anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第96部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　engaged。　When　it　becomes　necessary　for　the　engaged　pair　to　separate　they　exchange　articles　of　wearing　apparel；　by　means　of　which　each　becomes　assured　of　faithfulness。　These　objects　are　carefully　preserved；　covered　with　kisses；　and　smelled。〃

The　love　of　perfumes　by　libertines　and　prostitutes；　as　well　as　sensual　women　of　the　higher　classes；　is　quite　marked。　Heschl　reported　a　case　of　a　man　of　forty…five　in　whom　absence　of　the　olfactory　sense　was　associated　with　imperfect　development　of　the　genitals；　it　is　also　well　known　that　olfactory　hallucinations　are　frequently　associated　with　psychoses　of　an　erotic　type。

Garnier　has　recently　collected　a　number　of　observations　of　fetichism；　in　which　he　mentions　individuals　who　have　taken　sexual　satisfaction　from　the　odors　of　shoes；　night…dresses；　bonnets；　drawers；　menstrual　napkins；　and　other　objects　of　the　female　toilet。　He　also　mentions　creatures　who　have　gloated　over　the　odors　of　the　blood　and　excretions　from　the　bodies　of　women；　and　gives　instances　of　fetichism　of　persons　who　have　been　arrested　in　the　streets　of　Paris　for　clipping　the　long　hair　from　young　girls。　There　are　also　on　record　instances　of　homosexual　fetichism；　a　type　of　disgusting　inversion　of　the　sexual　instinct；　which；　however；　it　is　not　in　the　province　of　this　work　to　discuss。

Among　animals　the　influence　of　the　olfactory　perceptions　on　the　sexual　sense　is　unmistakable。　According　to　Krafft　Ebing；　Althaus　shows　that　animals　of　opposite　sexes　are　drawn　to　each　other　by　means　of　olfactory　perceptions；　and　that　almost　all　animals　at　the　time　of　rutting　emit　a　very　strong　odor　from　their　genitals。　It　is　said　that　the　dog　is　attracted　in　this　way　to　the　bitch　several　miles　away。　An　experiment　by　Schiff　is　confirmatory。　He　extirpated　the　olfactory　nerves　of　puppies；　and　found　that　as　they　grew　the　male　was　unable　to　distinguish　the　female。　Certain　animals；　such　as　the　musk…ox；　civet…cat；　and　beaver；　possess　glands　on　their　sexual　organs　that　secrete　materials　having　a　very　strong　odor。　Musk；　a　substance　possessing　the　most　penetrating　odor　and　used　in　therapeutics；　is　obtained　from　the　preputial　follicles　of　the　musk…deer　of　Thibet；　and　castor；　a　substance　less　penetrating；　is　obtained　from　the　preputial　sacs　of　the　beaver。　Virgin　moths　（Bombyx）　carried　in　boxes　in　the　pockets　of　entomologists　will　on　wide　commons　cause　the　appearance　of　males　of　the　same　species。

Bulimia　is　excessive　morbid　hunger；　also　called　canine　appetite。　While　sometimes　present　in　healthy　people；　it　is　most　often　seen　in　idiots　and　the　insane；　and　is　a　symptom　of　diabetes　mellitus。　Mortimer　mentions　a　boy　of　twelve　who；　while　laboring　under　this　affliction；　in　six　days　devoured　food　to　the　extent　of　384　pounds　and　two　ounces。　He　constantly　vomited；　but　his　craving　for　food　was　so　insatiable　that　if　not　satisfied　he　would　devour　the　flesh　off　his　own　bones。　Martyn；　Professor　of　Botany　at　Cambridge　in　the　early　part　of　the　last　century；　tells　of　a　boy　ten　years　old　whose　appetite　was　enormous。　He　consumed　in　one　week　373　pounds　of　food　and　drink。　His　urine　and　stools　were　voided　in　normal　quantities；　the　excess　being　vomited。　A　pig　was　fed　on　what　he　vomited；　and　was　sold　in　the　market。　The　boy　continued　in　this　condition　for　a　year；　and　at　last　reports　was　fast　failing。　Burroughs　mentions　a　laborer　at　Stanton；　near　Bury；　who　ate　an　ordinary　leg　of　veal　at　a　meal；　and　fed　at　this　extravagant　rate　for　many　days　together。　He　would　eat　thistles　and　other　similar　herbs　greedily。　At　times　he　would　void　worms　as　large　as　the　shank　of　a　clay…pipe；　and　then　for　a　short　period　the　bulimia　would　disappear。

