anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第121部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Hutchinson　speaks　of　a　Member　of　Parliament　who　had　an　idiosyncrasy　as　regards　parsley。　After　the　ingestion　of　this　herb　in　food　he　always　had　alarming　attacks　of　sickness　and　pain　in　the　abdomen；　attended　by　swelling　of　the　tongue　and　lips　and　lividity　of　the　face。　This　same　man　could　not　take　the　smallest　quantity　of　honey；　and　certain　kinds　of　fruit　always　poisoned　him。　There　was　a　collection　of　instances　of　idiosyncrasy　in　the　British　Medical　Journal；　1859；　which　will　be　briefly　given　in　the　following　lines：　One　patient　could　not　eat　rice　in　any　shape　without　extreme　distress。　From　the　description　given　of　his　symptoms；　spasmodic　asthma　seemed　to　be　the　cause　of　his　discomfort。　On　one　occasion　when　at　a　dinner…party　he　felt　the　symptoms　of　rice…poisoning　come　on；　and；　although　he　had　partaken　of　no　dish　ostensibly　containing　rice；　was；　as　usual；　obliged　to　retire　from　the　table。　Upon　investigation　it　appeared　that　some　white　soup　with　which　he　had　commenced　his　meal　had　been　thickened　with　ground　rice。　As　in　the　preceding　case　there　was　another　gentleman　who　could　not　eat　rice　without　a　sense　of　suffocation。　On　one　occasion　he　took　lunch　with　a　friend　in　chambers；　partaking　only　of　simple　bread　and　cheese　and　bottled　beer。　On　being　seized　with　the　usual　symptoms　of　rice…poisoning　he　informed　his　friend　of　his　peculiarity　of　constitution；　and　the　symptoms　were　explained　by　the　fact　that　a　few　grains　of　rice　had　been　put　into　each　bottle　of　beer　for　the　purpose　of　exciting　a　secondary　fermentation。　The　same　author　speaks　of　a　gentleman　under　treatment　for　stricture　who　could　not　eat　figs　without　experiencing　the　most　unpleasant　formication　of　the　palate　and　fauces。　The　fine　dust　from　split　peas　caused　the　same　sensation；　accompanied　with　running　at　the　nose；　it　was　found　that　the　father　of　the　patient　suffered　from　hay…fever　in　certain　seasons。　He　also　says　a　certain　young　lady　after　eating　eggs　suffered　from　swelling　of　the　tongue　and　throat；　accompanied　by　〃alarming　illness；〃　and　there　is　recorded　in　the　same　paragraph　a　history　of　another　young　girl　in　whom　the　ingestion　of　honey；　and　especially　honey…comb；　produced　swelling　of　the　tongue；　frothing　of　the　mouth；　and　blueness　of　the　fingers。　The　authors　know　of　a　gentleman　in　whom　sneezing　is　provoked　on　the　ingestion　of　chocolate　in　any　form。　There　was　another　instancein　a　member　of　the　medical　professionwho　suffered　from　urticaria　after　eating　veal。　Veal　has　the　reputation　of　being　particularly　indigestible；　and　the　foregoing　instance　of　the　production　of　urticaria　from　its　use　is　doubtless　not　an　uncommon　one。

