The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14

Philadelphia Inquirer
.rhere they go, swapping symptoms"
said one husband to another, as he watched
their respective wives gabbling together
with breathless interest
tNow, by the time they've finished sum-
ming up ailments each one will probably
be a first-rate subject for the doctors
care"
.Humph," muttered husband number
two. when a woman can't find an ache
or a pain to diagnose you may depend she
is pretty far gone, physically. Funny isn't
it, how they all like to talk over their COM
plants? Wonder how many OF them are
real, and how many imaginary?
Meanwhile the women chartered on in
blissful ignorance of unsympathetic COM
ments. The husbands smiled skeptically as
snatches of the feminine poW-woW dritted
to their ears.
THAT awful sinking sensation, have you
had it, too? And such feeling OF gone
ness"
Nervous? Why, I'm all nerves. The mere
buzzing of fly is enough at times to pros
trate me-"
Take my advice and don't let it run
on. It's likely to develop into something
serious"
When there was a similarity of ailments
the women broke out into enthusiastic lit
scribed symptom which the other couldn't
duplicate the disappointed one FASTENED to
supply the deficiency by some unique and
personal ache.
Before they parted the robust looking
semi-invalids had got far along in con-
fidential exchange of infirmities. Each had
recommended her pet physician and reme-
dies, and each went away in high good
humor over the morbid congenialty of her
visit
Now, just how many of woman's ailments
are real and how many are imaginary, one
wonders with the doubling husband. To be
sure, the ills that feminine flesh is heir to
are in many pitiful instances crosses hard
for the bravest of Ewes daughters to bear,
but isn't there some element of truth in
the suspicion that women are inclined to
look at their physical troubles through
magnifying glass? The craving to be petted,
to be coddled, oftentimeS leads wife into
exaggerating her backaches and headaches;
she is willing TO make them foreruunerS
of dread disease If by so doing she can
wheedle little extra attention and SYM
pathy from her stalWart mate.
This tender comniseration-and a man
feels like a brute If he doesn't give it-does
not act as quietls to future walls, but
serves, rather, as Encouragement to hearth
side languishment.
"A physician brusquely states that two
thirds of the doctors are kept busy by the
crankisms of feminine imaginations. Ger
tainly, a story which comes from Wellesley
College substantiateS the belief that mag
ination plays large part in woman's in
validiSm.
Not long ago, at this college, there was
9. veritable epidemic of appendicitis. How
did it start? One day a Boston professor
of biology lectured before class of Welles-
ley girls. When they left his presence they
were haunted by fear of the terrible agonies
to be endured If the vermiform appendix as
serted Itself. Within few days six of these
students were applicants for the hospital:
When medical aid was called the girls fell
to describing appendicitis symptoms. They
all had it, they were certain 1t was ap-
pendicitis. and there wasn't shadow of
doubt in their minds that they were Mt
subjects for thu operating table. When.
however. it was discovered that one of the
six was having appendicitis on the wrong
side, the anxiety of the faculty was as
suaged.
nations, were hustled back into the class
ROOM and given. let as hope. course of
lectures upon imagination and its relation
to disease.
We may preach reform until doomsday;
we may pirate to the end OF creation OF the