Evening journal., 1898-07-13
PHANTOM LIMBS.
explanation of the Sense of Feeling
in Members That Have Been
Amputated.


We refer a sensation at once to it's
source in the finger tips or the ear or
the nose, OF wherever IL may be, and so
expert have we become in recognizing
the source that we localize the sensa-
ton itself there, thinking Of the sensa-
tion of touch as being in the skin Of the
finger instead of the brain, where IT.
actually is. Hence he who has lost
a finger refers directly 20 the absent
member any irritation of the nerve that
formerly connected with it, and can
scarcely believe that it is not in its old
place. This phenomenon is familiar
enough and many are the superstitlons
to which it has given rise, but it is only
Of late that il has received serious sci-
enti1c study. A recent work on the
subject is that of NJ. Abbatucci, pub
lished in Paris, which has called forth
paper by Prof. Pitres, contributed 20
the Annales Observation-Disclosures Of
that city. We quote belowpart OF an
abstract from the National Druggist.
Says that paper; is
M. Pitres shows that the illusion of
the existence of limb Gin place of one
which had been amputated) may go so
far as TO cause many accidents. In the
majority of cases the illusion is so per-
feet and vivacious that It constantly de-
ceives the intelligence Of the individual,
so imperfectly does It force itself upon
him, Some of those who had lost
limb, questioned by NJ Pitres, declared
that they felt the amputated limb fre-
guently more really and substantially
than they did the one still attached TO
the body, Sometimes they got to be-
lieving more firmly upon the existence
OF the phantom limb than upon those
members that remain, as In the case OF q
patient of DR.. S. Weir Mitchell, who de-
clared: I state only the truth when
say that l am more conscious Of the ex-
istence in place OF the limb that lost
than OF the one that saved
MANY of Prof. Pitres' patients made
analogous declarations 'Parbleul' said
one. 4 know mighty well that have no
right lsg-yet, when I try 10 analyze
my sensations, feel that leg there.
Why, feel the foot this minute more
distinctly than I do the left one, which
is there before my eyes. 1t (the phan-
toni hurts me, while the other docs not.
II could not assure myself by the touch
aud sight of the stump, nothing could
convince me that the right leg was gone.
am having constantly to reason with
myself in order to convince myself OF
the unrealness of my sensations
"When the illusion is as clear rs In
these cases, the person Is constantly un-
consciously inclined to attempt to use
the phantom limb. DR. Wier Mitchell
tells Of a horseman who had lost an arm.
and, thinking to take the reins IA the
amputated hand, dropped them on the
neck Of the horse, which was high-spir-
ited and, leaping to one side, threw the
rider, badly injuring him. Another
party who had lost his right hand nj
ways tried to pick up his work with that
hand, which invariably caused him at
of evaporation.
"As might be imagined. such unfor-
tunates are constantly meeting with
accidents which might have easily been
avoided but for the unconscious conf
| hNnCt uuu III tue tNisltuct Oh the Dnln-
tom limb. DR.. Pitres tells of heavy
man who had lost an arm, and who, In
dressing one morning, lost his equili-
brium. and, starting TO fall, put out the
phantom arm TO steady himself, and. as
consequence, had a severe fall.
eve remember an old soldier who had
lost half of both feet, and the injury had
been partially repaired by a maker OF
artificial limbs. This man would ST
for half hour at time rubbing the
ends of his shoes. where his eorns
formerly were, and swearing It the pain
the phantom corns were giving him.
He would frequently declare; There's
going to be n change of the weather
my corns are hurting me- On being
reminded that he had no corns he would
say: Never mindl feel 'em all the
same
"Now that the results Of the investi-
cations have proven the realness Of the
sensations caused by these hallucinh.
tions, and the suffering produced by
them, we may hope that science will
discover some II means of preventing
,them,"-Literary Digest.