The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-10
CAI FEAR Is
BAD DISEASE
DR.. Mitchell of New York City
Making STUDY
NAPOLEON WAS AFFLICTED
To Touch a Cat Would Have
Caused ParOxVSm
NAPOLEON WAS AFFLICTED

the mere presence Of a cat.
No such thing?
Then ask Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, one of
America foremost neurologists and path
tation to the medical profession TO give
ologists. Since he has issued his invi-
him data of cases OF abnormal cat fear
he has received hundreds of replies from
all over the United States and Canada.
in one day alone last week he had forty
two letters informing him Of definite
cases OF this very remarkable disease
Eminent aIienists agree that the disease
is well defined, a species Of mental dis
order akin to insanity. Furthermore, it is
practically incurabIe. Try as they NAV
with tones, medicine, change of environ
ment the constant presence Of cats, and
even hypnotism, physicians rarely allevi-
ate the patients condition.
Yet who would think Napoleon was
crazy? What man would dare come out
and declare that Earl Roberts, England's
greatest soldier, is mentally unbalanced?
The only fear that the great French En-
peror knew was that of a cat. One cat
had il been able to get into Earl Rob
erts tent in the South African veldt,
could have done more to drive the British
commander into a frenzy of fear than
De Wet and all the rest of his brave men.
Both soldiers-no one doubts that they
are numbered among the bravest of the
brave-have been the same A cat in their
presence has been sufficient to drive them
into a state of such unrest that work
could not be done. To touch a cat would
mean par0xysms beyond control Napo-
leon has had Mysteries more than once
at the sudden sight Of a cat in the sam"
room with him. During the war Earl
Roberts sentineis about his quarters were
always Instructed 10 drive away or shoot
any STRAY cat in sight.
DIR. Mitchell" said his secretary,
speaking about it in Philadelphia last
week, during the doctors absence at
medical convention in Washington, lis
preparing a scientific treatise in this
strange and very unaccountabie malady.
We are RECEIVING hundreds of replies in
answer to the request for data which
Or. Mitchell inserted in several medical
Journals throughout the country.
Or. Mitchell does not want the ex
periences of those who simply fear cat
when it is seen, but actual cases of per-
ror can detect the presence Of n cat in
the room when it is totally unseen. This
IS well known to medical men. but few
have made any research into the subject
Already we have received many well
defined and properly authenticated cases
of persons who are thrown into seri-
Gus nervous condition when cat is in
the room, perhaps under a sofa. unseen
or behind a piece of furniture, Struggled
cut of sight among cushions in chair
or hiding beneath bed. DR. Mitchell
desires to get these people who can feel
the presence Of a cat though they cannot
see it and do not by the use of any OF
their ordinary senses detect it.
Little has been written upon this i'm
nortant subject though we find that the
disease is fairly common. Mr.. Mitchell S
reputation as a nerve specialist and path
oloeist is so worldwide that the result of
his labors along these lines viii be ac-
copied by physicians on both SIDES OIL
the Atlantic as Authorauve.'
All The standard works in insanity re-
Ger briefly to forms Of cat fear. out all
dwell but superficiallly upon the subject
The study of this form of mental de-
rangement mas never been followed up
before but with Dr. Mitchell taking it up
exhaistively the medical world is await
ms with expectancy his statements and
conclusions as 10 its cause, progress ana
ultimate development.
There are many well authenticated
cases in this city besides the famous Kate
Cunningham case, which was long treat
ed at Bellevue Hospital Most Of them
arc among women of highly sensitive or
vanisn and generally prone Ito hysteria
There is an elderly lady who lives with
her mother in a handsome brown-stone
house in Twenty-first street who since her
early childhood has suffered eNcrucia'ing
agony at hte mere presence Of cat. even
unseen The sight OF one approaching
her has often been enough TO throw her
into violent historical paroXysms.
She is as carefully guarded against the
cats as a newborn baby is against
drauehts or bad milk. Everything that
money could do has been done for he.
but 10 no use. once a friend told her that
TO touch the fur OF a cat would effect an
instant cure. For weeks the poor woman
tried to muster up courage TO stroke
harmless little kitten brought in Tor the
purpose. Finally nerved 10 the ordeal
she touched its soft back.
The very feel" of the fur was too
much for her over-wrought nerves. She
fell shriekiug 10 the floor in violent hys-
terics. weeping and laughing by turns
and II was days before she was able 10
leave her bed.
I'VE dospair Of ever stopping this hor-
rible dread which has so afflicted my
eaughter" said the patients mother last
week. "Only the other day she jumped
out Of her chair. CRYING There's a cat
In this room" We laughed at her fear.
We insisted that there wasn't 4 cat in
the house. But TO satisfy her we search
ed the room thoroughly There. under
the sofa. we found "a gray pussy. which
had come into tho house unseen by any
body"
There IS beautiful young girl Of So
ciety who lives in biz house on Madison
avenue. who has the disease in even more
violent form. She has a most unconquer-
able dread Of the furry felines. and it IS
well known among her friends that when
she enters a room she can tell at once if
there is q cat within. Unless it is remov-
ed at once she becomes hystericai Much
10 her shame and chagrin, upon one oe-
casion she rushed up TO a young man
who was total stranger TO her because
a playful pussy made a pass AT her with
fits soft little paw.
Save me- save me- she shrieked.
shrowing her arms about his neck
There she chung desperately. sobbing
violently until some one cried Scat