

FEIGXED DISEASES. 



FEIGNED DISEASES. 



this tribunal was instituted having ceased to exist, it gradually lost its 

 power, without being abolished by any legislative enactment. Some 

 traces of the revival of this tribunal appear in the 17th century, but 

 its efforts to regain its former importance were checked by the public 

 authorities. It sunk at length into utter insignificance ; and a rem- 

 nant of it which continued to act as a kind of society for the suppres- 

 sion of vice waa abolished in Westphalia by order of Jerome Bona- 

 parte in the year 1811. The members of the order maintained that 

 they were the true and genuine possessors of the secrets intrusted to the 

 Fehin by Charlemagne, but no one would or could explain the signifi- 

 cation of the mystical S.S.G.G. Goethe has given a graphic picture 

 of the working of this tribunal in his historical drama ' Goetz von 

 Berlichiugen ; ' and Scott in his ' Anne of Geierstein,' has described 

 the proceedings of the tribunal : but neither have confined themselves 

 to the historical facts, and the last has wandered widely. The best 



heimlichen Gerichte Westphalens,' Frankfurt, 1832. 



FEIGNED DISEASES. There are few subjects attended with more 

 diffipulty than the detection of feigned diseases, especially when they 

 are the result of a system which permits of a constant refinement of 

 the deceit by practice. This has been especially the case in France, 

 where the object has been to escape the conscription. Foderc? has 

 observed, " that it was brought to such a perfection as to render it as 

 difficult to detect a feigned disease as to cure a real one." The motives 

 which usually lead to this practice are 1, A release from obligation. 

 This is frequently the case in the army and navy, where the men will 

 pretend to be ill to escape duty or to gain their discharge. In this 

 form it has got the name of Mal\nfj?r'in<i. Beggars, too, often feign 

 illness when they are offered work, preferring the easy task of soliciting 

 charity to the labour of an occupation. 2, The hope of gain. This 

 motive comes into operation where the object is to obtain relief from 

 the parish, to impose upon the benevolence of private persons, to 

 procure the allowances of benefit societies, clubs, &c., to get admitted 

 into an hospital, or to obtain compensation for some pretended injury. 

 3, To procure release from confinement or an exemption from punish- 

 ment. This motive is a source of deceit with boys and girls at school, 

 persons committed to prison, 4c. To these may be added the love of 

 exciting the sympathy or gaining the attention of others, where no 

 hope or need of gain exists. This motive acts in all classes of society, 

 and leads individuals of otherwise the highest moral character to 

 imitate all forms of disease. It is observed most frequently in young 

 and unmarried females, and is frequently carried to the extent of 

 feigning diseases for which capital operations are required ; and 

 instances are not wanting where surgeons (not much however to their 

 credit) have removed legs, breasts, and arms at the solicitation of such 

 patients. 



There is no natural limit to diseases which may be feigned ; but 

 some being much more easily imitated than others, and less easily 

 detected, are most frequently assumed. Feigned diseases may be 

 divided into, 1, those which are obvious to the senses ; 2, those 

 depending upon the description of the impostor, and 3, those of a com- 

 plicated nature, presenting symptoms of both kinds. Amongst diseases 

 obvious to the senses are an increased or diminished size of parts, 

 wounds, malformations, ulcers, discharges, spasmodic and paralytic 

 affections. A favourite mode of increasing the size of parts, and pro- 

 .; tumours, is by injecting air beneath the cellular membrane. 

 In this way such diseases as dropsy, local and general, hernia, hydrocele, 

 varicose veins, elephantiasis, oedema of the extremities, may be simu- 

 lated. Pressure also, by means of ligatures, &e. on the veins, will pro- 

 .vellings of ports of the body. Swellings also of the joints, so as 

 to resemble white swellings, are produced by the application of various 

 acrid plants, as the ranunculus acris and sceleratus to the part. Polypi, 

 hydatids, malignant tumours, and htemorrhoids, are imitated by affix- 

 ing in some manner the intestines and other viscera of animals to the 

 parts of the body in which these diseases occur. Cancer has been 

 mutated by a cow's spleen, and by a sponge moistened with milk fixed 

 under the arm-pit. The various malformations of the body are feigned 

 by obstinate and long-continued flexion of the part, aided by inaction and 

 the use of tight blindages. Sometimes these contractions are accom- 

 panied by a wound, in order to prove that they have been effected by 

 a burn. Many means have been proposed for detecting this class of 

 impositions, such as compressing with a tourniquet the nerves that 

 supply the contracted muscles ; applying a wet bandage tightly round 

 the limb, so that when it becomes dry it may overcome the contraction ; 

