Evening star., 1934-02-25
Relation of tuberculosis
+ To FrustratiOn Discussed
DR.. White Advances Possibility in Some
Cases, With Demonstration of
Patients at G.. ". u. Clinic.
Some cases Of tuberculosis may be

Some cases Of tuberculosis may be
Illustration symptoms"
This possibility was advanced be-
fore the postgraduate clinic of the
George Washington University Medi-
cal School yesterday by DR.. William
A. White, superintendent Of st. Eliza
beth's Hospital, with demonstration
Of patients.
The association, DR.. White said,
still is largely theoretical, with just
enough basis of observational data to
warrant consideration. It rests upon
the fact that many cases of tuber-
culosis show similar life history pat
terms.
DR.. White compared the human
body to an energy machine" The
life energy Is intended by nature to
be expended by the machine along
whole infinitely complex structure Of
body and mind is directed to facili-
tate such expenditure. But when
something happens in the life Of the
individual which prevents the flow of
energy along its natural channels,
something happens akin to a short
circuiting, In an electrical system,
with definite organic diseases taking
the place of the fire which might re-
suit from such o circumstance.
Mind Effects on Body.
Eventually, DR.. White pointed out,
1t may be possible to find exact rela-
tionships between various diseases
and mental experiences which will be
revolutionary in the field of medicine.
He presented case histories to Illus
trate the contention that sicknesses
may be due to the sudden activation
Of fears dormant for a considerable
period. Such case was that of a
woman who was rescued when the
Titanic sank, but, partly as a result
OF the extreme fear which she under
went, developed an exothalmic goitre.
This was treated and cured. The
woman thought no more about 1t.
Recently she picked up her morning
newspaper and read of a similar
shipwreck-and almost Immediately
the goitre returned.
Another recent patient of his own.
DR.. White said, was continually COM
planning Of severe pains In the ab-
domen and around the heart. had
undergone several operations, and
drained OF his life savings by doctors
Who did not know what was the mat
ter with him. The mans whole trou-
BILE dated from the day a man had
dropped dead beside him in a lunch
room Before that he had been an
exceptionally robust individual. But
DR.. Whites questioning brought out
the fact that while he was a small
boy his mother had experienced severe
heart attacks and that several times
he had been taken home from school
when it was thought she was dying
The childhood fear Of heart disease
apparently had disappeared but actu-
ally had been pushed into the sub
conscious. The sight Of a man drop
ping dead made these old fears mani
fest themselves as physical symptoms.
Accident Causes Dumbness.
One case he exhibited was that of
girl who slipped on the ice the other
day. suffering only slight actual
bruises. But when she got up she
was dumb and has remained so since.
although there is nothing organically
wrong with her speech apparatus He
believes the reason for the loss Of
speech Is to be found in some hidden
fear Of the patient especially since
she has no difficulty in making herself
understood by her husband and
mother who wait upon her. The
speech probably could be restored
quickly by hypnotism, DR.. White said.
hut the underlying cause probably
would manifest itself in some other,
perhaps more serious. way.
The prevalent idea that most hu-
man mothers instinctively love their
children, DR.. White said in another
connection, probably is all wrong.
Societies to prevent cruelty to animals,
he said, were organized some years
before anybody thought OF taking
active measures to prevent cruelty TO
children.
"It is only yesterday" he said,
"that parents all over the world sold
their own children into slavery. 1t
is only yesterday that Paris beggars
bought children, mutilated them hor-
ribly, and then rented them out as
objects Of pity to professional beggars,
and there is reason to believe tnat
something like this practice may still
be going on in some places. I have
found that most parents fundamen-
tally have the curious idea that they
own their children"
The present status Of the various
serums used for prevention and cure
of disease was explained to the ply
sicians by DIR. George w. Mccoy, di-
rector of the National Institute of
Health, which is responsible for the
Standardization of most biological
products used in medical practice.
Vaccination Age Question.
The present indications are, DR..
Mccoy said, that all children should
be vaccinated for small pox under
the age of 2, and preferably under
the age of 6 months. This is the
only clue obtained thus far, he said,
toward prevention of the rather
alarming outbreaks of post-vaccinal
encephalitis of the past few years.
Analysis of the statistics shows that
there never yet has been a case OF
this after-effect in a child under 2
years old, and that is about the only
common element which can be found
in the cases studied. The danger of
post-vaccinal tetanuS, he believes, has
been effectively removed by the dis
covery in the Public Health Service
laboratory here that such case
never occurred unless dressing had
been placed over the abrased area.
Although diptheria antitoxin is one
of the greatest Of all medical discov-
cries, he said, within the last few
years several cases of diptheria have
been found in Denmark, England and
Germany against which the antitoxin
appears to have no preventive value.
They may represent, he believes, an
other strain of diptheria toxin.
A committee Of which he Is q mem