anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第189部分

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ined　to　seek　death　as　a　relief　from　his　misery。　Reviewing　the　various　methods　of　committing　suicide　he　found　none　to　his　taste；　and　resolved　on　something　new。　Being　familiar　with　the　constituents　of　explosives；　he　resolved　to　convert　his　body　into　a　bomb；　load　it　with　explosives；　and　thus　blow　himself　to　pieces。　He　procured　some　powdered　sulphur　and　potassium　chlorate；　and　placing　each　in　a　separate　wafer　he　swallowed　both　with　the　aid　of　water。　He　then　lay　down　on　his　bed；　dressed　in　his　best　clothes；　expecting　that　as　soon　as　the　two　explosive　materials　came　into　contact　he　would　burst　like　a　bomb　and　his　troubles　would　be　over。　Instead　of　the　anticipated　result　the　most　violent　collicky　pains　ensued；　which　finally　became　so　great　that　he　had　to　summon　his　neighbors；　who　took　him　to　the　hospital；　where；　after　vigorous　application　with　the　stomach…pump；　it　was　hoped　that　his　life　would　be　saved。　Sankey　mentions　an　epileptic　who　was　found　dead　in　his　bed　in　the　Oxford　County　Asylum；　the　man　had　accomplished　his　end　by　placing　a　round　pebble　in　each　nostril；　and　thoroughly　impacting　in　his　throat　a　strip　of　flannel　done　up　in　a　roll。　In　his　〃Institutes　of　Surgery〃　Sir　Charles　Bell　remarks　that　his　predecessor　at　the　Middlesex　Hospital　entered　into　a　conversation　with　his　barber　over　an　attempt　at　suicide　in　the　neighborhood；　during　which　the　surgeon　called　the　〃would…be　suicide〃　a　fool；　explaining　to　the　barber　how　clumsy　his　attempts　had　been　at　the　same　time　giving　him　an　extempore　lecture　on　the　anatomic　construction　of　the　neck；　and　showing　him　how　a　successful　suicide　in　this　region　should　be　performed。　At　the　close　of　the　conversation　the　unfortunate　barber　retired　into　the　back　area　of　his　shop；　and　following　minutely　the　surgeon's　directions；　cut　his　throat　in　such　a　manner　that　there　was　no　hope　of　saving　him。　It　is　supposed　that　one　could　commit　suicide　by　completely　gilding　or　varnishing　the　body；　thus　eliminating　the　excretory　functions　of　the　skin。　There　is　an　old　story　of　an　infant　who　was　gilded　to　appear　at　a　Papal　ceremony　who　died　shortly　afterward　from　the　suppression　of　the　skin…function。　The　fact　is　one　well　established　among　animals；　but　after　a　full　series　of　actual　experiments；　Tecontjeff　of　St。　Petersburg　concludes　that　in　this　respect　man　differs　from　animals。　This　authority　states　that　in　man　no　tangible　risk　is　entailed　by　this　process；　at　least　for　any　length　of　time　required　for　therapeutic　purposes。　〃Tarred　and　feathered〃　persons　rarely　die　of　the　coating　of　tar　they　receive。　For　other　instances　of　peculiar　forms　of　suicide　reference　may　be　made　to　numerous　volumes　on　this　subject；　prominent　among　which　is　that　by　Brierre　de　Boismont；　which；　though　somewhat　old；　has　always　been　found　trustworthy；　and　also　to　the　chapters　on　this　subject　written　by　various　authors　on　medical　jurisprudence。