 moving the contracted limb during natural sleep or that produced by 

 narcotics ; or making extension whilst the person is under the influence 

 of an emetic, or when his attention is directed to other objects ; recom- 

 meufling the coast of Africa, or some other disagreeable thing, as a 

 cure. Wounda and sores are produced in a variety of ways. Wounds, 

 when self-inflicted, will always be in positions where persons can get 

 at the spot where they exist, with their own hands. Accomplices are 

 however sometimes engaged even in this. Ulcers are among the most 

 common of feigned diseases. They are produced by red-hot iron, by 

 caustics, as corrosive acids and alkalies, and the juices of various plants, 

 as of the ranunculus acris and sceleratus, the spurge-laurel, the cuphor- 

 liium, arum maculatum, and juniper. Where persons are suspected of 



keeping up ulcers in their legs by irritants, the placing their legs in a 

 box and locking them up will allow the ulcers to heal. The various 

 forms of cutaneous disease are produced by the application of irritants 

 to the skin, as pounded garlic, euphorbium, cautharides, gunpowder, 

 nitric acid, bay salt, &c. The discoloration of jaundice is imitated by 

 various dyes, as well as the appearance of bruises. Ophthalmia is a 

 disease often feigned, and is commonly produced by the application of 

 irritants, as snuff, pepper, tobacco, blue vitriol, salt, alum, &c. The 

 progress of the inflammation in these coses is usually more rapid than 

 in the idiopathic form. It is mostly also confined to one eye, for 

 obvious reasons ; and when occurring in the army it may be suspected, 

 if epidemic, when it only comes on in privates and non-commissioned 

 officers. Diseased discharges are often simulated. Vomiting is 

 effected by pressing on the pit of the stomach, by swallowing air, by 

 strong and sudden action of the abdominal muscles, by tickling the 

 fauces, and the use of emetics. Diarrhoea and dysentery are produced 

 by taking drastic purgatives. Fragments of brick, slate, small pebbles, 

 pieces of quartz, and flint, have been introduced into the urethra, to 

 bear oxit the alleged existence of urinary calculus. Hfematuria has 

 been simulated by tinging the urine with various colouring matters, 

 and the disease has really been brought on by the taking of savin, can- 

 tharides, and turpentine. Spitting of blood is a favourite assumed 

 disease. It is simulated by placing a sponge in the mouth filled with 

 bullock's blood, by cutting the mouth and gums, and by sucking 

 blood from other parts of the body. A vomiting of urine and faeces 

 have taken place by the stealthy introduction of the contents of the 

 bladder and rectum into the stomach. 



The spasmodic diseases to which the system is subject have been 

 imitated with great success, and none more so than epilepsy. It has 

 for its peculiar recommendatiou, that the person who is subject to it 

 may be well at intervals and assume the attacks when it best suits 

 him. The best criterion of imposition is the want of the total insen- 

 sibility which characterises the true fits. In the feigned disease the 

 application of stimulants will seldom fail to elicit indications of sensi- 

 bility. Hartshorn or burning sulphur may be introduced under the 

 nose : alcohol and turpentine may be dropped into the eye, and 

 mustard or common salt placed in the mouth. Pricking the skin with 

 sharp-pointed instruments has also been recommended. This however 

 is frequently resisted. Dr. Guy recommends " flecking" the feet with 

 a wet towel. He says he has by this means aroused a patient from a 

 mesmeric slumber when all other mechanical stimulants and cold 

 affusions had failed. Convulsions are often imitated ; but where they 

 are fictitious they cannot be sustained for any length of time without 

 great exhaustion. Chorea is also often imitated. Electricity and cold 

 affusions are the best remedies for this disease, and are likely to be 

 effectual in the case of impostors. Hysteria, catalepsy, tetanus, hydro- 

 phobia, some forms of tonic spasm, stammering, strabismus, and 

 difficulty of swallowing, are other diseases of the nervous system 

 which are often imitated. Paralytic affections are also frequently 

 simulated. The treatment resorted to for the cure of these diseases, 

 when natural, would be found a trying ordeal for most impostors. 

 Cases however are related in which impostors have resisted the most 

 active treatment ; and a case of simulated lethargy is on record, in 

 which an individual resisted with only a single groan the operation of 

 trephining. 



Another class of feigned diseases are those which depend chiefly 

 upon the description given by the impostor. These are all embraced 

 in increased and diminished sensations. Increased pain of one or many 

 organs is commonly feigned. It is easily assumed but not easily 

 detected, as many pains, such as that of tic douloureux, come on in an 

 apparently healthy state of the system ; and many pains of a severe 

 character are dependent on exceedingly obscure causes. There are no 

 rules which can be laid down for the detection of simulated pain ; and 

 it is only those who have extensively observed the effects of real pain 

 on the system, that can readily distinguish that which is pretended. 

 Of diminished sensations, blindness, and deafness are those most fre- 

 quently feigned. Amaurosis may be really produced for a time by the 

 application of belladonna, henbane, spurge laurel, and tobacco ; but 

 under these circumstances it disappears when the impostor is carefully 

 watched. Deafness is often assumed, but it may be detected by un- 

 expectedly or sharply calling out the name of the individual, by calling 

 him by name when asleep, or letting a piece of money fall close to him. 

 Dumbness has been, successfully feigned, and coses ore recorded which 

 resisted every attempt at discovery. It may be frequently detected 

 by giving the person a sudden and unexpected knock, or a prick with 

 a pin. 



Sometimes general diseases are assumed, embracing a collection of 

 symptoms. Of these, the most frequently assumed are fever, ague, 

 rheumatism, phthisis, asthma, dyspepsia, jaundice, inflammations of the 

 bowels, stomach, and kidneys. These feigned diseases are only to be 

 detected by a knowledge of the real diseases, when a correct diagnosis 

 is not often difficult. Of diseases involving complicated symptoms, 

 that of unsouuduess of mind is most frequently and most successfully 

 feigned. The success however does not depend so much on the ease 

 with which the symptoms of true insanity are imitated, as upon the 

 ignorance that prevails of the distinguishing characters of real insanity. 

 When these are once known an impostor may be easily detected. The 

 most frequent form of assumed maducss is geueral mania. In addition 



