anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第220部分

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fifty…six　who　suffered　from　palpitation　when　shut　in　a　railway　carriage　or　in　a　small　room。　She　could　only　travel　by　rail　or　go　into　a　small　room　so　long　as　the　doors　were　not　locked；　and　on　the　railroad　she　had　to　bribe　the　guard　to　leave　the　doors　unlocked。　The　attacks　were　purely　mental；　for　the　woman　could　be　deceived　into　believing　that　the　door　to　a　railroad　carriage　was　unlocked；　and　then　the　attack　would　immediately　subside。　Suckling　also　mentions　a　young　woman　brought　to　him　at　Queen's　Hospital　who　had　a　great　fear　of　death　on　getting　into　a　tram　car；　and　was　seized　with　palpitation　and　trembling　on　merely　seeing　the　car。　This　patient　had　been　in　an　asylum。　The　case　was　possibly　due　more　to　fear　of　an　accident　than　to　true　claustrophobia。　Gorodoichze　mentions　a　case　of　claustrophobia　in　a　woman　of　thirty…eight；　in　whose　family　there　was　a　history　of　hereditary　insanity。　Ball　speaks　of　a　case　in　a　woman　who　was　overcome　with　terror　half　way　in　the　ascension　of　the　Tour　Saint…Jacques；　when　she　believed　the　door　below　was　closed。　Gelineau　quotes　the　case　of　a　brave　young　soldier　who　was　believed　to　be　afraid　of　nothing；　but　who　was　unable　to　sleep　in　a　room　of　which　the　door　was　closed。

Astrophobia　or　astropaphobia　is　a　morbid　fear　of　being　struck　by　lightning。　It　was　first　recognized　by　Bruck　of　Westphalia；　who　knew　a　priest　who　was　always　in　terror　when　on　a　country　road　with　an　unobstructed　view　of　the　sky；　but　who　was　reassured　when　he　was　under　the　shelter　of　trees。　He　was　advised　by　an　old　physician　always　to　use　an　umbrella　to　obstruct　his　view　of　the　heavens；　and　in　this　way　his　journeys　were　made　tranquil。　Beard　knew　an　old　woman　who　had　suffered　all　her　life　from　astrophobia。　Her　grandmother　had　presented　the　same　susceptibility　and　the　same　fears。　Sometimes　she　could　tell　the　approach　of　a　storm　by　her　nervous　symptoms。　Caligula；　Augustus；　Henry　III；　and　other　celebrated　personages；　were　overcome　with　fear　during　a　storm。

Mysophobia　is　a　mild　form　of　insanity　characterized　by　a　dread　of　the　contact　of　dirt。　It　was　named　by　Hammond；　whose　patient　washed　her　hands　innumerable　times　a　day；　so　great　was　the　fear　of　contamination。　These　patients　make　the　closest　inspection　of　their　toilet；　their　eating　and　drinking　utensils；　and　all　their　lives　are　intensely　worried　by　fear　of　dirt。

Hematophobia　is　a　horror　of　blood；　which　seems　to　be　an　instinctive　sentiment　in　civilized　man；　but　which　is　unknown　among　savages。　When　the　horror　is　aggravated　to　such　an　extent　as　to　cause　distressing　symptoms　or　unconsciousness；　it　takes　the　name　of　hematophobia。　There　are　many　cases　on　record　and　nearly　every　physician　has　seen　one　or　more；　possibly　among　his　colleagues。

Necrophobia　and　thanatophobia　are　allied　maladies；　one　being　the　fear　of　dead　bodies　and　the　other　the　fear　of　death　itself。

Anthropophobia　is　a　symptom　of　mental　disease　consisting　in　fear　of　society。　Beard；　Mitchell；　Baillarger；　and　others　have　made　observations　on　this　disease。　The　antithesis　of　this　disease　is　called　monophobia。　Patients　are　not　able　to　remain　by　themselves　for　even　the　shortest　length　of　time。　This　morbid　dread　of　being　alone　is　sometimes　so　great　that　even　the　presence　of　an　infant　is　an　alleviation。　Gelineau　cites　an　instance　in　a　man　of　forty…five　which　was　complicated　with　agoraphobia。

