anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第120部分

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All　Robert　Boyle's　philosophy　could　not　make　him　endure　the　sight　of　a　spider；　although　he　had　no　such　aversion　to　toads；　venomous　snakes；　etc。　Pare　mentions　a　man　who　fainted　at　the　sight　of　an　eel；　and　another　who　had　convulsions　at　the　sight　of　a　carp。　There　is　a　record　of　a　young　lady　in　France　who　fainted　on　seeing　a　boiled　lobster。　Millingen　cites　the　case　of　a　man　who　fell　into　convulsions　whenever　he　saw　a　spider。　A　waxen　one　was　made；　which　equally　terrified　him。　When　he　recovered；　his　error　was　pointed　out　to　him；　and　the　wax　figure　was　placed　in　his　hand　without　causing　dread；　and　henceforth　the　living　insect　no　longer　disturbed　him。　Amatus　Lusitanus　relates　the　case　of　a　monk　who　fainted　when　he　beheld　a　rose；　and　never　quitted　his　cell　when　that　flower　was　in　bloom。　Scaliger；　the　great　scholar；　who　had　been　a　soldier　a　considerable　portion　of　his　life；　confesses　that　he　could　not　look　on　a　water…cress　without　shuddering；　and　remarks：　〃I；　who　despise　not　only　iron；　but　even　thunderbolts；　who　in　two　sieges　（in　one　of　which　I　commanded）　was　the　only　one　who　did　not　complain　of　the　food　as　unfit　and　horrible　to　eat；　am　seized　with　such　a　shuddering　horror　at　the　sight　of　a　water…cress　that　I　am　forced　to　go　away。〃　One　of　his　children　was　in　the　same　plight　as　regards　the　inoffensive　vegetable；　cabbage。　Scaliger　also　speaks　of　one　of　his　kinsmen　who　fainted　at　the　sight　of　a　lily。　Vaughheim；　a　great　huntsman　of　Hanover；　would　faint　at　the　sight　of　a　roasted　pig。　Some　individuals　have　been　disgusted　at　the　sight　of　eggs。　There　is　an　account　of　a　sensible　man　who　was　terrified　at　the　sight　of　a　hedgehog；　and　for　two　years　was　tormented　by　a　sensation　as　though　one　was　gnawing　at　his　bowels。　According　to　Boyle；　Lord　Barrymore；　a　veteran　warrior　and　a　person　of　strong　mind；　swooned　at　the　sight　of　tansy。　The　Duke　d'Epernon　swooned　on　beholding　a　leveret；　although　a　hare　did　not　produce　the　same　effect。　Schenck　tells　of　a　man　who　swooned　at　the　sight　of　pork。　The　Ephemerides　contains　an　account　of　a　person　who　lost　his　voice　at　the　sight　of　a　crab；　and　also　cites　cases　of　antipathy　to　partridges；　a　white　hen；　to　a　serpent；　and　to　a　toad。　Lehman　speaks　of　an　antipathy　to　horses；　and　in　his　observations　Lyser　has　noticed　aversion　to　the　color　purple。　It　is　a　strange　fact　that　the　three　greatest　generals　of　recent　years；　Wellington；　Napoleon；　and　Roberts；　could　never　tolerate　the　sight　of　a　cat；　and　Henry　III　of　France　could　not　bear　this　animal　in　his　room。　We　learn　of　a　Dane　of　herculean　frame　who　had　a　horror　of　cats。　He　was　asked　to　a　supper　at　which；　by　way　of　a　practical　joke；　a　live　cat　was　put　on　the　table　in　a　covered　dish。　The　man　began　to　sweat　and　shudder　without　knowing　why；　and　when　the　cat　was　shown　he　killed　his　host　in　a　paroxysm　of　terror。　Another　man　could　not　even　see　the　hated　form　even　in　a　picture　without　breaking　into　a　cold　sweat　and　feeling　a　sense　of　oppression　about　the　heart。　Quercetanus　and　Smetius　mention　fainting　at　the　sight　of　cats。　Marshal　d'Abret　was　supposed　to　be　in　violent　fear　of　a　pig。

