INDUCED DISEASE^ ETC. 65 



desire for more capacity for air, but unattended by spasm or acute 

 pain. A severe attack was induced readily by any cause of disturb- 

 ance, such as broken rest or mental excitement ; on the other hand, 

 rest and freedom from care seemed to him curative, for a time. 



In this gentleman another symptom was presented for one or two 

 years, which is somewhat novel, and exceedingly striking. The symp- 

 tom was this : When the intermittent action of the heart was at its 

 worst, there came on in the fingers of one or other hand a sensation 

 of coldness and -numbness, followed instantly by quick blanching of 

 the skin, precisely the same appearance, in fact, as is produced when 

 the surface of the body is frozen. The numbness and temporary death 

 of the parts would often remain for a full hour, during which time 

 the superficial sensibility was altogether lost. When recovery com- 

 menced in the fingers it was very rapid, and after recovery no bad 

 results were ever noticeable. I have since seen one similar illustration 

 in another individual, occurring under nearly similar circumstances. 



From the irregularity of the circulation of the blood induced by 

 prolonged grief, varied central phenomena in the nervous matter fol- 

 low, and in persons who have passed middle life these phenomena are 

 usually permanent if not progressive. They consist of organic feeble- 

 ness extending to all the active organs of the body, and affecting 

 specially the mental organism, A constant desire for rest, for avoid- 

 ance of cares, for seclusion, mark this stage of disease, if so it may be 

 called. It is not necessarily a stage leading to rapid failure of further 

 physical or mental power, for the mind and body are subdued so 

 equally that there is no galling irritability, no wearing depression from 

 the influence of other passions. The worst that happens ultimately in 

 those instances is the gradual but premature encroachment of dementia 

 previous to death, if the life be prolonged to its natural term. 



Under some circumstances the passions, excited in turn, injure by 

 the combined influence of their action. In games of chance where 

 money is at stake we see the play of the worst i^assions in all its r^is- 

 chievous intensity. Fear and anger, hate and grief, hope and exulta- 

 tion, stand forth, one after tlie other, keeping the trepitant heart in 

 constant excitement and under tremulous strain, until at lensth its 

 natural steadiness of motion is transformed into unnatural irregularity 

 which, if it do not remain permanent, is called up by the slightest 

 irritation. Tlie act of playing at whist for high stakes is a frequent 

 source of disease from this cause. I know that professed or habitual 

 card-players declare that, however much may be played for, the losses 

 and winnings of games are equalized by turn, and that after a year's 

 play the player has, practically, neither won nor lost. I may accept 

 that what is declared on this point is true ; but the fact, if it be one, 

 does not alter the physical evil that results, one iota. The man who, 

 after being engaged in business all day, sits down regularly at night 

 to play his rubbers on rubbers, to stake heavily on his games, to bet 



VOL. VIII. 5 



