. Fox cites an instance
of a woman who had borne eight children, and yet unconscious of
pregnancy. Merriman speaks of a woman forty years of age who had not
borne a child for nine years, but who suddenly gave birth to a stout,
healthy boy without being cognizant of pregnancy. Dayral tells of a
woman who carried a child all through pregnancy, unconscious of her
condition, and who was greatly surprised at its birth. Among the French
observers speaking of pregnancy remaining unrecognized by the mother
until the period of accouchement, Lozes and Rhades record peculiar
cases; and Mouronval relates an instance in which a woman who had borne
three children completely ignored the presence of pregnancy until the
pains of labor were felt. Fleishman and Munzenthaler also record
examples of unconscious pregnancy.

Pseudocyesis.--On the other hand, instances of pregnancy with imaginary
symptoms and preparations for birth are sometimes noticed, and many
cases are on record. In fact, nearly every text-book on obstetrics
gives some space to the subject of pseudocyesis. Suppression of the
menses, enlargement of the abdomen, engorgement of the breasts,
together with the symptoms produced by the imagination, such as nausea,
spasmodic contraction of the abdomen, etc., are for the most part the
origin of the cases of pseudocyesis. Of course, many of the cases are
not examples of true pseudocyesis, with its interesting phenomena, but
instances of malingering for mercenary or other purposes, and some are
calculated to deceive the most expert obstetricians by their tricks.
Weir Mitchell delineates an interesting case of pseudocyesis as
follows: "A woman, young, or else, it may be, at or past the
climacteric, eagerly desires a child or is horribly afraid of becoming
pregnant. The menses become slight in amount, irregular, and at last
cease or not. Meanwhile the abdomen and breasts enlarge, owing to a
rapid taking on of fat, and this is far less visible elsewhere. There
comes with this excess of fat the most profound conviction of the fact
of pregnancy. By and by the child is felt, the physician takes it for
granted, and this goes on until the great diagnostician, Time, corrects
the delusion. Then the fat disappears with remarkable speed, and the
reign of this singular simulation is at an end." In the same article,
Dr. Mitchell cites the two following cases under his personal
observation: "I was consulted by a lady in regard to a woman of thir