The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-20
BoNAPARrE FEARED CATS.

| tive.
BoNAPARTE FEARED CATS.
Internes of the hospital recalled that
they had under their observation various
forms OF hysteria which had their origin
In the abnormal fear OF cats. Persons Of
a historical bent recalled that Napoleon
Bonaparte feared cats as he did assassi-
nation. That circumstance gave point TO
the great Chester hoax which was
launched upon the unsuspecting public
Just as the Emperor of the French was
about to board the Bellerophon.
In fact, cats have been a source OF
trouble for centuries, especially the black
variety.
hut why are men and women afraid OF
cats,
THAT 10 a question" said DR.. William
Park Of the department OF health labora-
tory which II IL hard TO answer. l
rather more OF a psychic complaint than
a physical ono. II has It's origin In some
peculiar notion which seems almost In
eradicable. The cure OF IT has more 10
do with hypnosis than medicine"
DR.. Park is an authority on hydropho-
bia. He has charge OF the experimental
work directed toward the prevention Of
| the disease which is said TO come from
| the bite Of rabid dogs and cats He said
II recall tho case Of an estlmable wo-
man who. on approaching her home one
evening. saw two cats sitting at her front
door, one on each side. She called man
who was pa ssing to chase them away.
and when he paid no attention TO her she
screamed. He apologixed. for he said he
had no idea that she was actually afraid
Of the animals, and thcn put them TO
flight"
DIR. John d. Quackenbos, formerly pro-
fessor OF literature in Columbia unver-
sity and q member Of the Society for Psy-
chical Research. has as n physician given
much attention to conditions OF the
nerves and brain. He is also an au
| thority on hypnotism.
WHAT DIR oUACKENBos SAYS.
Just at present" he said. II have no
cases Of cat fear under observation, but !
| have heard OF such cases az those men,
| toned by DR.. Mitchell Tho fear of cats
| is a form OF morbid fear, like the dread
| OF women for mice or the horror some
persons have Of great heights. The cure
! for such condition Is a mental one.
! II is not strange that there should he
| persons who have the power OF detecting
/ the presence OF cats which they cannot
see.
II have had feeling. for instance, that
| some one Ia coming UP the stoop Of my
house. open the door and find that
such is the case. II Is not an unusual
manifestation, for nearly every one who
will think over his own experiences Will
! find something similar TO II.
"The late Austin Corbin II years ago
purchased In Sullivan county, n. H.,
! q. .0o0 acres Of land which he converted
! into a deer park. IL was predicted that
| animals whose natural food was venson
would some day OF their own accord APP
pear In that park. Two years age
I
I I'm that park OF r family Of mountain
| lions. and other observers reported that
/ they had seen several varieties OF tho
| lynx.
"By what mysterious power did the
| great cat a century vanished from that
! region, become aware OF the presence OF
deer in Blue Mountain park? ! believ,
that was telepathic communication. The
| great fear OF four thousand animals oi
\ the deer trbe-projected know not
where--may we'll have communicated
with fugitive panthers In the Alleghanie:
/ or in remote areas Of the Green or Adj.
/ rondack Mountains.
| oft does not seem unreasonable that q
the mind Of a person who fears cats tho
presence OF a feline may be communi-
/ Gated That IL rather para pathy, tho
hand. 80 Distinguished from telepathy
which implies distance.
KATE CUNNINGHAMs CASE
"one of the best known cases ~ recent
years. which illustrates the fear OF cats
I is that Of Kate Cunningham. to whom
] the attention OF Bellevue hospital physl-
7 clans was directed. This woman when
a child had seen a cat go mad. rs she
/ called A. The animal ran through the
rooms where she was living. overturnlns
everything that Il could, and finally died