HYSTERIA. 



413 



descended from an hysterical mother, and she, too, be descended from 

 hysterical parents, this alone is no absolute proof of the existence of 

 such hereditary tendency, as it may have proceeded from injudicious 

 training, which has likewise propagated itself in the family for gen 

 erations. 



Constitution and temperament have no distinct effect upon the 

 tendency to hysteria. On the other hand, the mode of life of a pa- 

 tient, and her education, have a most decided influence in this respect. 

 The less a child is taught to control itself, the more it is allowed to 

 indulge in immoderate grief over a broken toy ; the more the rod is 

 spared, when it gives way to outbursts of excessive anger or passion, 

 stamping its feet and throwing itself upon the floor, all on account of 

 some disappointed expectation, or the refusal of some request, so much 

 the more apt will it afterward be to become hysterical. If we teach a 

 child to be industrious, to be conscientious, and to control itself; if we 

 prevent growing girls from knitting or doing worsted work all day 

 long, or from occupying themselves in other ways, which permit of 

 their indulging in dreams and reveries ; if we keep improper books, 

 likely to give them stilted ideas, out of their hands, we shall have 

 done our best toward averting the danger of hysteria. Hysteria is a 

 very rare phenomenon among men. Here, too, it usually proceeds 

 from derangement of the sexual apparatus, although this is not al- 

 ways the case ; but in men, likewise, it is only in instances of decided 

 congenital or hereditary tendency to the disease that it can be excited 

 by venereal excess, onanism, spermatorrhoea, and the like. 



SYMPTOMS AND COURSE. Owing to the complicated nature of the 

 symptoms of hysteria, and to the varied character of its course, it is 

 impossible to give a brief and comprehensive description of this dis- 

 ease. Hence we depart from our usual practice in describing hys- 

 teria, and, instead of drawing a picture of the affection itself, shall 

 give a classified discussion of its symptoms. 



Derangement of sensibility is a very common symptom, and is 

 scarcely ever absent in any case of hysteria. General hypercesthesia, 

 or " nervousness," as the laity call it, is the first symptom of this class 

 to which we shall refer. It often exists for years uncomplicated by 

 any other form of the disease. This hyperaesthesia is sometimes 

 evinced by an unusual acuteness of the senses. Some patients are 

 able, by touch alone, to perceive the most trifling differences of 

 weight and temperature, and thus to distinguish objects from each 

 other, with their eyes shut, which healthy persons could not have 

 distinguished. It is easy to understand that a faculty of this kind 

 seems wonderful to the masses, and that it often is used for purposes 

 of imposture. In a similar manner some patients have their sense 



