OBSTETRICS.
Effects of the Moral Treatment of Hysterical Fits.—A young lady,
who had met with a very severe disappointment, was placed under our
care. She was 23 years of age, and hereditarily predisposed to the dis-
ease on both sides. It manifested itself by an excited state of mind,
with startings and restlessness, and she had frequent hysterical fits.
Every attention had been paid-to her health before she quitted home,
but having attempted to throw herself out of the window, it was deemed
proper to remove her from the scene of her excitement. She was
cheerful and clever, and very susceptible of admiration. When she
first came, she stated that her fits were so frequent that it was not right
for her to go to church; but as they were really not violent, we
observed to her that it was always the rule of the house to go to church,
and that if the fit came on there, we should be obliged to call for the
assistance of the beadle to take her out; and that she would thus make
herself very conspicuous. After the service of the first Sunday, she
observed, on coming home from church, that she was very nearly
attacked indeed; and it was remarkable that she never had any fit at
these times afterwards. We took courage from this, and hoped the
time would come when the fits would disappear, not only at church,
but altogether, by a similar method of treatment. One day, while at
dinner, her knife and fork dropped suddenly into her plate, and she
was simultaneously upon the floor. There were several at the table,
and the servant was requested to give no heed to the lady. After a few
minutes had passed away, a gentleman who was at the table, whose
pharmaceutical knowledge would never make his fortune, feeling a little
nervous about the issue of the case, rather anxiously suggested that she
should have some Epsom salts—meaning, no doubt, to say smelling
salts, given to her. This was quite enough. She laughed very much,
and resumed her place at the table, and all went on as before. And it
it is very pleasing to be able to add, that for the few months longer she
remained with us she experienced no return of the fits either at church
or at home; her irritability and oddness of manner went off, and she
continued well. This is now eighteen years ago, and there has been
no actual return of the threatened malady, though she has been
extremely nervous at times, many sorrows and trials having attended
her. If these fits had been neglected or encouraged by bad management
at the first, the probability is, she would, with all the predisposing cir-
cumstances of the case, have been the subject of insanity at the present
time.—Dr. Burnett on Insanity.