The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1911-12-01
FEAR ASA MALADY
Physicians Now Recognize Many
and Strange PhObias.
PHASES OF MORBID FRIGHT.
Persons Otherwise Stror1 Mentally
May Develop q Dread of Open or
Closed Places, Of Crowds. Of Solitude
and, In Fact, of Anything.


and, In Fact, of Anything.
Fear as a disease had not received
serious attention until recent years.
Now IL Is recognized by the medical
profession that there is a whole list of
phobias. as they are called. which are
quite distinct from normal and legiti.
mate condition OF fear due 10 some
natural cause.
Thus there is the fear OF open or
closed places, says the Medical Record.
fear OF high places. fear Of men or
women. fear OF crowds and OF soil.
tudes. fear OF animals, fear OF insects.
fear OF darkness. fear OF accidents,
fear OF fire. fear OF travel and. I'm fact.
fear of anything.
There is no end 10 the absurdity OF
acts which may be occasioned by
these persistent ideas OF fear. Those
that possess the fear OF riding on n
train find no pleasure in travelling;
those that have fear OF closed places
do not enjoy going 10 church and gen.
orally always sit near the door ready
10 fly nj the first sign OF danger.
Various fears may also develop In
connection with the occupation OF the
patient-for instance. BARRIERS some
times suffer these attacks whenever
they see 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, contagion or I'm.
fection. The countless bacteria always
present I'm the air are the chief source
Of annoyance. The patients are al
ways complaining Of bad air and are
always throwing open the windows
Books are especially avoided as n pos
sible source OF contagion. In patients
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.
only undisturbed. but may be unusual
ly good. Patients exhibit throughout
a pronounced feeling Of mental Illness
and frequently a clear insight into the
morbidity Of the individual symptoms.
The more common of the various
phobias as classified by Beard are as
follows: Claustrophobia. fear Of mar
row >or closed places; agoraphobia,
fear of open places: astraphobia, fear
Of lightning: monophobia. fear OF be
ing alone; pathophobia, fear OF dis.
ease; mysophobia. fear OF contamina.
ton; siderodromophobia. fear OF rail.
road travel: acrophobia. fear OF being
at a height or looking over precipices;
thanatophobia. fear OF death.
Ii Is to be emphasized that the pho.
bias in question are not normal fears,
based. as normal or natural fears are,
on some reasonable justifying eXpe-
rience. A reasonable and justihable
normal fear Of lightning might arise
after the experience OF having been at
some time in a house struck by light.
ming.
Other fears. such as the fear Of rid
Ing In a buggy after having been in
runaway or the fear OF voyage ar
sea or railway after frightful ship
wreck or railway accident. is a more
or less natural or reasonable fear, as
the fear OF hoodoos and ghosts Is
among the superstitious or those ac-
customed TO ghost stories and tradi-
ton OF goblin visitation. etc.
These fears do not require n warped
brain for their lodgment. though the
weakened brain may be more wildly
impressed by them. To be regarded
as symptoms OF disease these fears
must be groundless SO far as intu-
ences external TO the brain are con.
cerned. They must proceed from
morbid state OF the brain and not
from properly exciting external causes.
They must be fears peculiar TO the
individual under peculiar circum
stances OF cerebral disturbance and
not fear common TO others and due 20
causes that naturally cause alarm and
frighten.