MODERN MAGIC.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 115, 29 April 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

MODERN MAGIC.

’ JfUM A.RKABLE CURES OF - INSANE. - -r.rl.able in-tances of thy* cure om arc given by Dr. igljbcrtsoii. ph.vsrci a superintendent ■ Hoyal Edinburgh Asylum for the in his annual report. the recoveries during 1910,” Dr. Robertson, "a series of three of a most instructive kind shows progress that science is slowly but Barely making. -Two at least of these ■ases would have been deemed incurKble long ago E, ‘‘The fit st patient suffered from the Insanity of myxqedema, a disease due Nt« the defective secretion of a gland in Khe neck, called the thyroid. Owing to Ithe absence of th is secretion from her 1 blood, in a few weeks’ time the whole body increased in .bulk, and the'movements became slow, the expression of face changed completely, and even the tone of voice altered in character. She liecan e childish in mind, expressed silly I dolnrions, and heard imaginary voicesI : ■ r 'tioi't was given* tablets prej 1 a. the thyroid gland of tlie ! she . in a week she was transfer) * ' m a misshapen, stupid obbri'rht and pleasant featur- ■ — her natural self, and quite ■a ’s. ■“ .sable as the creature of a > rote. kt iow centuries ego these kaleidorzropu- changes would have been put ■down tc magic, .spell of an offended' ; her body and soul, ; and a counter charm restoring her original shape and personality. To-day .every medical man knows the secret, -imd people have ceased to be astonished ’■tisuch things Nevertheless, it was a mfraole of science.” The so Paid case of insanity was due ■*c> an exce«s of the thyroid in the blood. ‘•’Hiis .Lends to produce great nervousrt*o«s and. exwtability and many other si?mptontß, such as palpitation. There is a tlicorv not yet established, that < -^ < T ss thvrofd recretion is neutralised by a substance in the blood. In this i-.-Jsc. ac'-ording to the theory, there was •nAt s'a.Tictent of this substance to neu-+!-o great excess, so she was sup- ‘ • this pt.rpose with serum from hose thyroid gland had been - bi +his serum none of this - : ■ ’ ■ 'ibstance had been used up. : r mg no secretion present, and Iv, a« the result of this treatj*. -*it -he patient recovered.” Robertson adds:— “A feature of jjp.-* arch work'roocntlv done in owr Wfam-at-bi-ies is. the wave of optimism? it produced.