HEREDITARY NOSE BLEED 
Tendency Runs Through Three Generations of a Family—Manifests Itself at 
Adolescence and Disappears after a Few Years—Possibly 
Connected with Sex! 
Wiis C. LANE 
University of Maine, Orono, Maine 
people who had nose bleed nearly 
every day, and from no apparent 
external cause such as injury or 
exertion. Last spring a third case of 
this peculiar nose bleeding was found. 
It so happened that all three of these 
people were related; and I was told of 
other cases among their relatives. An 
inquiry was made and, with the aid of a 
relative, thirteen cases of this peculiarity 
were found, all of which are represented 
on the accompanying chart. Most of 
the members of this greater family (of 
which all names will be absolutely 
withheld) live in neighborhoods where 
I am acquainted; I know personally 
most of the individuals represented on 
the chart and all of those possessing 
the character in question. 
Those individuals who possess the 
trait have frequent, copious and regular 
nose bleedings, not apparently arising 
from such causes as injuries, excitement, 
exertion, or like factors. These bleed- 
ings first manifest themselves, in either 
sex, at the period of adolescence, and 
continue until the individual is 18 or 20 
years of age. In a few cases the bleed- 
ing occurs daily, in other individuals 
about three times a week. The loss of 
blood does not seem in any way to 
incapacitate the subject, save to stop 
work or play for a moment or two while 
the blood is flowing. 
With but one exception all the indi- 
viduals who showed this peculiarity 
were healthy, vigorous, well nourished 
and developed rapidly after puberty. 
Indeed, it appeared that those individ- 
uals who bled from the nose the most 
y Peet years ago I knew two young 
valuable suggestions. 
132 
frequently and who lost the most blood 
showed the greatest activity and de- 
veloped most rapidly. 
Invariably in case the regular nose 
bleeding did not occur the subject 
would have headache and a general 
bodily and mental depression which 
would be relieved by nose bleeding. In 
other words, there was a general blood 
congestion with its accompanying symp- 
toms, which symptoms disappeared 
after the blood pressure was reduced. 
In fact, nose bleeding was sometimes 
purposely induced to obtain relief when 
the regular bleeding did not occur. 
Individual No. 2 in the second 
generation exhibited the peculiarity 
most strongly. His nose would bleed 
profusely every day. This was espe- 
cially marked in his sixteenth year, 
and yet at this time there was a remark- 
able body growth. He worked very 
hard, seeming never to tire, and was 
never sick. The nose bleeding dimin- 
ished the next year and ceased entirely 
in his eighteenth year. 
Individuals Nos. 1 and 5 on the chart 
are characterized by typical vicarious 
menstruation in addition to the peculiar 
nose bleeding. The latter occurred 
quite regularly about three times a 
week and ceased at about the eighteenth 
year. 
Individual No. 4 in the third genera- 
tion also showed this peculiar vicarious 
function at times. 
Individual No. 3 had nose bleed more 
or less frequently up to her death which 
resulted from an uncontrollable nose 
bleed at the age of 45. None of the 
other cases exhibited anything unusual 
' Dr. Raymond Pearl, to whom thanks are hereby given, has criticized this paper and made 
