New-York tribune., 1905-08-03
TRICKS OF MALINGERERS.
Men Who Sham Diseases for Various Rea-
sons Have Furnished Many Strange Cases.

The art of shamming disease has reached high
level of perfection This is mainly to be attributed
to the fact that the rewards of proficiency are
great. Fresh in the minds of all is the recent case
of a professional beggar in the city of London,
whose voluntarily paretic limbs stirred up the
lively compassion of the passersby, even Of the
poor SO that charitable gifts flowed into his ready
palm
This case has excited some little attention. chiefly
because the police have prosecuted him success
fully, but he is only one of very many.
1t is, however, in connection with the naval and
military. services that the art of malingery finds
its chief exponents. Indeed, the word ''m2linger
was first applied to the attempts Of soldiers to
to notice the difference that exists between coun-
Which only voluntary service exists In the former
the most strenuous exerttons are sometimes made
We're liable to- serve in the army have not hesitated
to inict themselves the most severe injuries IN
order TO avoid service. -
In the days when it was necessary for a soldier
musket it was no uncommon event fGr s a man man 10 70
have one or more teeth extracted or hled down SO
as to obtain exemption. In countries such as our
exists we are more likely to find applicants for
enlistment who attempt to hide diseases In all
have been called to the service by conscription or
have entered 1t voluntarily earnestly deslr9 Hn, 10
true, that illustrates well the trouble which such
a soldier was seized with paralysis Of the right
arm; the loss OF power came on suddenly ] ana
ed, but all the efforts of the surgeon OF the regt
that the paralysis was feigned The man was ex-
amined by two medical boards and ultimately he
days before raifways) he waved a hearty goodby
to his comrades with his paraIyzed arm.
Probably the best example of the perseverance
service which they detest is to be found in case
in the Bfsb ie navy al a9d ii is worthy Of note that
he was a pressed man. He fell on his head and
Immediately became unconscious and all efforts to
rouse him failed He lay quietly in his hammock
and at no time uttered any word He was able
he made signs with his lips and tongue when he
wanted nourishment. He brought back to
Inconsistencies lasted for thirteen months
Then 1t was resolved to raise the depressed por-
applied and the bone vas cut through; An
aRd as tEe bone mas Ged TO up concoue
suddenly returned to the patient and he spoke
accepted the case as genuine, but no one would
patient really lay unconscious for thirteen months
suddenly regaining consciousness removal of
the man was maiingerer and adopted this ardu-
GUS method Of leaving a service into which he had
The amount Of pain and discomfort which mailing
charge is almost incredible. but the facts are we'll
attested. \ limb has been held in fixed position
for many months. and not the application OF
men have e6onned off Some fnger and baI
claimed that IL vas an accident STenta1 jorar,e
ment OF one sort or another is a favorite form of
malingery, but the results usually resemble the
popular or stage idea Of insanity rather than the
Of insanity and this may be Of value in detection
patient is shamming There are. however. some
phenomena which cannot be simulated. It is Inn
persistent Insomnia which often occurs in the in
sane the imp0stor cannot put off sleep beyond the
.tAr Another frequent motive for malihgering is to
attract attention not for the purpose of obtaining
money but merely to gain notice. Simulated joint
forms. These cases merge imperceptibiy into hys-
terla and indeed in many hysteria is combined with
some of these patients there is certain degree of
c4taneous an.esthesia which renders the self multi
other causes for Stimulating disease or injury Some
wreak vengeance on another person who is accused
may be simulated, and especially those obscure and
to spinal concussion These latter form large
ana very important class the detection of the fraud
Sad TO relate. many of the attempts initiate
and even to death Itself man eRcited an uicer
IN IN ] ms leg Dg means OF a copper coin and later
low the knee In endeavoring to excite hJemoptysis
a man swallowed cork into which pins had been
inserted. He spat up blood and became very ema-
ciated and then suddenly died from hemorrhage
sophaus 2 that the ni bd Il & Ine &PharyhX and
mon carotid artery on both sides. Children
guentiy display surprising acquaintance with the
The detection of malngering is often no easv
matter and no general rule can be laid down which
mn M % ~ aPPrcaDle 10 a!I cases Inc mere threaten
successful, but frequently fails. The threat of the
application of the actual cautery has cured
paralysis but cases have been recorded whero
malingerers have endured the cautery on several
occasions. A man who simulated blindness was
placed on the edge of 1etty and told to walk
straight forward. He stepped out and fell into the
water, for he knew that those who were testing
him dared not let him drown. In another case
however a man who seemed to have paralysis of
an arm allowed the amputating knife to be placed
close to It without tiinching. but when thrown
very useful method of detection is the suggest
ing of new signs and symptoms the patient The
surgeon remarks, say, in the case of paralyzed
arm, IN the hearing of the malngerer that ii Is
Str3ight In all probability at the next visit the
niue nnSer VIII have assumed the suggested pos-
ton. The more outer and irregular the fresh svmp-
toms suggested by the surgeon the more definite is
the detection. In general anSesthesia we possess n
valuable means of discriminating in certain cases
DetWeen true and false paralysis. or contractures
While the patient Is going under or recoverjne,
from anfesthesla the 'parayzed" limb NAV be seen
TO move freely.-0Ondon Lancet ~