Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-08-27

The art OF shamming disease has
reached Il high level ri perfection.
This IS mainly to lie attributed to the
fact t:iat the rewards OF proficiency
are great Fresh in the minds OF all
is the recent ease Of professional
hcS%ar in the city nj London whose
Voluntarily pilrotic limbs stirred M
the lively c0nnssioon Of the passcrs-
by, even of the poor. so that the gifts
1lowcd into his ready palm.
The case has excited some little
attention, chiefly because the police
have prosecuted him successfully, but
he is only one of many.
IL is, however, In connection with
the naval and military services that
The art nf malingcry finds It's chief OK
pOncntS.
In the days when ID was necessary
for Il soldier To bite uif the end of the
cartridge in loading his muskct. il
was no uncommon event for Il man To
have one or more Of his teeth extract
cd or filed down so as To obtain cXcmp-
ton. Then II is an old tale. in all
probability true, that illustrates we'll
the trouble which such man will take
to escape from military service. y sol
tlicr was seized with paralysis of the
suddenly ami without Obvious cause
MnlinScring was suspected, hut all the
efforts of the surgeon of the regiment
were unavailing, no proof could be OBJ
tanned that the paralysis was feigncd
The man WAS examined by two mol
ical boards and ultimately he was
given his discharge. AS he went off
from the barracks Oh the top of the
coach Gt was In the days before rail
ways) he waved Il hearty Suoh-hy to
his comrades with his pnralyZcd arm
Probably tho hest example of the
perseverance which men will display
in the attempt to leave Il service which
they detcst is to he found in case
under the care al Cline. The patient
was a sailor in the British navy. and
it is worthy Of note that he was Il
pressed" man. lie fell on his head
and slight depression of the skull
was produced. lie Immediately be-
came unconscious AMI all efforts TO
rouse him failed. he lay quietly in his
hammock and never moved He seem.
cd deaf To all sounds, and at no time
uttered word. He was able to swat
low food, both solid and liquid, and in
decd he made signs with his lips and
tongue when he wanted nourisimcnt.
nv Wis DuCk w Il.
but no Improvement followed, and the
''unconsciousncss" lasted for l3
months. Then it was resolved To raise
the depressed portion of the hone.
Flaps were made, Il trcphinc was an.
piled and the hone was cut through.
An elevator was then introduced to
raise the bone, and us tho hone was
lifted mp consciousness suddenly re.
turned TO the patient and he spoke.
AT the time of the operation most of
tho onlOOkcrS accepted the case as
genuine, but no one would nowadays
venture To support tie idea that tho
patient really lay unconscious for ~
months, suddenly rcgaining conscious.
ness on removal of the depressed
hone. There can he no doubt that the
man was malinGCrcr anti adopted
the ardunus method of leaving scrv-
ice into which he had been forced.
Tho amount OF pain and discomfort
which malingerers are willing to en-
durc TO obtain their discharge is al.
most Incredible. but the facts are well
attcstcd. a limb has been held in II
fixed position for many months, and
not even the application of the actual
cautcry has sufliccd to move It, Many
men have chopped off some fingers and
claimed that it was an accident.
Mental arrangement Of ono sort or
another is n fnvoritc form of mailing.
cry hut the results usually resemble
the popular or stage idea Of insanity
rather than the true products OF mon
tai alienation. IL is not uncommon
for the malingprcr to combine two
/ forms Of insanity. and this may be OF
value in detection. Still, it is often
very difficult to he certain that a pa
ticnt is shnmming. There arc, how
ever, some phenomena which cannot
be simulated II is impossible for Il
sane man to initiate successfully the
persistent insomnia which often oc-
ours in the insane: the impostcr can.
not put OFF sleep beyond the second
or third day.
Another frequent motive for mailing
cring Is to attract attention. not for
he purpose Of obtaining money but
merely to gain notice Simulated Joint
affections are not rare and there arc
many other forms. These cases
merge impcrcepiibly into hystcria. and
indeed in many hystoria is combncd
with the wish to deceive Ii is not
improbable that in some Of these pa
ticntS there is n certain degree of GU
tancOlis anesthcSia which renders the
standardization more easy of accom-
plishmcnt. There are other causes
for stimulating disease or injury. Some.
times To wreaK vengeance on another
person who is accused of having in