The Cairo bulletin., 1906-05-28
ELEVATION FRIGHT
CREATES WISH
TO JUMP
PHYSICIAN DECLARES IMPULSE
BORN OF GREAT HEIGHT CAN'T
BE MASTERED.
MANY PEOPLE AFFECTED
This Malady VIII Account For Many
Accidents Ordinarily Supposed
Be Due to Sunam-
buiism.

New York, May 27-Study of the
cause and cure of the terrifying sensa
! tion known as elevation fright" has
been confined to 80 few students Of
psychical phenomena that the view of
DR.. r. Ten Eyck Webster is of especial
interest part cularly rs ne lives In a
country where such a mental condi
| tiCn is impossible DR. Webster has
! been practicing his profes! ion In Mic.
aragua for the last fifteen years. He
left New York before the era of the
modern skyscraper and settled In a
tropical territory, where the highest
building is not more tha ntwo stories
| from the ground He makes periodical
visits to the United States, and is hers
now to study some new ideas In surgi.
cal dressings
Elevation Fright Hobby.
1T may sound odd" said Dr Web.
| ster. for man who dwels among q
people living in houses from the roofs
of VIII ch they csud jump without seri-
ous injury. talking about elevation
! fright, but it Is a hobby with me, be.
cause am victim Of H. My seIee-
tion of home Is country where tall
buildings are unknown Is due In
measure to that fact
"The first time experienced the
/ sonsat on was about seventeen years
ago on the roof of the Equitable build
ing | looked over the edge of the
parapet and there came upon me such
| a strong desire to leap into space that
! broke into cold perspiratlon. got
down cn my hands and knees ant
rawled away from nc edge of the
roof, fearing that the impulse would be.
come irresistible and that I<wolld hurl
myself to the street. That experience
led to an investigation and examina
tion with myself as n subject
Many SO Afflicted.
TN answer TO advertisements In
medical journals and daily newspapers
for persons afflicted with this peculiar
sensation ! was brought in communca.
tion with fcores who were anxious to
be rid of this mental condt ton. which
manifested itself with increasing force
in proportion 10 the height ascended.
The investigation was begun seven
years ago when came TO New York
on business and has continued up to
this time
Elevation fright is almost exactly
the same in every instance A per
fcctly normal man possessing average
physical and moral courage and fear
less # rapidly moving vehicles In large
cities will. if afflicted with this strange
condition-for it cannot be termed any
thing clsc-exhibit almoft choldIsh
fear at an altitude of 100 feet or more.
Az so feet. If he is on the roof of
building or is looking from a window,
the desire TO jump will come so strong
ly that all his will power has to be ex.
orted to res ST. took one of my pa
tents to the twentieth story Of build.
ing on Broadway. and. knowing my
own weakness had brother physi
clan. who didn't know what elevation
fright meant, 90 along to make an OBJ
ervation.
Desires TO Jump.
we stood looking through a twcn-
ticth story window. In hfiy.cight sec
onds the desire 70 jump came over
each of ms simultaneously AZ The cx
. ration of two minutes my pulse had
fallea 10 60 and my temperature to
%. which was ~ degrees below nor
NAL
4 was forced 10 the conchi ion that
no will power. however strong. could
overcome the abnormal impulse. and
thai It would be futile 10 try to get
used 70 il by constant practice In look.
ing from great heights.
Can't Overcome Impulse.
Il have letter from a clerk who "a 4
employed on the sixtoeHth floor Of I
sky-scraper He Is i'm and OFT of his I
office ten times day. and has made
themost persistent Efforts for two
wears to overcome or destroy This seq
sstion hut without success. I am SAT
fed thai elevation fright cannot be
cured and that a large number of s0.
called accidental falls AZ night fro
lueltly attributed 10 zomnambulism.
arc really the result ofthis strange and
lnexplainahic condition In which The
centers fall when The optic
nerve conveys the sense ~ altitude to
he bra n.