As　to　idiosyncrasies　of　the　sense　of　touch；　it　is　well　known　that　some　people　cannot　handle　velvet　or　touch　the　velvety　skin　of　a　peach　without　having　disagreeable　and　chilly　sensations　come　over　them。　Prochaska　knew　a　man　who　vomited　the　moment　he　touched　a　peach；　and　many　people；　otherwise　very　fond　of　this　fruit；　are　unable　to　touch　it。　The　Ephemerides　speaks　of　a　peculiar　idiosyncrasy　of　skin　in　the　axilla　of　a　certain　person；　which　if　tickled　would　provoke　vomiting。　It　is　occasionally　stated　in　the　older　writings　that　some　persons　have　an　idiosyncrasy　as　regards　the　phases　of　the　sun　and　moon。　Baillou　speaks　of　a　woman　who　fell　unconscious　at　sunset　and　did　not　recover　till　it　reappeared　on　the　horizon。　The　celebrated　Chancellor　Bacon；　according　to　Mead；　was　very　delicate；　and　was　accustomed　to　fall　into　a　state　of　great　feebleness　at　every　moon…set　without　any　other　imaginable　cause。　He　never　recovered　from　his　swooning　until　the　moon　reappeared。

Nothing　is　more　common　than　the　idiosyncrasy　which　certain　people　display　for　certain　foods。　The　trite　proverb；　〃What　is　one　man's　meat　is　another　man's　poison；〃　is　a　genuine　truth；　and　is　exemplified　by　hundreds　of　instances。　Many　people　are　unable　to　eat　fish　without　subsequent　disagreeable　symptoms。　Prominent　among　the　causes　of　urticaria　are　oysters；　crabs；　and　other　shell　fish；　strawberries；　raspberries；　and　other　fruits。　The　abundance　of　literature　on　this　subject　makes　an　exhaustive　collection　of　data　impossible；　and　only　a　few　of　the　prominent　and　striking　instances　can　be　reported。

Amatus　Lusitanus　speaks　of　vomiting　and　diarrhea　occurring　each　time　a　certain　Spaniard　ate　meat。　Haller　knew　a　person　who　was　purged　violently　by　syrup　of　roses。　The　son　of　one　of　the　friends　of　Wagner　would　vomit　immediately　after　the　ingestion　of　any　substance　containing　honey。　Bayle　has　mentioned　a　person　so　susceptible　to　honey　that　by　a　plaster　of　this　substance　placed　upon　the　skin　this　untoward　effect　was　produced。　Whytt　knew　a　woman　who　was　made　sick　by　the　slightest　bit　of　nutmeg。　Tissot　observed　vomiting　in　one　of　his　friends　after　the　ingestion　of　the　slightest　amount　of　sugar。　Ritte　mentions　a　similar　instance。　Roose　has　seen　vomiting　produced　in　a　woman　by　the　slightest　dose　of　distilled　water　of　linden。　There　is　also　mentioned　a　person　in　whom　orange…flower　water　produced　the　same　effect。　Dejean　cites　a　case　in　which　honey　taken　internally　or　applied　externally　acted　like　poison。　It　is　said　that　the　celebrated　Haen　would　always　have　convulsions　after　eating　half　a　dozen　strawberries。　Earle　and　Halifax　attended　a　child　for　kidney…irritation　produced　by　strawberries；　and　this　was　the　invariable　result　of　the　ingestion　of　this　fruit。　The　authors　personally　know　of　a　family　the　male　members　of　which　for　several　generations　could　not　eat　strawberries　without　symptoms　of　poisoning。　The　female　members　were　exempt　from　the　idiosyncrasy。　A　little　boy　of　this　family　was　killed　by　eating　a　single　berry。　Whytt　mentions　a　woman　of　delicate　constitution　and　great　sensibility　of　the　digestive　tract　in　whom　foods　difficult　of　digestion　provoked　spasms；　which　were　often　followed　by　syncopes。　Bayle　describes　a　man　who　vomited　violently　after　taking　coffee。　Wagner　mentions　a　person　in　whom　a　most　insignificant　dose　of　manna　had　the　same　effect。　Preslin　speaks　of　a　woman　who　invariably　had　a　hemorrhage　after　swallowing　a　small　quantity　of　vinegar。　According　to　Zimmerman；　some　people　are　unable　to　wash　their　faces　on　account　of　untoward　symptoms。　According　to　Ganbius；　the　juice　of　a　citron　applied　to　the　skin　of　one　of　his　acquaintances　produced　violent　rigors。