Bacillophobia　is　the　result　of　abnormal　pondering　over　bacteriology。　Huchard's　case　was　in　a　woman　of　thirty…eight　who；　out　of　curiosity；　had　secretly　read　the　works　of　Pasteur；　and　who　seemed　to　take　particular　pleasure　in　conning　over　the　causes　of　death　in　the　health…reports。　Goyard　mentions　an　instance　in　a　Swiss　veterinary　surgeon。

Kleptophobia；　examples　of　which　have　been　cited　by　Cullere；　is　the　fear　of　stealing　objects　in　view；　and　is　often　the　prelude　of　kleptomania。　The　latter　disease　has　gained　notoriety　in　this　country；　and　nearly　every　large　store　has　agents　to　watch　the　apparently　growing　number　of　kleptomaniacs。　These　unfortunate　persons；　not　seldom　from　the　highest　classes　of　society；　are　unable　to　combat　an　intense　desire　to　purloin　articles。　Legal　proceedings　have　been　instituted　against　many；　and　specialists　have　been　called　into　court　to　speak　on　this　question。　Relatives　and　friends　have　been　known　to　notify　the　large　stores　of　the　thieving　propensities　of　such　patients。

Le　Grande　du　Saulle　has　given　to　the　disease　in　which　there　is　a　morbid　doubt　about　everything　done；　the　name　folie　de　doute。　Gray　mentions　a　case　in　a　patient　who　would　go　out　of　a　door；　close　it；　and　then　come　back；　uncertain　as　to　whether　he　had　closed　it；　close　it　again；　go　off　a　little　way；　again　feel　uncertain　as　to　whether　he　had　closed　it　properly；　go　back　again；　and　so　on　for　many　times。　Hammond　relates　the　history　of　a　case　in　an　intelligent　man　who　in　undressing　for　bed　would　spend　an　hour　or　two　determining　whether　he　should　first　take　off　his　coat　or　his　shoes。　In　the　morning　he　would　sit　for　an　hour　with　his　stockings　in　his　hands；　unable　to　determine　which　he　should　put　on　first。

Syphilophobia　is　morbid　fear　of　syphilis。　Lyssophobia　is　a　fear　of　hydrophobia　which　sometimes　assumes　all　the　symptoms　of　the　major　disease；　and　even　produces　death。　Gelineau；　Colin；　Berillon；　and　others　have　studied　cases。　In　Berillon's　case　the　patient　was　an　artist；　a　woman　of　brunet　complexion；　who　for　six　years　had　been　tormented　with　the　fear　of　becoming　mad；　and　in　whom　the　symptoms　became　so　intense　as　to　constitute　pseudobydrophobia。　At　their　subsidence　she　was　the　victim　of　numerous　hallucinations　which　almost　drove　her　to　the　point　of　suicide。

Spermatophobia　has　been　noticed　among　the　ignorant；　caused　or　increased　by　inspection　of　sensational　literature；　treatises　on　the　subject　of　spermatorrhea；　etc。　Ferre　mentions　a　woman　of　thirty…six；　of　intense　religious　scruples；　who　was　married　at　eighteen；　and　lost　her　husband　six　years　afterward。　She　had　a　proposition　of　marriage　which　she　refused；　and　was　prostrated　by　the　humid　touch　of　the　proposer　who　had　kissed　her　hand；　imagining　that　the　humidity　was　due　to　semen。　She　was　several　times　overcome　by　contact　with　men　in　public　conveyances；　her　fear　of　contamination　being　so　great。　Zoophobia；　or　dread　of　certain　animals；　has　been　mentioned　under　another　chapter　under　the　head　of　idiosyncrasies。　Pantophobia　is　a　general　state　of　fear　of　everything　and　everybody。　Phobophobia；　the　fear　of　being　afraid；　is　another　coinage　of　the　wordmakers。　The　minor　'phobias；　such　as　pyrophobia；　or　fear　of　fire；　stasophobia；　or　inability　to　arise　and　walk；　the　victims　spending　all　their　time　in　bed；　toxicophobia　or　fear　of　poison；　etc。；　will　be　left　to　the　reader's　inspection　in　special　works　on　this　subject。

