The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-04-05
St.LouiS Girl FeIIed
By Disease.
SHE READ SENslTlONiL STORIES
Physicians Say SIC 10 . Victim u
Sympathetic Spinal Menins
EItls Nay Not tive. I

ST LOUIS. April As the result
% reading a sensational story about
spinal meningitis. Ycnhu sehreIhsr
Is dangerously On 20 her horne u
that disease. according o. the state
menta msde hy her physicians
Here o. what lB known 10 the med
ieai world ~ case ~ afmpatheuc
contagiau. Tae g'ri-bhe D. u years
old read it aud ~ strong was the
Impression irft 90 ncr mind THAT
she a. once began 90 show aymp-
toms % The dread disease.
But a short ume before tho article
appeared. Mis- ehreiber who vas
an enthusiastic skater. feii while GO
iuK around corner al a skating
rink Beyond a slight iamencaa. dis
appealing me following day. she
showed no effect - her accident. ana
On the Saturday night preceding the
publication 81 the article referred 70
she aueut fun hours on the Ice
After breakfast fhn neat morning
she picked up the paper ana saw
this arfirie. describing spinal fneHia-
sitiH. II Was story Il the Suffer-
ing 81 the victims - the disease.
{
% the allmsnf. ~ well as on its
prevalence. The illustrations we're u
a sensational n1fur-. and the whole
left d strong Impression on the mind
- the glri
She Immediately complained Of
feeling iii aud SAID she haf pains in
her back Her mother. who j. 4
widow. thought her daughter had
strained herkcIf s8th too much ex-
orcisc. and supposed thr soreness q
the FONTS, which almost amounted
10 paralysis. would wear N IN a
few houfH No physician was called
and the only treatment given tho
glrI vas a rubbing with iinlment
Monday morning Miea schreiber
Nas worse. and II WAS considered
well - call a doctor. Mrs. Caroline
=. skinner. a physician. whose Of
Zee e. a Sa. 26a7 Cass avenue. was
called. and after an examination.
said the girl had al the symptoms
af spinal meningitis. although she
could not see. she said. any outward
indication ~ the disease. She con-
tinucd 70 make several calls daily.
aud fnalv became 80 puzzled that
she called into consultation ur. 6.
l.. McElwee and pr. 4. l. Boyoe Of
the Homeopathic College faculty.
The disease was In a peculiar form.
10 BE- sure. but did not vary IN one
particular from the case in the
Newspaper. although that was not
correct In AL il details.
Upon learning that Miss schreiher
had read this article. the physicians
decided that, while their patient cer-
tainly had spinal meningitis. II Was
Of a sympathetic nature. and was
not caused - the fall she had re-
ceived at the rink. and to which they
had previously attributed the dis
ease. Hypnousm was tried 10 cure
she girl. suggestions were made TO
her fhAs she waH not a., but with
out effect The patient grew worse
and sank rapidly.
Yesterday her death was expected
at any minute. The girls family wss
50 tiistra etcd that its members were
unable 60 tell a coherent story Of this
AFFAIR. ard "a was necessary to Oh
tain II from outside sources. The
family carroborated every detail.
however. as did Mrs. DR.. skinner.
and the physician said she could
scarcely hope To save her patients
life. although every effort was being
made and trained aurse was in
constant attendance.
Physicians not interested in the
case said it vas one n the most Pc
culiar that ever came IN their notice.
although similar ones have been
chronicled In the medical records.
Sympathetic contngion Is not rare Ia
families, ar where an afflicted PER
son has been brought in contact
with a friend. they SAID. but this lie
the nrst case where the reading Of
a newspaper article acted upon the