Overton　cites　a　striking　case　of　constitutional　peculiarity　or　idiosyncrasy　in　which　wheat　flour　in　any　form；　the　staff　of　life；　an　article　hourly　prayed　for　by　all　Christian　nations　as　the　first　and　most　indispensable　of　earthly　blessings；　proved　to　one　unfortunate　individual　a　prompt　and　dreadful　poison。　The　patient's　name　was　David　Waller；　and　he　was　born　in　Pittsylvania　County；　Va。；　about　the　year　1780。　He　was　the　eighth　child　of　his　parents；　and；　together　with　all　his　brothers　and　sisters；　was　stout　and　healthy。　At　the　time　of　observation　Waller　was　about　fifty　years　of　age。　He　had　dark　hair；　gray　eyes；　dark　complexion；　was　of　bilious　and　irascible　temperament；　well　formed；　muscular　and　strong；　and　in　all　respects　healthy　as　any　man；　with　the　single　exception　of　his　peculiar　idiosyncrasy。　He　had　been　the　subject　of　but　few　diseases；　although　he　was　attacked　by　the　epidemic　of　1816。　From　the　history　of　his　parents　and　an　inquiry　into　the　health　of　his　ancestry；　nothing　could　be　found　which　could　establish　the　fact　of　heredity　in　his　peculiar　disposition。　Despite　every　advantage　of　stature；　constitution；　and　heredity；　David　Waller　was　through　life；　from　his　cradle　to　his　grave；　the　victim　of　what　is　possibly　a　unique　idiosyncrasy　of　constitution。　In　his　own　words　he　declared：　〃Of　two　equal　quantities　of　tartar　and　wheat　flour；　not　more　than　a　dose　of　the　former；　he　would　rather　swallow　the　tartar　than　the　wheat　flour。〃　If　he　ate　flour　in　any　form　or　however　combined；　in　the　smallest　quantity；　in　two　minutes　or　less　he　would　have　painful　itching　over　the　whole　body；　accompanied　by　severe　colic　and　tormina　in　the　bowels；　great　sickness　in　the　stomach；　and　continued　vomiting；　which　he　declared　was　ten　times　as　distressing　as　the　symptoms　caused　by　the　ingestion　of　tartar　emetic。　In　about　ten　minutes　after　eating　the　flour　the　itching　would　be　greatly　intensified；　especially　about　the　head；　face；　and　eyes；　but　tormenting　all　parts　of　the　body；　and　not　to　be　appeased。　These　symptoms　continued　for　two　days　with　intolerable　violence；　and　only　declined　on　the　third　day　and　ceased　on　the　tenth。　In　the　convalescence；　the　lungs　were　affected；　he　coughed；　and　in　expectoration　raised　great　quantities　of　phlegm；　and　really　resembled　a　phthisical　patient。　At　this　time　he　was　confined　to　his　room　with　great　weakness；　similar　to　that　of　a　person　recovering　from　an　asthmatic　attack。　The　mere　smell　of　wheat　produced　distressing　symptoms　in　a　minor　degree；　and　for　this　reason　he　could　not；　without　suffering；　go　into　a　mill　or　house　where　the　smallest　quantity　of　wheat　flour　was　kept。　His　condition　was　the　same　from　the　earliest　times；　and　he　was　laid　out　for　dead　when　an　infant　at　the　breast；　after　being　fed　with　〃pap〃　thickened　with　wheat　flour。　Overton　remarks　that　a　case　of　constitutional　peculiarity　so　little　in　harmony　with　the　condition　of　other　men　could　not　be　received　upon　vague　or　feeble　evidence；　and　it　is　therefore　stated　that　Waller　was　known　to　the　society　in　which　he　lived　as　an　honest　and　truthful　man。　One　of　his　female　neighbors；　not　believing　in　his　infirmity；　but　considering　it　only　a　whim；　put　a　small　quantity　of　flour　in　the　soup　which　she　gave　him　to　eat　at　her　table；　stating　that　it　contained　no　flour；　and　as　a　consequence　of　the　deception　he　was　bed…ridden　for　ten　days　with　his　usual　symptoms。　It　was　also　stated　that　Waller　was　never　subjected　to　militia　duty　because　it　was　found　on　full　examination　of　his　infirmity　that　he　could　not　live　upon　the　rations　of　a　soldier；　into　which　wheat　flour　enters　as　a　necessary　ingredient。　In　explanation　of　this　strange　departure　from　the　condition　of　other　men；　Waller　himself　gave　a　reason　which　was　deemed　equivalent　in　value　to　any　of　the　others　offered。　It　was　as　follows：　His　father　being　a　man　in　humble　circumstances　in　life；　at　the　time　of　his　birth　had　no　wheat　with　which　to　make　flour；　although　his　mother　during　gestation　〃longed〃　for　wheat…bread。　The　father；　being　a　kind　husband　and　responsive　to　the　duty　imposed　by　the　condition　of　his　wife；　procured　from　one　of　his　opulent　neighbors　a　bag　of　wheat　and　sent　it　to　the　mill　to　be　ground。　The　mother　was　given　much　uneasiness　by　an　unexpected　delay　at　the　mill；　and　by　the　time　the　flour　arrived　her　strong　appetite　for　wheat…bread　had　in　a　great　degree　subsided。　Notwithstanding　this；　she　caused　some　flour　to　be　immediately　baked　into　bread　and　ate　it；　but　not　so　freely　as　she　had　expected　The　bread　thus　taken　caused　intense　vomiting　and　made　her　violently　and　painfully　ill；　after　which　for　a　considerable　time　she　loathed　bread。　These　facts　have　been　ascribed　as　the　cause　of　the　lamentable　infirmity　under　which　the　man　labored；　as　no　other　peculiarity　or　impression　in　her　gestation　was　noticed。　In　addition　it　may　be　stated　that　for　the　purpose　of　avoiding　the　smell　of　flour　Waller　was　in　the　habit　of　carrying　camphor　in　his　pocket　and　using　snuff；　for　if　he　did　not　smell　the　flour；　however　much　might　be　near　him；　it　was　as　harmless　to　him　as　to　other　men。

