The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-06
VICTIMS OF IMAGINARY ILLS.
AILMENTS PRODUCED ny OVER
WORK AND WORRY.


- - I
Abnormal Sensations That Anect the Mind
n --Cupi0us Phases OF Insanity Manifes-
tationa Of Hysteria- Disease Of which
the Cause ana Nature Arc Unknown.
Our bodily Ills are multiplied many times
over by the imagination. Apain In the back
means to many kidney disease abdominal
pain brings thoughts Of appendicitis, the
luric acid crank imagines that every ache
or pain he suffers is due to this acid In his
system, while the dyspcptio with pain over
the region Of his heart-4a weak heart
fancying his heart diseased, deprives him
self Of many Of life's pleasures.
Truly little knowledge Is . dangerous
thing, writes q physician In the London
Daily Maii All these people are tho victims
OF their own ignorance. The art Of diagnosis
is the most difficult that the physician
learns, and yet they diagnose their COM
plants on symptoms the meaning Of which,
In many cases, they have searched for
In some household work on medicine
It is this self confidence that produces
30 large q number Of these imaginary all
ments. ..
That the mind plays great part in the
course and occurrence Of certain diseases
8 undoubted. There Is q universal dread
OF hydrophobia: q dog bite is terrifying,
for 1t Is the bite Of the mad dog that causes
the disease. The mental strain for the
six weeks following any bite is intense.
Curious symptoms may appear. cramps
OF the arms and legs, the patient making
curious noise like the bark Of dog. fully
believing that he has the disease, though his
- ktpa ~ hvr<{N hNtnt
but simply an imaginary ailment. Convince
will soon be accomplished. :,
II the general health is not good, abnorm
sensations have greater influence upon the
mind. The struggle for existence among all
classes to-day Is keener than ever before;
every year It Is becoming moro So. A
larger proportion Of the populace use their
brains In the struggle Universal educa-
ton has intensified this competition 10
live OveTwork Is the order Of the day;
more from nervous irritability; there are
more nervous. exhausted people, more
neurasthenics persons Of Imaginary
ailments"-than there were before this
busting age. -,
worry, or excitement, quickly produces
this condition. The business man, anx.
ious for his ventures works doubly hard
to secure success. the :leepless mother.
worn with care and nursing, does double
VI %hs rse Il. ds sn and to
sionsI man, keen. but faced with dlssp-
pointment on the threshold Of his career
these are types Of neurasthenios;,
The complaints OF the neurasth enio are
many; all manner Of vague sensations. OF
heat and cold, numbness, stiffness, weak
ness, fatigue. soreness, pain. pressure.
of headache such as mo man has ever
suffered from before each symptom de-
division. Every function, every organ OF
the body being described Is subject to
strange sensations.
They are the subjects OF mental disturb.
ance. Attracted by any OF the morbid
t aey AS the
lions Of these reminders and fears are con-
stantly present, the neurasthenic becomes
saturated with them, becoming morbid.J
self watchful
pass into insane delusions and obsessions--
then neurasthenia becomes insanity. The
woman who complains that one side OF her
body Is bigger than the other after taking
food Is not very different from the insane
him we're two red behring's, introduced into
his body while he slept by an inmate next
him.
The Inconsistencies are the prey Of the
quaoks and a source OF great profit to
vsrtisements are OF absorbing. interest, he
finding comfort and hope in the published
cures Of cares such az his. and with hope
that springs eternal he tries for time
this or that patent cure only too often
with little result toward the radiance OF his
Can the manifestations Of hysteria be
called ina ginary? What hysteria really is
is not known; all that can be said at present
is that 1t is some disturbance OF the higher
centers Of the brain; no actual disease OF
these centers has as yet been discovered.
Its manifestations are wonderful and
many; the hysterical At. resembling an
epileptio fit, Is Of common occurrence; the
state Of catalepsy, in which the person
may assume or be placed in any attitude.
may follow the At.
The senses Of sight hearing and taste
may be affected, causing defective vision.
deafness and complete loss OF taste; sensa-
ton to touch and pain may be lost over
rbee bods 90 Sss aoed
unable to feel the prick Of a pin OF TO dis.
tinguish the difference between heat and
cold; curious abnormal. rigid positions OF
the limbs, olenching Of the fingers, various
produced by disease Of the brain and spinal
cord are some Of its manifestations,
They may last for but few hours, though
they have been known to continue for
months and years. Recovery from them
in many cases ia sudden, taking place often
during some mental excitement or. during
periods of religious revival. These hysteri-
cal manifestations and their cure are the
explanation of many Of the faith cures
When placed under proper care. recovery
Is nearly always rapid have known q
young girl. hedridden for. months with
hysterical paralysis OF the legs and COM
plete loss Of sensation to touch and pain.
get we'll in a few weeks when removed
from her home to London hospital.
Another case OF q girl who would fall
asleep for periods OF three or four days.
during which time she could with difficulty
be reused to take nourishment got rapidly
we'll on removal to a hospital.
In the middle ages hysterical subjects
were regarded sometimes as sainte. but
more often as possessed OF devils: 1t then
occurred frequently; later on thoy were
supposed to be affected by "vapoTs, which
gave rise to these various conditions,
little while ago they were regarded as
shammere: attention to them was thought
to aggravate their complaint. To-day
these Imaginary ills are looked upon -
something more definite-a disease OF the
nervous system, the true cause and nature
Il