Religious　and　Ceremonial　Mutilations。Turning　now　to　the　subject　of　self…mutilation　and　self…destruction　from　the　peculiar　customs　or　religious　beliefs　of　people；　we　find　pages　of　information　at　our　disposal。　It　is　not　only　among　the　savage　or　uncivilized　tribes　that　such　ideas　have　prevailed；　but　from　the　earliest　times　they　have　had　their　influence　upon　educated　minds。　In　the　East；　particularly　in　India；　the　doctrines　of　Buddhism；　that　the　soul　should　be　without　fear；　that　it　could　not　be　destroyed；　and　that　the　flesh　was　only　its　resting…place；　the　soul　several　times　being　reincarnated；　brought　about　great　indifference　to　bodily　injuries　and　death。　In　the　history　of　the　Brahmans　there　was　a　sect　of　philosophers　called　the　Gymnosophists；　who　had　the　extremest　indifference　to　life。　To　them　incarnation　was　a　positive　fact；　and　death　was　simply　a　change　of　residence。　One　of　these　philosophers；　Calanus；　was　burned　in　the　presence　of　Alexander；　and；　according　to　Plutarch；　three　centuries　later　another　Gymnosophist　named　Jarmenochegra；　was　similarly　burned　before　Augustus。　Since　this　time；　according　to　Brierre　de　Boismont；　the　suicides　from　indifference　to　life　in　this　mystic　country　are　counted　by　the　thousands。　Penetrating　Japan　the　same　sentiment；　according　to　report；　made　it　common　in　the　earlier　history　of　that　country　to　see　ships　on　its　coasts；　filled　with　fanatics　who；　by　voluntary　dismantling；　submerged　the　vessels　little　by　little；　the　whole　multitude　sinking　into　the　sea　while　chanting　praises　to　their　idols。　The　same　doctrines　produced　the　same　result　in　China。　According　to　Brucker　it　is　well　known　that　among　the　500　philosophers　of　the　college　of　Confucius；　there　were　many　who　disdained　to　survive　the　loss　of　their　books　（burned　by　order　of　the　savage　Emperor　Chi…Koung…ti）；　and　throwing　themselves　into　the　sea；　they　disappeared　under　the　waves。　According　to　Brierre　de　Boismont；　voluntary　mutilation　or　death　was　very　rare　among　the　Chaldeans；　the　Persians；　or　the　Hebrews；　their　precepts　being　different　from　those　mentioned。　The　Hebrews　in　particular　had　an　aversion　to　self…murder；　and　during　a　period　in　their　history　of　4000　years　there　were　only　eight　or　ten　suicides　recorded。　Josephus　shows　what　a　marked　influence　on　suicides　the　invasion　of　the　Romans　among　the　Hebrews　had。

In　Africa；　as　in　India；　there　were　Gymnosophists。　In　Egypt　Sesostris；　the　grandest　king　of　the　country；　having　lost　his　eyesight　in　his　old　age；　calmly　and　deliberately　killed　himself。　About　the　time　of　Mark　Anthony　and　Cleopatra；　particularly　after　the　battle　of　Actium；　suicide　was　in　great　favor　in　Egypt。　In　fact　a　great　number　of　persons　formed　an　academy　called　The　Synapothanoumenes；　who　had　for　their　object　the　idea　of　dying　together。　In　Western　Europe；　as　shown　in　the　ceremonies　of　the　Druids；　we　find　among　the　Celts　a　propensity　for　suicide　and　an　indifference　to　self…torture。　The　Gauls　were　similarly　minded；　believing　in　the　dogma　of　immortality　and　eternal　repose。　They　thought　little　of　bodily　cares　and　ills。　In　Greece　and　Rome　there　was　always　an　apology　for　suicide　and　death　in　the　books　of　the　philosophers。　〃Nil　igitur　mors　est；　ad　nos　neque　pertinet　hilum；　quando　quidem　natura　animi　mortalis　habetur！〃　cries　Lucretius。　With　the　advent　of　Christianity；　condemning　as　it　did　the　barbarous　customs　of　self…mutilation　and　self…murder；　these　practices　seem　to　disappear　gradually；　but　stoicism　and　indifference　to　pain　were　exhibited　in　martyrdom。　Toward　the　middle　ages；　when　fanaticism　was　at　its　height　and　the　mental　malady　of　demoniacal　possession　was　prevalent；　there　was　something　of　a　reversion　to　the　old　customs。　In　the　East　the　Juggernaut　procession　was　still　in　vogue；　but　this　was　suppressed　by　civilized　authorities；　outside　of　a　few　minor　customs　still　prevalent　among　our　own　people　we　must　to…day　look　to　the　savage　tribes　for　the　perpetuation　of　such　practices。

