Tenth annual report to the committee from the medical director : presented 31st December, 1931 / The Cassel Hospital for Functional Nervous Disorders.

  • Cassel Hospital for Functional Nervous Disorders (Richmond, England)
Date:
[1932?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Tenth annual report to the committee from the medical director : presented 31st December, 1931 / The Cassel Hospital for Functional Nervous Disorders. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    orifice. He said also that if the operation were performed there would be complete anaesthesia of the region, including sexual anaethesia, which he suggested might involve some risk for the mental state of this rather highly sexed woman. He agreed, however, to perform the operation if we still thought that it was desirable. It seemed to us that to do nothing was in itself to let the patient run a grave risk as regards her mental state. His opinion was put before her in its entirety, and she did not hesitate to run any risk rather than to continue in her present misery. The operation was therefore performed ; a year later the patient has reported that she is quite well in every respect. Group I. Table 1(a) 30. (Widow). This patient was one of great interest on account of a variety of hallucinations from which she suffered. She had been ill about six months before admission. Shortly before that she had received a shock on account of the sudden death of a friend from angina pectoris. About ten days later she began to hear the voice of her friend and enjoyed doing so, but within a week there was also an accusa¬ tory voice saying that she was responsible for his death. It was, however, immediately answered by the voice of her dead friend assuring her that she was in no way responsible. This voice was joined by that of another dead friend which also exculpated her. Though she was living in terror she continued to lead her ordinary life which included a certain amount of dining out. It was especially at dinner parties that the trouble was greatest; sometimes the noise which the voices made was so great that she could hardly hear what her neighbour was saying. Once the accusatory voice insisted on her walking to the river when it advised her to finish the matter. The other voices, however, advised against this course, and she walked home. About this time she remembered that she had met a certain man whom she had admired for some public work, and that he had said that if she were in difficulties he would help her if he could. She resolved to seek his advice, but was prevented for a long time from doing so by the accusatory voice. One night, however, she succeeded in eluding it and spoke to him on the telephone. She told him her story and asked him whether it was that she was insane or that the voices were real. He informed her immediately that her subconscious mind was producing the phenomena and that a doctor could cure her. He recommended one who gave her bromide, and in a day or two the voices ceased to be heard. They did not return but soon she began to suffer from severe headaches, inability to concentrate and distressing dreams. These did not improve and she was sent to hospital. After a few days in bed she said that she felt well, that she was a fraud, and that she thought she would leave. Next day she had a different tale to tell. She wakened up at about 2 a.m. to the sound of an orchestra playing music that she did not know. It may be said parenthetically that the possibility of this being due to a patient playing a wireless set was excluded ; moreover, at that hour no European stations are func¬ tioning. She also perceived, though it was dark, that there was a rat on her bed on the left side. She wished to turn on the light, but the switch was on the right side, and she did not dare to take her eyes off the rat to see where the switch was. At last she managed to feel it, and to turn on the light, when the rat disappeared and the music ceased. She knew that the rat was hallucinatory, but she asked me in earnest whether we did indeed make music at that hour for some testing purpose. On receiving an assurance that we did not, she accepted it at once. During her stay this music was heard again on two other occasions. This experience made her decide to stay, and also to tell her story about which she had hitherto kept silence. An outline of it will be given presently. The story itself involved a good many questions of scruple ; while she was engaged in telling it she had no hallucinations, but when she had finally decided what to do they