Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-01-14

DR.. William O'Neill, late physician to
several Lincoln Institutions. sends the
following account of a strange expe-
rience to the London Lancet 1t de-
scribes a case of that very old and COM
monplace complaint, jealousy. or
spirit of jealousy" as ii is named In
the scriptures, where 1t is fully de-
scribed and treated. Some years ago,
he states, l was requested to visit a
lady who. it was represented to ms,
was very i'll, and required immediate
attention. On entering the house
was shown into the so-called sick
room, in which there were three per-
sons, all of whom seemed TO be in good
health. There were present an old
lady (owner of the housed and her
daughter, who had arrived few days
previously from a neighboring 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. 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. remark
ably fair and handsome and was 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:
II am the patient, and my complaint
is jealousy. / am jealous of my hus-
band and II you do not give me some
thing TO relieve me | shall go out of
my mind" This accusation against the
little man seemed to me to be most
ridiculous: indeed, could not help
thinking that IL the accuser had been
accused it would have been more in the
nature OF things. assured the lady
was extremely sorry for her, the more
so that / was quite incompetent to
treat such a case. The husband pro-
tested his innocence and declared there
/ was no cause whatever for her aeeusa-
tons. The wife persisted in reiterat-
| till suddenly she fell from her chair on
| the floor in fit, the spasmodic move
! ments Of which were strange and
/ varied At one moment the patient
was extended at full length, with her
body arehed forward, in a state Of
opisthotonos. The next minute she
was in a sitting position with the leg:
drawn up, making, while her hand;
clutched her throat, a cultural noise
Then she would throw herself on hel
back and thrust her arms and leg!
about, to the no small danger of thost
around her. Then, becoming compare
lively quiet and supine, she woult
culver all over, while her eyelids trem
bled with great rapidity. This state
perhaps, would be followed by genera
convulsive movements, in which sh'
would put herself in the most gro
tesque pastures and make the most un
lovely grimaces.
| At last the fit ended and, exhausted
and in tears, she was put to bed. TIL
patient was 1.-THE, muscular woman
and to restrain her movements durinl
the attack with the assistance at ham
was a matter Of impossibility; so tina
all that could be done was to proven
her injuring herself and to sprinkl
her freely with cold water. The after
treatment was more geographical thai
medical. The husband ceased doin
business in a certain town where tn
object of his wife's suspicious lived
He was enabled to do so by the kind
ness OF a friend, who exchanged par
OF his district with him. The At wa
not the disease, but it was the symp
toms or manifestation of mind dis
eased or deranged, the state of tn
mind being the result of woman
broodings over her real or imaginar
wrongs.