Demonomania　is　a　form　of　madness　in　which　a　person　imagines　himself　possessed　of　the　devil。　Ancient　records　of　this　disease　are　frequent；　and　in　this　century　Lapointe　reports　the　history　of　demonomania　in　father；　mother；　three　sons；　and　two　daughters；　the　whole　family；　with　the　exception　of　one　son；　who　was　a　soldier；　being　attacked。　They　imagined　themselves　poisoned　by　a　sorceress；　saw　devils；　and　had　all　sorts　of　hallucinations；　which　necessitated　the　confinement　of　the　whole　family　in　an　asylum　for　over　a　month。　They　continued　free　from　the　hallucinations　for　two　years；　when　first　the　mother；　and　then　gradually　all　the　other　members　of　the　family；　again　became　afflicted　with　demonomania　and　were　again　sent　to　the　asylum；　when；　after　a　residence　therein　of　five　months；　they　were　all　sufficiently　cured　to　return　home。

Particular　aversions　may　be　temporary　only；　that　is；　due　to　an　existing　condition　of　the　organism；　which；　though　morbid；　is　of　a　transitory　character。　Such；　for　instance；　are　those　due　to　dentition；　the　commencement　or　cessation　of　the　menstrual　function；　pregnancy；　etc。　These　cases　are　frequently　of　a　serious　character；　and　may　lead　to　derangement　of　the　mind。　Millington　relates　the　history　of　a　lady　who；　at　the　beginning　of　her　first　pregnancy；　acquired　an　overpowering　aversion　to　a　half…breed　Indian　woman　who　was　employed　in　the　house　as　a　servant。　Whenever　this　woman　came　near　her　she　was　at　once　seized　with　violent　trembling；　this　ended　in　a　few　minutes　with　vomiting　and　great　mental　and　physical　prostration　lasting　several　hours。　Her　husband　would　have　sent　the　woman　away；　but　Mrs。　X　insisted　on　her　remaining；　as　she　was　a　good　servant；　in　order　that　she　might　overcome　what　she　regarded　as　an　unreasonable　prejudice。　The　effort　was；　however；　too　great；　for　upon　one　occasion　when　the　woman　entered　Mrs。　X's　apartment　rather　unexpectedly；　the　latter　became　greatly　excited；　and；　jumping　from　an　open　window　in　her　fright；　broke　her　arm；　and　otherwise　injured　herself　so　severely　that　she　was　confined　to　her　bed　for　several　weeks。　During　this　period；　and　for　some　time　afterward；　she　was　almost　constantly　subject　to　hallucinations；　in　which　the　Indian　woman　played　a　prominent　part。　Even　after　her　recovery　the　mere　thought　of　the　woman　would　sometimes　bring　on　a　paroxysm　of　trembling；　and　it　was　not　till　after　her　confinement　that　the　antipathy　disappeared。

Circular　or　periodic　insanity　is　a　rare　psychosis。　According　to　Drewry　reports　of　very　few　cases　have　appeared　in　the　medical　journals。　〃Some　systematic　writers；〃　says　Drewry；　〃regard　it　as　a　mere　subdivision　of　periodic　insanity　（Spitzka）。　A　distinguished　alienist　and　author　of　Scotland　however　has　given　us　an　admirable　lecture　on　the　subject。　He　says：　'I　have　had　under　my　care　altogether　about　40　cases　of　typical　folie　circulaire。'　In　the　asylum　at　Morningside　there　were；　says　Dr。　Clouston；　in　800　patients　16　cases　of　this　peculiar　form　of　mental　disease。　Dr。　Spitzka；　who　was　the　first　American　to　describe　it；　found　in　2300　cases　of　pauper　insane　four　per　cent　to　be　periodic；　and　its　sub…group；　circular；　insanity。　Dr。　Stearns　states　that　less　than　one…fourth　of　one　per　cent　of　cases　in　the　Hartford　（Conn。）　Retreat　classed　as　mania　and　melancholia　have　proved　to　be　folie　circulaire。　Upon　examination　of　the　annual　reports　of　the　superintendents　of　hospitals　for　the　insane　in　this　country；　in　only　a　few　are　references　made　to　this　as　a　distinct　form　of　insanity。　In　the　New　York　State　hospitals　there　is　a　regular　uniform　classification　of　mental　diseases