MEDICINE. 



15 



rrartict. *MU, both professional and unprofessional, to consider 

 Wp Y"~ > ' Hysteria as always a fictitious complaint ; on* entrrery 

 under the control of the will ; which, like the rxpres- 

 tea of anger, may be always restrained, beinp assumed 

 for the purpose of exciting sympathy, or other similar 

 motive. To certain extent this may be true ; but we 

 that no one who lias frequently witnessed 

 in its aggravated form can suppose that it is 

 always so. Indeed, we cannot conceive bow any vo- 

 luntary effort could produce the effccta upon the various 

 that are so frequently observed in 

 t any thins; except a highly morbid 

 condition of the animal economy could enable the pa- 

 tient to perform the comuUive mn-cular exertions, 

 which far exceed what is ever oboerved in the saine in- 

 dividual at other time*. It i* wrll known that Hyste- 

 ria is almost entirely confined to 

 these, it is generally met with in those of feeble 

 but oi 



think arc entitled to be classed wnn Hysteria, whose 

 of body and mind are most similar* to the flnaalt 



leg of one aide more than the other. It consists in a Practice. 

 IMS of voluntary power over the parts, so that the pa- ^TV" 

 tient is unable to move them in the required direction, 

 while they are subject to a variety of spontaneous mo- 

 tions, which he has it not in his powrr to restrain. 

 Other parts of the body, especially the face, are sub- 

 ject to involuntary twitching* ; and, when the disease 

 is violent, and has been of lung standing, the speech 

 Nfinsm affected, and at length a degree of fatuity su- 



i Hysteria bears to Epilepsy ; an<< 

 eeive that it is often extremely d (Bruit to distinguish be- 

 tween them, where the one disease appears in its anTdsst 

 and the other in ks mot acute lorm. The gsssW is not 

 always present in Hy*trra ; and there are certain cases 

 which seem entitled to the appsllotiun el Epilepsy, yet 



:..-rr t,.- n,^i,..| , .. , ,.. BJM , I ,|,rrr : >r 



state of the feeling* and of the 



kj 



Tmlsjassj 



ing Hysteria ; and, besides this, the 

 tones evidently ronvertible mto 

 gfcM under the form of Hysteria 



. Hysteria, when it appears in its nnmiied farm. Mid 

 is not the forerunner of Epilepsy, or siisiptessjalk of 

 any other disease, i seldom attended with danger, al- 

 though it may be difftcuk to remo 



v ' it- rt : irn 



* 



The general 

 possible to 



isart the paroxysm, ___ _ __- 



Theffmisaccompluhedbyanysod. 



the mmd or the organs of sense. 



is for this parpun it is almost im- 



Sj <'..- Ma* I .,'. --.'rr.,,'. r 



of the patient. A 



. . 



Cistia. 



""> ' '" riV 



-" -^w^^WW ID Q^QffT wO 



prevent the rvturn of the fit, we endeavour I* restore 

 between the powers of the system, by 

 .gth while we diminish action. This u 

 rirtcipaJly by Isaies of various kind 

 -talHc. of whi.h. prrtiaps, the most ef- 

 is fmt'hoiij, eomliiusd with *ome preparation 

 of iron. Among the eanriKary means, we may men- 

 tisja bodily exercise, the cold bath, abstinence in diet, 

 early rwinf. and inch other means as are generally al- 

 lowed to tavigoiafsj the system, while, during the whole 

 coarse of the disease, we are to be especially careful to 

 praaorve a vary opsa state of the bowels. 



SBCT.U. CAorf.. St. Krar*, Asa 



This is a peculiar kind of convulsion, which princi- 

 pally affects the extremities, and generally the arm and 



Chorea makiM its first appearance almost exclusively 

 in young persons, for three or four years previously to 

 the period of puberty ; but if it be not removed by 

 proper remedies, it will continue, in a certain degree, 

 tor a long period, or even during the remainder of life. 

 The patients are generally of a delicate habit of body. 



sen as have not enjoyed a sufficiency of nourish - 

 fresh air, or bodily exercise. It occasionally oc- 



in piroiyssas, or, at least, is more violent at some 

 others ; but generally its progress is gra- 

 dual, first exhibiting itself in certain gestures or mo- 

 tionsof the limbs, which seem rather objects of ridicule 



of medical treatment. Sometime* the first symp- 

 tom that is noticed is a dragging of the leg in walking. 

 similar to what we observe in slight paralysis. Along 



the more appropriate symptoms, we generally 

 find, that the digestive organs are deranged, and espe- 

 cially that the bowels are torpid. The disease, in some 

 rises, appears to be sympathetic of a local irriutii.n. 

 such as that from teeth or from worms ; but, generally, 

 we do DM observe any local exciting cause to which it 

 can be referred. It i said to be disposed to disappear 

 ly at the age of puberty, but we doubt the 

 of this observation. 

 The cure of Casroa has been attempted by various Tretuarau 



s that are very opposite to each other. By some 



rs depletion n recommended, while, by others, 



I ami stimulants are prescribed ; and in each case 

 the remedies are directed generally, with little regard 

 to the nature of the individual ca-. or the difference 

 which may exist between them. This apparent incon- 

 sistency, prrhap*. depends partly upon the nature of the 

 complaint, which, like some others of the Neuroses, 

 may arise from causes that are almost diametrically op. 

 posite to each other, and yet may exhibit nearly the 

 same ijmptuaM. The plan of treatment which we shall 

 rscamasend is, that the state of the bowels be always 

 the first object of attention ; that brisk cathartics be 

 administered, tonsil ting of calomel combined with a 

 drastic purgative, until the evacuations are of the natu- 

 ral quantity and quality. If the appetite be defective, 



_ -Ja- i l__ -l _s^ ll 



toon adnuntstor stomachics , and if the sys- 

 wrakness, we rosy em- 

 We believe that less ad- 





ks of 



ploy tonics aad stimulants. 

 vantage will be obtained from the use of opium and 

 other sedatives than the nature and symptoms of the 

 disease aright lead us to ex|xrci . nor do we apprehend 

 that much will be gained by the tribe of antMpasmo- 

 i'he application of blisters to the origin of the 

 nerves which supply the sfiected part, especially to the 

 different regions of the spine, has born found a useful 

 practice ; mercury given so as to affect the system, has 

 been strongly recommended by some writers, and like- 

 wise electricity ; but we do not feel much confidence 

 in either of these remedies. We need scarcely remark 



it it extremely important in all cases of Chorea to 



line the state of the teeth, 



and to remove every 



r*woahs cause of imution which may scorn to be de- 

 rived from this source. 



