The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-28
The acts in the
Case of Mr.. Nicot
A Page from the Diary of Medical Specialist.


22d of August. As a specialist in men
tai and nervous diseases. / am aceus-
toned to rely largely on my own efforts
IN aseertalning the true symptoms of
those who seek my aid, and in overcom-
ing a retlcence which is often a part
OF the complaint. In Mr.. Nicot s case
the retlcence was very marked. He
complained of sleeplessness by night
and excessive drowsiness by day, an
abnormal appetite and extreme and I'M
reasoning irritabi1ity. I recognized
from his manner and appearance that
his malady was more deeply seated
than such symptoms alone would sug-
,gest, and [ therefore engaged him in
general conversation, hoping for some
indication that I might follow. He
was extremely well dressed, of medium
height, hair closely cropped, and face
smooth with the exception of a stiff
and meager moustache, of which almost
every hair could be counted at the dis
lance Of few feet. [ commented on
his thinness, to which he replied that
1t was quite of recent date, and at the
same time I observed that his breath
ing was very rapid and almost entirely
abdominal, there being hardly any ex-
tension at all of the upper ribs His
movements were peculiarly quick and
alert, and he spoke in a jerky and even
snappy manner, of which he seemed to
be aware and to be struggling to con-
troll. AS preliminary, l prescribed
for him a sedative and gave him some
general directions as to his health, rec
ommending him to visit me again in a
few days. Just as he was about to
go, my dog, a very fine Scotch grey
hound, pushed open the door and came
into the room. His temper is usually
of the best and he is particularly toler-
ant of strangers, even excessively So,
but at the sight of Mr.. Nicot he show
ed every evidence of anger, growing
fercely and backing toward the door.
[ spoke to him sternly, and he ran from
the room, still growing and evidently
very much disturbed. | turned to my
patient to apologize for the incident
and was distressed to find him in a
state of great agitation, which might
have been due to fear but which Ger
tainly looked like anger. He had
stepped back some two or three PAGES
and [ notice that his shoulders had
taken on a sudder stoop, and that his
moustache was twitehing in manner
which under other circumstances would
have been ludicrous. Still more re-
markable, the short hair at the back of
his neck was actually erect. On ex-
pressing my profound regret he recover
ed his self-possession at once and an
swered very courteously, but with an
accentuation of the nervous, jerky tone
which | had previously noticed. | ac-
eompanied him personally to the outer
door, and then, returning to my con-
sulting room, | opened both windows
in order to free the room from the
| animal odor which seemed to pervade
it. My dog evidently needed his week
| ly bath, and | remember vaguely won
dering whether the natural odor of an
animal was intensified by anger. Ger
tainlv I had in Mr.. Moot an interest
| ing case. which I should do well to
watch.
Three days later singular coinci-
dence occurred I was summoned to
| the house of Mr.. Nicot, not, however,
| to see him, but his wife, who was
suffering from nervous shock caused by
| the attack of a dog. The work of a
physician would be greatly slmpllfied
| If patients would make fewer reserva-
tions and more condolences. The physl-
elan can himself deduct the irrelevant,
and it is better to be copious than reti-
cent. In this case I felt that the line
| had been rigidly drawn and that | was
deprived of information that ought to
| be given to me.
Nine. Nicot. who does not occupy
| the same room as her husband, told me
| that she was awakened from sleep by
| a sound in the room and that upon
starting up in bed she saw large dog
| which few at her throat, and that she
| then remembers nothing more. The
| door of the room was closed all night
and the window was open only few
| inches. There was no sign of dog
| in the morning, and Mr.. Nicot, whose
manner was very strange and excited,
assured me that they do not keep such
an animal. This surprised me, as |
thought that / heard dog bark as
rang the bell, but no doubt the sound
was from the adjoining house. Except
| for the certainty that something was
being concealed I should have at
tributed the lady's alarm to bad case
of nightmare. Her condition was not
merely nervous, but absolutely tremu-
lous. almost incoherently so. while her
agitation in the presence of her hus-
band was simply pitiable. He himself
said little, but seemed to watch his
wife with an expression Of cruel in
science upon his face, accompanied
with the extraordinary and uncanny
twitehing of the moustache which L
had previously noticed. All this ! at
tributed to his maIady. AS for Mime.
Nieot, I could but treat the case as |
found it, and I therefore prescribed
some simple remedy and enjoined com
plete rest.
L Within a day or so Mr.. Nicot visited
me again in fulfillment of an appoint
ment. His general health was marked
" better. but the insomnia had increas-
ed. / urged him to resist the impulse
to sleep during the day, to remain
o