Dangers Of Emotion

Many violent maladies have been supposed to have beeu produced under the operation of moral influences. Sennert believed that fear was eapable of provoking erysipelas. Il off man also made fear and the adynamy resulting from it play an important part as the predisposing cause of contagious diseases. Dr. II. Tuke belicved, in particular, in the influence of fear upon the contagión oí rabies. The breaking out of rabies has been sometimes observed after psychic emotion, says Popular Science Monthly. Bouley cites the case of a dog which went mad after having been immersed in water. Gamleia cites a similar case in a man, and another in a woman who was frightened by a drunken man. In order to avoid the influence of fear, Desgenettes concealed the name and the nature of the plague: and it is to be remarked further that the Turks died less rapidly of it than the Christians. Cullen supposed that sad emotions favor contagious diseases, and particularly the plague. Tliis disposition to contagión after violent emotions which determine discharge of the seeretions may be partly explained by the fact that the conditions that diminish the proportion of the liquids of the blood favor absorption. It, however, seems at least probable that the nervous discharge is aecompanied by alterations of the blood and modiflcations of the interior medium which justify the popular expressions concerning having bad blood and turning the blood.