The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-04-14
A WOMAN'S JEALOUSY
A Strange Case That Was Reported by an
English Physician

DR.. William O'Neill, late physi-
clan to several Lincoln (England) in
situations, sends this account of a
strange experience to the London
Lancet. 1t describes case of that
very old and commonplace COM
plant, jealousy, "or spirit of jeal-
ousy," as it is named in the Scrip
lures, where it is fully described
and treated.
"Some years ago." he states, I
was requested to visit a lady who,
it was represented to me, was very
i'll and required immediate atten-
ton. On entering the house l was
shown into the so called sickroom,
in which there were three persons,
all of whom seemed to me to be in
good health. There were present
an old lady, owner of the house, and
her daughter, who had arrived a
few days previously from neigh
boring county to spend two or three
weeks with her mother, and the
daughters husband, whose visit
was only to be for a day or two.
1.-The man was about 35 years of
age, small in stature, swarthy in
complexion and plain looking. The
wife was striking contrast to her
husband. She was rather tall, re-
markably fair and handsome and
was a few years younger than her
good man. l asked which of them
was the patient, but no answer
having been given to my inquiry l
asked again. Then the younger
lady, with some hesitation, said:
" I am the patient, and my COM
plant is jealousy. 1 am jealous of
my husband, and if you do not give
me something to relieve me l shall
go out of my mind
This accusation against the little
man seemed to me to be most ridic-
ulous. Indeed I could not help
thinking that if the accuser had
been the accused it would have been
more in the nature of things. as
sured the lady / was extremely sorry
for her, the more SO that was quite
incompetent to treat such a case
The husband protested his inno-
cence and declared there was no
cause whatever for her accusations.
The wife persisted in reiterating
them, and so the wrangle went on
till suddenly she fell from her chair
on the floor in a fit the spasmodic
movements of which were strange
and varied.
"At one moment the patient was
extended at full length, with her
body arched forward in a state of
opisthotonos. The next minute she
was in sitting position, with the
legs drawn up, making, while her
hands clutched her throat, a gut.
tural noise. Then she would throw
herself on her back and thrust her
arms and legs about to the no small
danger Of those around her. Then,
becoming comparatively quiet and
supinc, she would culver all over,
while her eyelids tremble,! with
great rapidity. This state perhaps
would be followed by general con-
vulsive movements, in which sbo
would put herself into the most gro
tesque postures and make the most
unlovely grimaces.
AT last the fit ended, and, ex-
hausted and in tears, she was put to
bed.
THE patient was 1.-the, muscu-
lar woman, and to restrain her
movements during the attack with
the assistance at hand was a matter
of impossibility, SO all that could be
done was to prevent her injuring
herself and to sprinkle her freely
with cold water.
1.-The after treatment was more
geographical than medical. The
husband ceased doing business in a
certain town where the object of his
wife's suspicious lived. He was
enabled to do Sc by the kindness of
a friend who exchanged part of his
district with him.
This fit was not the disease, but
it was the symptom or manifesto
ton of a mind diseased or deranged,
the state of the mind being the re-
suit of the woman's broodings over
her real or imaginary wrongs"