Brasavolus　says　that　Julia；　wife　of　Frederick；　King　of　Naples；　had　such　an　aversion　to　meat　that　she　could　not　carry　it　to　her　mouth　without　fainting。　The　anatomist　Gavard　was　not　able　to　eat　apples　without　convulsions　and　vomiting。　It　is　said　that　Erasmus　was　made　ill　by　the　ingestion　of　fish；　but　this　same　philosopher；　who　was　cured　of　a　malady　by　laughter；　expressed　his　appreciation　by　an　elegy　on　the　folly。　There　is　a　record　of　a　person　who　could　not　eat　almonds　without　a　scarlet　rash　immediately　appearing　upon　the　face。　Marcellus　Donatus　knew　a　young　man　who　could　not　eat　an　egg　without　his　lips　swelling　and　purple　spots　appearing　on　his　face。　Smetius　mentions　a　person　in　whom　the　ingestion　of　fried　eggs　was　often　followed　by　syncope。　Brunton　has　seen　a　case　of　violent　vomiting　and　purging　after　the　slightest　bit　of　egg。　On　one　occasion　this　person　was　induced　to　eat　a　small　morsel　of　cake　on　the　statement　that　it　contained　no　egg；　and；　although　fully　believing　the　words　of　his　host；　he　subsequently　developed　prominent　symptoms；　due　to　the　trace　of　egg　that　was　really　in　the　cake。　A　letter　from　a　distinguished　litterateur　to　Sir　Morell　Mackenzie　gives　a　striking　example　of　the　idiosyncrasy　to　eggs　transmitted　through　four　generations。　Being　from　such　a　reliable　source；　it　has　been　deemed　advisable　to　quote　the　account　in　full：　〃My　daughter　tells　me　that　you　are　interested　in　the　ill…effects　which　the　eating　of　eggs　has　upon　her；　upon　me；　and　upon　my　father　before　us。　I　believe　my　grandfather；　as　well　as　my　father；　could　not　eat　eggs　with　impunity。　As　to　my　father　himself；　he　is　nearly　eighty　years　old；　he　has　not　touched　an　egg　since　he　was　a　young　man；　he　can；　therefore；　give　no　precise　or　reliable　account　of　the　symptoms　the　eating　of　eggs　produce　in　him。　But　it　was　not　the　mere　'stomach…ache'　that　ensued；　but　much　more　immediate　and　alarming　disturbances。　As　for　me；　the　peculiarity　was　discovered　when　I　was　a　spoon…fed　child。　On　several　occasions　it　was　noticed　（that　is　my　mother's　account）　that　I　felt　ill　without　apparent　cause；　afterward　it　was　recollected　that　a　small　part　of　a　yolk　of　an　egg　had　been　given　to　me。　Eclaircissement　came　immediately　after　taking　a　single　spoonful　of　egg。　I　fell　into　such　an　alarming　state　that　the　doctor　was　sent　for。　The　effect　seems　to　have　been　just　the　same　that　it　produces　upon　my　daughter　now；something　that　suggested　brain…congestion　and　convulsions。　From　time　to　time；　as　a　boy　and　a　young　man；　I　have　eaten　an　egg　by　way　of　trying　it　again；　but　always　with　the　same　resulta　feeling　that　I　had　been　poisoned；　and　yet　all　the　while　I　liked　eggs。　Then　I　never　touched　them　for　years。　Later　I　tried　again；　and　I　find　the　ill…effects　are　gradually　wearing　off。　With　my　daughter　it　is　different；　she；　I　think；　becomes　more　susceptible　as　time　goes　on；　and　the　effect　upon　her　is　more　violent　than　in　my　case　at　any　time。　Sometimes　an　egg　has　been　put　with　coffee　unknown　to　her；　and　she　has　been　seen　immediately　afterward　with　her　face　alarmingly　changedeyes　swollen　and　wild；　the　face　crimson；　the　look　of　apoplexy。　This　is　her　own　account：　'An　egg　in　any　form　causes　within　a　few　minutes　great　uneasiness　and　restlessness；　the　throat　becomes　contracted　and　painful；　the　face　crimson；　and　the　veins　swollen。　These　symptoms　have　been　so　severe　as　to　suggest　that　serious　consequences　might　follow。'　To　this　I　may　add　that　in　her　experience　and　my　own；　the　newer　the　egg；　the　worse　the　consequences。〃

Hutchinson　speaks　of　a　Member　of　Parliament　who　had　an　idiosyncrasy　as　regards　parsley。　After　the