Of the limb all his life. His
mind is accustomed to think of his body
as whole, and when one member is
taken away it is very easy to conceive that
it will be long while before man s mind
can fully realize that il has lost control
absolutely OF one portion of his body. at
such times there is always of course,
acute pain on account of the amputaiion,
and the mind will naturally revert TO th a
portion of the body.
mot being accustomed to attribute pain
TO condition OF affairs with which his
mind Is entirely unfamiliar, he naturally
attributes 1t to he condition of affairs
to which 1t is accustomed. In the case of
Qualters, his limb would naturally feel
peculiar to him. 1t would be painful,
and it would be but natural for him to
imagine that the limb was causing it.
When convinced that the lin is in no
sition of comfort then his mind is at rest.
1 do not see how any other intelligent
exclamation can be made"
DIR. o. l.. Jones, who has given consider
able attention 10 such matters and vn O
has travelled extensively among the un-
civilized tribes OF Africa, says that such
conditions ould cause no surprise. :In
South and Central Africa" he saws. "such
ideas are frequently found, because the
medicine man realizes TO a great extent
the effect OF mind over matter.
ITO great degree they play upon this
knowledge and claim to effect cures with
lizard skins. seeds bark and all kinds of