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Hack Tuke, Daniel – Sickness - Stroke and loss of speech induced by powerful emotions - fury
Identifier
026093
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
As described in Illustrations Of The Influence Of The Mind Upon The Body In Health And Disease, Designed To Elucidate The Action Of The Imagination - Daniel Hack Tuke, M.D., M.R.C.P.,
PART II. THE EMOTIONS.
CHAPTER VIII. INFLUENCE OF THE EMOTIONS UPON THE VOLUNTARY MUSCLES.
SECTION III.— Loss of Muscular Power : Paralysis.
The case which Dr. Todd gives by way of illustration is as follows :
" The patient was a man between 50 and 60 years of age, of irritable temper and hypochondriacal habit. A question, respecting some very trifling matter, happening to arise one evening in his family party, some one present held out too strongly against his views, and this led to a vehement contradiction on his part, which was met by a counter-statement and a rejoinder, and thus he became excited to such a degree that his power of speech completely abandoned him. . . . The patient had full use of his muscles ; he had full power over his hands and feet ; he could sign a check, and his mental faculties seemed unaffected ; only he could not speak, and whenever he tried to do so, the attempt would end in a fit of crying.
He continued in this speechless state for about a week, when he recovered, and when once he began, the power of speech returned fully in a very short time. Two years after this occurrence the same gentleman got into a similar argument and difference of opinion upon a matter equally trivial, and became again strongly excited ; but this time, instead of becoming speechless, he became hemiplegic on the left side, without mental affection, but with decided palsy of the left side of the face. The paralysis was not complete, for he could move the fingers and leg very slightly. After a little time, without any other treatment than that of removing, so far as possible, all exciting causes, he recovered to a great extent the power over the arm and leg ; but although the principal recovery took place about six weeks after the attack, he is now, four months after the occurrence of the hemiplegia, by no means quite well" (Clinical Lectures on Paralysis, &c By Dr. Todd, F.Pv.S. 1856, p. 283).