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.

    97/128 (page 91)
    She had sustained no sudden injury to the joint, neither blow^ nor fall, nor sprain. The malady was gradual and sponta- neous. Had the disease been of the inflammatory class> the remedies would have probably long since cured it. There was no appearance of disorganization otherwise than integumental. The pain was generally aggravated at the catamenial periods. Bending the joint afforded no evidence of disease within it, no grating or roughness of the cartila- ginous surfaces. The pain varied greatly in intensity at different periods. This evidence was sufficient, and, to my judgment, con- clusive. I strapped up her joint in an opium plaster. She took bark and iron and wine, and in a fortnight began to walk about without her crutches; but two months had elapsed before her recovery. Many years ago, when I was less familiar with hysteric affections, I attended the case of a young lady of nineteen in conjunction with Mr. Stanley. We both deemed the dis- ease to belong to the class of inflammation, and conjointly adopted the usual remedies so indiscriminately resorted to in all painful affections of joints. Many weeks elapsed v/ith- out improvement, and I remember that we discussed with some anxiety the probable issue in abscess, destruction of ligaments, absorption of cartilage, and ultimate amputation of the limb ! One day my patient informed me that her sister was going to be married, and that, cost what it might, she had made up her mind to attend the wedding. At this proposal I shuddered. Having expatiated, to no purpose, on the probable consequences of so rash an act, with all the force