In　an　excellent　article　on　the　evolution　of　ceremonial　institutions　Herbert　Spencer　mentions　the　Fuegians；　Veddahs；　Andamanese；　Dyaks；　Todas；　Gonds；　Santals；　Bodos；　and　Dhimals；　Mishmis；　Kamchadales；　and　Snake　Indians；　as　among　people　who　form　societies　to　practice　simple　mutilations　in　slight　forms。　Mutilations　in　somewhat　graver　forms；　but　still　in　moderation；　are　practiced　by　the　Tasmanians；　Tamaese；　the　people　of　New　Guinea；　Karens；　Nagas；　Ostiaks；　Eskimos；　Chinooks；　Comanches；　and　Chippewas。　What　might　be　called　mixed　or　compound　mutilations　are　practiced　by　the　New　Zealanders；　East　Africans；　Kondes；　Kukas；　and　Calmucks。　Among　those　practising　simple　but　severe　mutilations　are　the　New　Caledonians；　the　Bushmen；　and　some　indigenous　Australians。　Those　tribes　having　for　their　customs　the　practice　of　compound　major　mutilations　are　the　Fiji　Islanders；　Sandwich　Islanders；　Tahitians；　Tongans；　Samoans；　Javanese；　Sumatrans；　natives　of　Malagasy；　Hottentots；　Damaras；　Bechuanas；　Kaffirs；　the　Congo　people；　the　Coast　Negroes；　Inland　Negroes；　Dahomeans；　Ashantees；　Fulahs；　Abyssinians；　Arabs；　and　Dakotas。　Spencer　has　evidently　made　a　most　extensive　and　comprehensive　study　of　this　subject；　and　his　paper　is　a　most　valuable　contribution　to　the　subject。　In　the　preparation　of　this　section　we　have　frequently　quoted　from　it。

The　practice　of　self…bleeding　has　its　origin　in　other　mutilations；　although　the　Aztecs　shed　human　blood　in　the　worship　of　the　sun。　The　Samoiedes　have　a　custom　of　drinking　the　blood　of　warm　animals。　Those　of　the　Fijians　who　were　cannibals　drank　the　warm　blood　of　their　victims。　Among　the　Amaponda　Kaffirs　there　are　horrible　accounts　of　kindred　savage　customs。　Spencer　quotes：〃It　is　usual　for　the　ruling　chief　on　his　accession　to　be　washed　in　the　blood　of　a　near　relative；　generally　a　brother；　who　is　put　to　death　for　the　occasion。〃　During　a　Samoan　marriage…ceremony　the　friends　of　the　bride　〃took　up　stones　and　beat　themselves　until　their　heads　were　bruised　and　bleeding。〃　In　Australia　a　novitiate　at　the　ceremony　of　manhood　drank　a　mouthful　of　blood　from　the　veins　of　the　warrior　who　was　to　be　his　sponsor。

At　the　death　of　their　kings　the　Lacedemonians　met　in　large　numbers　and　tore　the　flesh　from　their　foreheads　with　pins　and　needles。　It　is　said　that　when　Odin　was　near　his　death　he　ordered　himself　to　be　marked　with　a　spear；　and　Niort；　one　of　his　successors；　followed　the　example　of　his　predecessor。　Shakespeare　speaks　of　〃such　as　boast　and　show　their　scars。〃　In　the　olden　times　it　was　not　uncommon　for　a　noble　soldier　to　make　public　exhibition　of　his　scars　with　the　greatest　pride；　in　fact；　on　the　battlefield　they　invited　the　reception　of　superficial　disfiguring　injuries；　and　to…day　some　students　of　the　learned　universities　of　Germany　seem　prouder　of　the　possession　of　scars　received　in　a　duel　of　honor　than　in　awards　for　scholastic　attainments。

Lichtenstein　tells　of　priests　among　the　Bechuanas　who　made　long　cuts　from　the　thigh　to　the　knee　of　each　warrior　who　slew　an　enemy　in　battle。　Among　some　tribes　of　the　Kaffirs　a　kindred　custom　was　practiced；　and　among　the　Damaras；　for　every　wild　animal　a　young　man　destroyed　his　father　made　four　incisions　on　the　front　of　his　son's　body。　Speaking　of　certain　Congo　people；　Tuckey　says　that　they　scar　themselves　principally　with　the　idea　of　rendering　themselves　agreeable　to　the　women　of　their　tribe。　Among　the　Itzaex　Indians　of　Yucatan；　a　race　with　particularly　handsome　features；　some　are　marked　with　scarred　lines；　inflicted　as　signs　of　courage。