Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-16
FEAR AS A DISEASE.
Physicians Now Recocnize Many and
STRANGE Phobiss.

Fear as a disease had not received
serious attention until recent years NOW
II is recognized by the medical profes-
sion that there is whole list OF phobtas,
as they are called. which are quite dis
tipet from a normal and legitimate con-
dition of fear due to some national cause.
Thus there Is the fear of open or closed
places. fear of high places, fear OF men
or women. fear of crowds ana of solf-
tndes. fear of animals. fear of insects,
fear of darkness. fear of accidents. fear
of fire. fear of travel and, in fact, fear
of anything.
There is no end to the absurdity OF
acts which may be occasioned by these
persistent ideas of fear Those that pos
sess the fear of riding on a train and no
pleasure in travelling. those that have
fear of closed places do not enjoy going
to church. and generally always sit near
the door ready to fly at the first sign OF
danger
Various fears may also develop IN
connection with the occupat ton OF the
pa tient: for instance. BARRIERS some
times suffer these attacks whenever
they see q razor. or telegraphers when
they catch sight of their instruments,
which finally necessitates giving up
the occupation.
Among women especially there oc-
Ours the fear of dirt, contasion or in
fiction The countless bacteria always
present in the air are the chief source
of annoyance. The patients are al
wavs throwing open the windows.
Books are especially avoided as a pos
sth oF erio
with fear of injury they will throw
away all needles in the house or they
will no more wash windows for fear
that the glass might break and cut
them.
The intellect in these cases 10 not
only undisturbed but may be unusual
~ good. Patients exhibit throughout
q pronounced feeling of mental illness
and frequently a clear insight into the
morhiditv of the individual symptoms
The more common of the various
photias as classified by Beard are as
follows: Claustrophobia, fear of mar
row or closed places; agoraphobia.
fear Of omen places; astra phobia. fear
of lightning; monophobia, fear Of be-
ing alone; pathophobia, fear of dis
ease: mysophohia, fear of contamina-
ton: neutrality-suspicious., fear of rail-
road travel; acrophobia, fear OF being
at a height or looking over prscipises:
thanatophobia, fear of death.
1t isAto be emphasized that the pho
bias in question are not normal tears.
based, as normal or natural fears are.
on some reasonable justinable normal
1 fear of lightning might arise after the
experience of having been at some
time in house struck by lightning.
Other fears, such as the fear of rid
ing in a buggy after having been In
a runaway. or the fear of voyage at
sea or railway after frightful ship
wreck or a railroad accident, il a more
or less natural or reasonable fear. as
the fear of hoodoos and ghosts IN
among the superstltious or those ac-
customed to ghost stories and tradi-
ton of goblin visitations, etc.
These fears do not require warped
brain for their Judgment, though tho
weakened brain may be more wildly
impressed by them. To be regarded
as symptoms of disease these fears
must be groundless so far as infiu-
ences external to the brain are con-
cerncd They must proceed from a
morbid state of.the brain and no. from
properly exciting external causes
They must be fears peculiar to the in
dividuai under peculiar circumstances
of cerebral disturbance and not fear
common TO others and due to causes
that naturally cause alarm and
! Brighten. Record.