The Saint Paul globe., 1902-05-04
Queer Actions of Some People
Who Are Determined
to Be Sick
IT'S FUN FOR PHYSICIANS
Doctors Relate Strange Cases of
Healthy People Who Arc Con-
vinced That They Are
Close to Death.

Are you hypochondriac? Mr.. Webster
says hypochondriac is one who is NOR
bioly depressed or causelessly anxious
about his health. Local physicians say
there are many such in ST. Paul. An in
diligence in the hypochondriacal fad is ex-
pensive, as most luXuries are. Tehrefore
there are few hypOchondriacs among the
very poor.
1T is not exclusively a feminine fad.
this fancying one is i'll all the time and
in need of the service of doctor" said
a prominent local physician yesterday
but far more women than men are to
be found among it's devotees. A woman
Who has plenty Of money and little to do
must have something to occupy her mind
and in nine cases out Of ten she develops
an aiment. Then she looks about her for
a physician. If that physician is honest
and tells her there is nothing the matter
with her she departs in high dudgeon and
the next ne hears Of her is that she is
being treated by brother practitioner
who is probably laughing in his sleeve,
hut who is also pocketing fat fees
Apropos of this subject the physician
told of an amusing experience he had
with an elderly woman who came to St.
Paul from one of the smaller towns to be
treated for some affection of the eyes
The doctor examined her eyes and could
find nothing at all the matter with them.
In fact, they were unusually good eeys
considering the age of the lady. The pa
tlent, however, was obstinate and stub
born and she had money. She haunted
the doctors office and finally fairly bullied
him into sending her to a hospital. At
first he treated her with amused patience
but at last he became angry and dis
gusted, and resolved to cure her of her
mania. She selected one of the best
private rooms in the hospital and the
doctor insisted on her having constant
attendance. He visited her every day and
injected pure water into her eyes. The
patient began to fancy she was improv-
ing, but the doctor cautioned her to be
careful. Finally, however he pronounced
her cured and sent in his bill. 1t and the
hospital bill amounted to $3.50. The lady
paid it without a murmOr. One afternoon
when the doctor was busy receiving pa
uents, carriage drove UP and stopped in
front of the building. A trained nurse
alighted and assisted the old lady out.
She told the young woman in attendance
that she desired to see the doctor i'm
mediately, but was informed that she
would have to wait her turn. She was
furious, but was forced to bow to the
inevitable. Finally her turn came and
she was ushered into the doctors private
office He had heard something Of the
&C mmOtiOn that she had caused outside
and naturally fancied her business was
urgent But she assured him she had only
called to say goodbye and to thank him
again for saving her sight. 1t took her
almost an hour to do this and the doctor
breathed a sigh of relief when she finally
disappeared through the doorway.
worry Over Their symptoms.
"Hypochondriacs worry quite as much
over their supposed symptoms as really
sick patients worry over theirs, - said an
,fft vl,-y-.
woman who I am sure has consulted
every reputable physician in town. She
faDcieS she has consumption, hut her
lungs are perfectly strong. She came to
me regularly for treatment for month
and then l saw nothing Of her for a year,
when she walked into the Office one day.
She explained that she had become dis
cOuraged with my treatments and had de-
cided TO consult another physician. That
physician in turn was dismissed and an
other tried and so on until she drifted
back to me. Now she is going the rounds
again and I expect any day to see her
walk into the office"
A woman doctor seen refused to take
up the cudgels in defense Of her own sex.
'But it is nearly always the nervous type
Of woman that is afflicted with this par
ticular MANIA" she said. "And the rest
cure that has become so fashionable now
adays really gives woman some excuse
Tor consulting a physician and for going
to hospital 1t sounds very much bet
ter to say that a woman is taking a
rest cure than to say she is a hypochon-
driac Yet really the rest cure is only
one form of this mania. Please do not
think that L condemn the rest cure On
tho contrary, indeed! 1t is an excellent
thing. indeed, it is a necessary thing for
the OVerWorked woman whose nerves are
on edge. But the trouble is this class Of
woman seldom has time to take the rest
cure. They wait until nervous prostration
comes and more vigorous treatment IS
necessary But the woman of wealth and
leisure who has the time to coddle her
self invariably discovers some alarming
symptoms and hastens to consult her
family physician. He tactfully prescribes
rest, and a private room in a hospital
Immediately suggests ITSELF"
Thought She Swallowed PIN.
''The queerest case that has ever come
TO my attention" said doctor whose
work has been chiefly in hospitals, was
that of a girl about twenty-five years
Of age who lived with her parents in
New York. These parents were plain,
hard-working people, but the father made
enough to render it unnecessary for the
daughter to engage in any occupation
She was an unattractive girl and had alb
solutely nothing to occupy her mind ex-