The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-01-16
as LOVE A DisEAsg-
Problem That Is Causing an Epidemic
Of Debate An,ono Physicians.

Of Debate Among Physicians.
Englishmen are proverbial for their
sober judgment Of things, and the
London Lancet is probably the ablest
and most conservative medical Jour
usl in England. It will strike most
people therefore, as somewhat aston.
ishini. trat several London newspa.
pers, ieoiiiding The Lancet, have been
engaged for some time past in grave
" discussing the question whether the
owe Of the sexes is a disease.
The discussion has taken a wide
range including history Of the theory.
and The Lancet. in a learned article
on the subject, contends that it has
/ been held from the remotest antiquity
that love is a disease and that this'be-
lief finds expression in all the Greek
i and Roman classics. A contributor to
the same journal marshals In its cup.
port all the medical authorities from
Galen to Horatius, and even the paint.
ers of the seventeenth century. who
! delighted in portraying love sickness
as an snaemic young woman.
The reason for these disputants has
not yet reached us, but 1t is ,,asY to
surmise what some OF II would be.
There can b. no question that the
passion of love bears a strong resem'
biance to the abnormal condition
known as hypnosis. This is to say, Il
is founded in delusion.
The salient features Of hypnosis are
a temporary suspension Of ones nat.
ural taste and judgment, which makes
him a phenomenon and a laughing
stock to other people, and which is
succeeded by feeling Of shame, and
embarrassment; and this Is word for
word descriptive Of the love Of the
sexes. Love covers up all defects, in'
cluding those which the subject, in a
sane state Of mind, detests; it creates
a galaxy OF virtues in its object which
aever had any existence: It is highly
amusing to sar people who observe
e; It Is certain to pass away, though
sooner in some cases than others, and
when It has passed away il leaves the
+ subject wholly unable to account for
the delusion and greatly distressed at
the indiscretions to which II has led.
The aptness OF love 70 mislead a per.
son in the selection Of a mate is an
old theme. That delicious satirist.
Josh Billings, wrote; "It has been
gaid that love is blind but there ir a
young man Of my acquaintance who
can see moe In his girl than san."
Accordingly, writer's who are not hum
orous tell us that the majority of mar
ried people while thinking well OF mat
rimony, feel that as for them they
made unwise selections Of mates and
In fact selected those who were the
9 exact opposites OF what they needed
TO make home happy.
On the other hand, there are cogent
, reasons for rspudiaung the rnSOry
u that love is disease. II certainly
does not stand connected with othei
diseases. No other disease leads "a
It. flows from it,or is associated with
= f. People who are paragons Of phys
u zeal and mental soundness yield TO ia
influence The idea OF the seventeenth
century painters that lovers are Anae
'i mic can only be taken as a Joke.
s. II is obvious that love Is an integra
s feature Of human nature designed 4
y promote mating and prevent . hum
u drum and selfish mode Of existence.
In any race or community the low
Of the sexes is the exact measure o
Of civilization. because without It Their
id could not be virtuous home. II
al should disappear there would dlsar
IT, pear with it the drama, the novel, IN
OF poem. and almost the entire romaati
N and spiritual elements OF life.
Whether love is disease or not,
is a blessing. and It is safe to say tina
Va It has come TO stay.--chieaso chron
is Gle.