DOCTORS ON “PAIN”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22368, 15 September 1934, Page 2

DOCTORS ON “PAIN”

REMARKABLE IMMUNITY THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE.. (From Oob Own Correspondent:) LONDON, August 4. “ Pain ” was a subject discussed at one of the meetings of the British Medical Association, and instances were given of people who apparently are immune to pain. , There was in modern life, said Dr T. G. Maitland, of Liverpool, a deliberate and calculated aversion from all pain, bodily and mental. “ Pain is an evil to be exercised,” he said. “ The birch at school is regarded by these people as a degrading instrument of discipline, and they maintain —perhaps not overtly —that good behaviour shall arise, out of the conditioned reflexes of pleasure only. Whatever effort is made to avoid the painful consequences of wrong* or mistaken conduct, nevertheless pain has a definitely educational value, and the obsession to eliminate it has one unlocked for consequence in that it is certain to increase sensitivity and enormously extend the field of painful exposure. “ All who have charge of the child should pay no attention to the hurt child over and above what is necessary for the remedial demands. Pain that is inevitable will then have its proper place; it will not be—as it is with so many—the cause of latent fears and useless inhibitions evinced by the dread of all hazards and adventure." Some remarkable instances of people immune to pain were related by Dr Macdonald Critchley, of London. A weedy, miserable type of young man once went to a dentist to have all his teeth out. “ I cannot do it to-day because I have no anaisthotifi,” the dentist said. “ Well, try your hand on one tooth,” suggested the patient. A tooth was pulled out. “That doesn’t hurt a hit; I didn’t feel it. Take out another." This went on until the whole of the teeth had been extracted. The patient left toothless, not having experienced the slightest discomfort. VOLUNTARY CRUCIFIXION. Then there was an American music hall artist who could be maltreated ih any way with impunity. It was of no consequence to f »him whether lie was struck on the:, face with a pickaxe, or his body used as a pincushion. Then he staged a crucifixion for himself. “ The operation began, and they pierced his hands with nails," said Dr Critchley. “ But the performance had to be brought to an end because most of the people in the music hull had collapsed.” The degree to which pain may be dominated by the emotions was emphasised by Dr Lionel A. Weatherley, of Bournemouth, who presided. He recalled a patient of his own, a woman, who had a predisposition to suicide. After being prevented many times from taking her life, she was sent to a private mental homo. One winter morning she overpowered a nurse and locked herself in a room in which a big fire was burning.' She put red hot coals all over her body, and was burned to death. As she was expiring, she shouted: “Now I am achieving my object in spite of all of yon.”