Hysteria : the history of a disease / by Ilza Veith.

  • Ilza Veith
Date:
1970, ©1965
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hysteria : the history of a disease / by Ilza Veith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    85/128 (page 79)
    Of examples of hysteric pain situated under the ribs, more commonly on the left side, it is needless to quote indi- vidual cases; they are so common. From some cause not very apparent, they are, however, seen less frequently at the present day than formerly. I attended some years ago a young married lady, the mother of three or four children, the daughter of a medical man of large experience, by whose direction she had been cupped about fifteen times over the seat of pain. The malady prevailed in her system in its active form during many years, and she was not free from it when I saw her at the age of 30. This treatment, which included the local application of leeches by the hundred, and blisters the sum of which might be calculated by the square yard, while it gave no permanent rehef, has left its mark in more senses than one on the person and constitu- tion of this lady for life. At all events, her excellent parent has the merit of perseverance, if not of discrimina- tion. Among the cases of the sympathetic or imitative forms of Hysteria which I have already quoted, two of these females exhibited the scars of similar local treatment for supposed organic disease under the ribs, and I have seen many others. I need hardly tell you that this is a constitu- tional and not a local infirmity, and must be treated accord- ingly, or not treated at all. What structure or organ occu- pying this region on the left side, under the lower ribs, can be supposed the seat of this pain ? It is deep-seated, and therefore the abdominal muscles are beyond suspicion. Is it the colon, or the spleen, or the base of the left lung, or the diaphragm ? Whichever structure is involved, if any.