Johnston　mentions　a　case　of　bulimia　in　a　man　who　devoured　large　quantities　of　raw　flesh。　There　is　an　instance　on　record　of　a　case　of　canine　appetite　in　which　nearly　400　pounds　of　solid　and　fluid　elements　were　taken　into　the　body　in　six　days　and　again　ejected。　A　recovery　was　effected　by　giving　very　concentrated　food；　frequently　repeated　in　small　quantities。　Mason　mentions　a　woman　in　St。　Bartholomew's　Hospital　in　London　in　the　early　part　of　this　century　who　was　wretched　unless　she　was　always　eating。　Each　day　she　consumed　three　quartern…loaves；　three　pounds　of　beef…steak；　in　addition　to　large　quantities　of　vegetables；　meal；　etc。；　and　water。　Smith　describes　a　boy　of　fourteen　who　ate　continuously　fifteen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four；　and　who　had　eight　bowel　movements　each　day。　One　year　previous　his　weight　was　105　pounds；　but　when　last　seen　he　weighed　284　pounds　and　was　increasing　a　half　pound　daily。　Despite　his　continuous　eating；　this　boy　constantly　complained　of　hunger。

Polydipsia　is　an　abnormal　thirst；　it　may　be　seen　in　persons　otherwise　normal；　or　it　may　be　associated　with　diseasessuch　as　diabetes　mellitus　or　diabetes　insipidus。　Mackenzie　quotes　a　case　from　Trousseau；　in　which　an　individual　afflicted　with　diabetes　insipidus　passed　32　liters　of　urine　daily　and　drank　enormous　quantities　of　water。　This　patient　subjected　himself　to　severe　regimen　for　eight　months；although　one　day；　in　his　agonies；　he　seized　the　chamber…pot　and　drank　its　contents　at　once。　Mackenzie　also　mentions　an　infant　of　three　who　had　polydipsia　from　birth　and　drank　daily　nearly　two　pailfuls　of　water。　At　the　age　of　twenty…two　she　married　a　cobbler；　unaware　of　her　propensity；　who　found　that　his　earnings　did　not　suffice　to　keep　her　in　water　alone；　and　he　was　compelled　to　melt　ice　and　snow　for　her。　She　drank　four　pailfuls　a　day；　the　price　being　12　sous；　water　in　the　community　was　scarce　and　had　to　be　bought。　This　woman　bore　11　children。　At　the　age　of　forty　she　appeared　before　a　scientific　commission　and　drank　in　their　presence　14　quarts　of　water　in　ten　hours　and　passed　ten　quarts　of　almost　colorless　urine。　Dickinson　mentions　that　he　has　had　patients　in　his　own　practice　who　drank　their　own　urine。　Mackenzie　also　quotes　Trousseau's　history　of　a　man　who　drank　a　liter　of　strong　French　brandy　in　two　hours；　and　habitually　drank　the　same　quantity　daily。　He　stated　that　he　was　free　from　the　effects　of　alcohol；　on　several　occasions　on　a　wager　he　took　20　liters　of　wine；　gaining　his　wager　without　visibly　affecting　his　nervous　system。

There　is　an　instance　of　a　man　of　fifty…eight　who　could　not　live　through　the　night　without　a　pail　of　water；　although　his　health　was　otherwise　good。　Atkinson　in　1856　reported　a　young　man　who　in　childhood　was　a　dirt…eater；　though　at　that　time　complaining　of　nothing　but　excessive　thirst。　He　was　active；　industrious；　enjoyed　good　health；　and　was　not　addicted　to　alcoholics。　His　daily　ration　of　water　was　from　eight　to　twelve　gallons。　He　always　placed　a　tub　of　water　by　his　bed　at　night；　but　this　sometimes　proved　insufficient。　He　had　frequently　driven　hogs　from　mudholes　to　slake　his　thirst　with　the　water。　He　married　in　1829　and　moved　into　Western　Tennessee；　and　in　1854　he　was　still　drinking　the　accustomed　amount；　and　at　this　time　he　had　grown…up　children。　Ware　mentions　a　young　man　of　twenty　who　drank　six　gallons　of　water　daily。　He　was　tormented　with　thirst；　and　if　he　abstained　he　became　weak；　sick；　and　dizzy。　Throughout　a　long　life　he　continued　his　habit；　sometimes　drinking　a　gallon　at　one　draught；　he　never　used　spirits。　There　are　three　cases　of　polydipsia　reported　from　London　in　1792。　

