MERELY FANCY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5668, 12 September 1896, Page 7

MERELY FANCY.

It is no uncommon thing to meet with persons suffering from strange and unaccountable diseases. Medical men may call them by learned names, and classify them under the various kinds of " hypochondriasis" or " hysteria," but sufferers cannot be persuaded that the feeilngs that trouble them are only delusions. From some cause — whether we can find the reason or not — these cases, even in this matter-of-fact age, are not on the decrease. The treatment is more rational and scientific. Therefore, patients who suffer from any of these forms of illness are more speedily restored to -health than formerly. Medical men often have patients who complain of unheard-of afflictions. . , A medical friend of the writer's, many years ago, was visited by a lady who presented him with a large MS., almost enough to make a three-volume novel, containing a statement of her case for him to read, saying that she would call again in a few days for his opinion and advice. The MS. contained a most wonderful description of what she thotight herself suffering from. ' , She imagined that a string was fastened to her tongue, and, after passing through various parts of her body, was joined to the great top of her right foot. She fancied that unless this string was cut she would starve to death. The doctor saw the kind of patient he had to deal with, and thought he would try what her imagination could do towards effecting a cure. He. therefore, ordered her to bed, and performed an imaginary operation, which succeeded in perfectly curing her. Another lady remained in bed seven years, supposing that she could not walk, nor even stand upon her feet. Doctors without number saw her, and all that science could do was of >no avail. There appeared no sign of any disease which prevented her from walking. But walk she could not, or would not. One day, however, something happened in her home that changed her thoughts, and she walked downstairs as if nothing had ever been the matter. The cure was permanent. An intelligent woman once asked the writer's advice under the following circumstances. She had taken a pill, or rather the half of one, for her throat was, she assured me, too small to swallow a pill whole. The half of the pill, she was certain, had gone, down the wrong way, and was in her lung. Could anything be done for her ? She was sure that the half-pill was in her lung, and that it was killing her. No evidence and no argument of mine was strong enough to convince her to the contrary. She still lives, however, after about twenty years, to prove that half-pills, even if they get into the lungs, are very slow in their work of killing people. It is no ixncommon thing for persons to fancy themselves afflicted with strange swellings that no one can see or feel but themselves. These people are not really insane, unless it is upon the one point about themselves. They are often remarkably intelligent and clever. .Dr Isaac Watts, the learned theologian and poet, though a very little man, thought himself too large to pass through an ordinary-sized doorway. A celebrated M.D. believed that he had frogs in his stomach, and, having exhausted his ovm skill in a vain endeavour to expel them, consulted other doctors about his case. Pascal wovild never sit in a chair without seeing that it stood firmly on the floor. An old gentleman at various times suffered from almost every disease that can be named, but it was all imagination. He tried upon himself every new patent medicine that came under his notice. But in spite of all his imaginary diseases, he lived to nearly ninety years, and died of nothing but old age.— London Daily Mail.