70 



restlessness, nervous irritability, and headache, which 

 is often attendant on the first train of symptoms. 



In more severe cases, the headache increases, and 

 is often accompanied by vertigo, noises in the ears, pru- 

 ritus about the anus, mouth, and nostrils, inducing con- 

 stant scratching, obscure pains about the body, loss of 

 appetite, sleep, and dyspepsia. As a natural sequence 

 to this latter, hypochondriasis results. Dr. Cobbold, of 

 London, speaks of one peculiar symptom in this con- 

 nection, viz., a tendency to faintness, which "is so 

 marked as to create much alarm ; and a person, unin- 

 formed of the true cause of the disease, might be led 

 to treat the symptoms as arising from a totally differ- 

 ent source." Indeed, I cannot conceive of a symptom 

 so likely to withdraw the medical attendant's attention 

 from the true cause of the trouble, as this one symp- 

 tom ; referable as it is, more especially in women, to 

 so many diseases of a functional, as well as of an 

 organic, nature. 



The bowels, as might be expected, are frequently 

 the seat of much pain, sometimes spasmodic and 

 gna*wing, but more generally dull and heavy ; akin to 

 the feeling of weight observed in dyspepsia. Diar- 

 rhoea is at times present, though it is by no means 

 constant, the opposite effect sometimes being pro- 

 duced; the stools, exceedingly dark, or, it may be, 

 entirely lacking in color. It often happens also, as a 

 result of so many combining, irritating causes, that 

 a remittent fever is induced, which is known under 

 the name of " worm fever " (Aitken). 



Truly, it may be considered that these are severe 