The　authors　know　of　a　case　in　which　the　eating　of　any　raw　fruit　would　produce　in　a　lady　symptoms　of　asthma；　cooked　fruit　had　no　such　effect。

Food…Superstitions。The　superstitious　abhorrence　and　antipathy　to　various　articles　of　food　that　have　been　prevalent　from　time　to　time　in　the　history　of　the　human　race　are　of　considerable　interest　and　well　deserve　some　mention　here。　A　writer　in　a　prominent　journal　has　studied　this　subject　with　the　following　result：

〃From　the　days　of　Adam　and　Eve　to　the　present　time　there　has　been　not　only　forbidden　fruit；　but　forbidden　meats　and　vegetables。　For　one　reason　or　another　people　have　resolutely　refused　to　eat　any　and　all　kinds　of　flesh；　fish；　fowl；　fruits；　and　plants。　Thus；　the　apple；　the　pear；　the　strawberry；　the　quince；　the　bean；　the　onion；　the　leek；　the　asparagus；　the　woodpecker；　the　pigeon；　the　goose；　the　deer；　the　bear；　the　turtle；　and　the　eelthese；　to　name　only　a　few　eatables；　have　been　avoided　as　if　unwholesome　or　positively　injurious　to　health　and　digestion。

〃As　we　all　know；　the　Jews　have　long　had　an　hereditary　antipathy　to　pork。　On　the　other　hand；　swine's　flesh　was　highly　esteemed　by　the　ancient　Greeks　and　Romans。　This　fact　is　revealed　by　the　many　references　to　pig　as　a　dainty　bit　of　food。　At　the　great　festival　held　annually　in　honor　of　Demeter；　roast　pig　was　the　piece　de　resistance　in　the　bill　of　fare；　because　the　pig　was　the　sacred　animal　of　Demeter。　Aristophanes　in　'The　Frogs'　makes　one　of　the　characters　hint　that　some　of　the　others　'smell　of　roast　pig。'　These　people　undoubtedly　had　been　at　the　festival　（known　as　the　Thesmophoria）　and　had　eaten　freely　of　roast　pig；　Those　who　took　part　in　another　Greek　mystery　or　festival　（known　as　the　Eleusinia）　abstained　from　certain　food；　and　above　all　from　beans。

〃Again；　as　we　all　know；　mice　are　esteemed　in　China　and　in　some　parts　of　India。　But　the　ancient　Egyptians；　Greeks；　and　Jews　abhorred　mice　and　would　not　touch　mouse…meat。　Rats　and　field…mice　were　sacred　in　Old　Egypt；　and　were　not　to　be　eaten　on　this　account。　So；　too；　in　some　parts　of　Greece；　the　mouse　was　the　sacred　animal　of　Apollo；　and　mice　were　fed　in　his　temples。　The　chosen　people　were　forbidden　to　eat　'the　weasel；　and　the　mouse；　and　the　tortoise　after　his　kind。'　These　came　under　the　designation　of　unclean　animals；　which　were　to　be　avoided。

〃But　people　have　abstained　from　eating　kinds　of　flesh　which　could　not　be　called　unclean。　For　example；　the　people　of　Thebes；　as　Herodotus　tells　us；　abstained　from　sheep。　Then；　the　ancients　used　to　abstain　from　certain　vegetables。　In　his　'Roman　Questions'　Plutarch　asks：　'Why　do　the　Latins　abstain　strictly　from　the　flesh　of　the　woodpecker