Year: 1870

THAT peculiarities of constitution anC
| temperament, and particular suscepti'
bility to external impressions and influ
ences, possessed by different individuals
and included in the category of idiosyn-
cracies, have been q puzzle and q snare
| to the theoretical Psychologist since the
days of Galen. Such peeuIiarities are
not confined to the body, but are frequ.


emily to be detected in the mind.


The writer of this article is a descend
ant of families distinguished through
several generations, both on the mater.
nal and patrenal side, for idiosyneracies,
and is himself affected by a popularity


to which his family physician can testi-
fy, and which will hardly be credited
by other physicians. Opium in large
doses is to him a cathaTtic. Very few
cases Of this peculiarity are to be met
with. We once heard a distinguished
professor of DlateriD Hlcdic1 assert in a
lecture the possibility of this action OF
opium upon persons Of peculiar cOnstitu-
ton, unconscious that living example


of the fact was listening to his Words
All idiOsyncTacies are of course remark
able as seeming exceptions to general
laws, and there Is nothing more so about
the one mentioned than any other, eX-
cept the rarity of its occurrence. We
have met, indeed, with q physician Of
this city who has known similar case
in Europe, but this is the only case of
the kind we ever heard of. On the whole
we are inclined to think idiosoncracies
much more common than is generally
supposed, many escaping notice on ac-
count of their unimpOrtant character.


One of the most common classes of
idiosyneraCies are those connected with
eating and drinking. Almost every one
is acquainted with somebody who can
not eat honey without subsequent dis
tress at the stomach. Not quite so COM
mon are those who cannot eat the flesh
of certain kind of animals. A number
of cases are recorded of those who could
not eat mutton without poisonous eff
fects. An instance of this kind once
came within our personal knowledge
Surprising it to be purely the effect of
imagination, the mutton was once SNUG
gled into mince pies, usually made with
beef, and thus disguised, was eaten by
the person affected with quite serious re-
suits. Violent pain in the stomach and
sickness, followed by copious vomiting;
in fact, nearly all the symptoms of irri-
tant poisoning succeeded the eating of
the mutton in this case, and although
the vomiting relieved the more distress
ing symptoms, the effects were felt for
several days. Similar effects from eat
ing mutton are recorded.


Even the most mild, and apparently
most harmless, articles Of food may
prove paneful to some people. Rice,
cheese, eggs, and various kinds Of fruits,
as strawberries, oranges, and melons,
have been known to invariably produce
i'll effect upon some peculiarly oOnstitu-
ted individuals. There is scarcely one
of our physical faculties that may not
exhibit these idiosyncracies. Sight, smell
the sense of touch, and even hearing,
may be thus prevented. How often we
hear Of certain sounds that they set
ones teeth on edge We have read
somewhere of women. so sensitive to the
effects Of such sounds that the whistle
of a thread drawn through stiff cloth in
sewing was positively uueudurable.-
Nay, there seem to be instances where
deleteriOus effects are produced by com
monty harmless objects, when their pres
ence is recognized by no sense in partic-
ular. Instances of the latter kind are
perhaps as well or better authenticated
than any others, Effects of this class
are generally connected with the pres
ence of animals, as cats, rabbits, etc.,
the near approach Of which is noXiOus
to the persons affected, as is also quite
frequently the touch of their furs.


All that we have stated is based upon
the best authority, and may be relied up
on as perfectly credible. Now, how,
we ask, disregarding such facts, can
medicines be prescribed by rule, as is
the too common custom, without occasi-
onally evil, nay, even disastrous re-
suits?


We have often had opium prescribed
in the ordinary full dose with the view
to produce the ordinary, but exactly the
opposite effect, invariably resulting to-
us from its use. We have seen the feet
and limbs Of a young lady whose skin is
peculiarly susceptible to poisonous effects
so swollen and infiamed from the effects
of mustard drafts as to excite fears of
the worst consequences. We have seen
similar effects from the application to
the skin of carbolic acid. We have
stood by hundreds of sick beds, and
have seen numberless doses prescribed,
and hardly ever heard a physician ask
how certain medicines usually effect the
patients. AS a consequence, we have
seen patients completely prOstrated by
the action of drastic purgatives, in dos
es that would not perhaps have serious
ly injured the average patient. We