Field　describes　a　boy　with　bilious　remittent　fever　who　would　drink　until　his　stomach　was　completely　distended　and　then　call　for　more。　Emesis　was　followed　by　cries　for　more　water。　Becoming　frantic；　he　would　jump　from　his　bed　and　struggle　for　the　water　bucket；　failing　in　this；　he　ran　to　the　kitchen　and　drank　soapsuds；　dish…water；　and　any　other　liquid　he　could　find。　He　had　swallowed　a　mass　of　mackerel　which　he　had　not　properly　masticated；　a　fact　proved　later　by　ejection　of　the　whole　mass。　There　is　a　case　on　record　a　in　which　there　was　intolerable　thirst　after　retiring；　lasting　for　a　year。　There　was　apparently　no　polydipsia　during　the　daytime。

The　amount　of　water　drunk　by　glass…blowers　in　a　day　is　almost　incredible。　McElroy　has　made　observations　in　the　glass…factories　in　his　neighborhood；　and　estimates　that　in　the　nine　working　hours　of　each　day　a　glass…blower　drinks　from　50　to　60　pints　of　water。　In　addition　to　this　many　are　addicted　to　the　use　of　beer　and　spirits　after　working　hours　and　at　lunch…time。　The　excreta　and　urine　never　seem　to　be　perceptibly　increased。　When　not　working　these　men　do　not　drink　more　than　three　or　four　pints　of　water。　Occasionally　a　man　becomes　what　is　termed　〃blown…up　with　water；〃　that　is；　the　perspiration　ceases；　the　man　becomes　utterly　helpless；　has　to　be　carried　out；　and　is　disabled　until　the　sweating　process　is　restored　by　vigorously　applied　friction。　There　is　little　deleterious　change　noticed　in　these　men；　in　fact；　they　are　rarely　invalids。

Hydroadipsia　is　a　lack　of　thirst　or　absence　of　the　normal　desire　for　water。　In　some　of　these　cases　there　is　a　central　lesion　which　accounts　for　the　symptoms。　McElroy；　among　other　cases；　speaks　of　one　in　a　patient　who　was　continually　dull　and　listless；　eating　little；　and　complaining　of　much　pain　after　the　least　food。　This；　too；　will　be　mentioned　under　abstinence。

Perverted　appetites　are　of　great　variety　and　present　many　interesting　as　well　as　disgusting　examples　of　anomalies。　In　some　cases　the　tastes　of　people　differ　so　that　an　article　considered　by　one　race　as　disgusting　would　be　held　as　a　delicacy　by　another　class。　The　ancients　used　asafetida　as　a　seasoning；　and　what　we　have　called　〃stercus　diaboli；〃　the　Asiatics　have　named　the　〃food　of　the　gods。〃　The　inhabitants　of　Greenland　drink　the　oil　of　the　whale　with　as　much　avidity　as　we　would　a　delicate　wine；　and　they　eat　blubber　the　mere　smell　of　which　nauseates　an　European。　In　some　nations　of　the　lower　grade；　insects；　worms；　serpents；　etc。；　are　considered　edible。　The　inhabitants　of　the　interior　of　Africa　are　said　to　relish　the　flesh　of　serpents　and　eat　grubs　and　worms。　The　very　earliest　accounts　of　the　Indians　of　Florida　and　Texas　show　that　〃for　food；　they　dug　roots；　and　that　they　ate　spiders；　ants'　eggs；　worms；　lizards；　salamanders；　snakes；　earth；　wood；　the　dung　of　deer；　and　many　other　things。〃　Gomara；　in　his　〃Historia　de　les　Indias；〃　says　this　loathsome　diet　was　particular　to　one　tribe；　the　Yagusces　of　Florida。　It　is　said　that　a　Russian　peasant　prefers　a　rotten　egg　to　a　fresh　one；　and　there　ar