ty
years of age, a nurse in whom she was interested. This person had been
married some three years to a very old man possessed of a considerable
estate. He died, leaving his wife her legal share and the rest to
distant cousins, unless the wife had a child. For two months before he
died the woman, who was very anemic, ceased to menstruate. She became
sure that she was pregnant, and thereupon took on flesh at a rate and
in a way which seemed to justify her belief. Her breasts and abdomen
were the chief seats of this overgrowth. The menses did not return, her
pallor increased; the child was felt, and every preparation made for
delivery. At the eighth month a physician made an examination and
assured her of the absence of pregnancy. A second medical opinion
confirmed the first, and the tenth month found her of immense size and
still positive as to her condition. At the twelfth month her menstrual
flow returned, and she became sure it was the early sign of labor. When
it passed over she became convinced of her error, and at once dropped
weight at the rate of half a pound a day despite every effort to limit
the rate of this remarkable loss. At the end of two months she had
parted with fifty pounds and was, on the whole, less anemic. At this
stage I was consulted by letter, as the woman had become exceedingly
hysteric. This briefly stated case, which occurred many years ago, is a
fair illustration of my thesis.

"Another instance I saw when in general practice. A lady who had
several children and suffered much in her pregnancies passed five years
without becoming impregnated. Then she missed a period, and had, as
usual, vomiting. She made some wild efforts to end her supposed
pregnancy, and failing, acquiesced in her fate. The menses returned at
the ninth month and were presumed to mean labor. Meanwhile she vomited,
up to the eighth month, and ate little. Nevertheless, she took on fat
so as to make the abdomen and breasts immense and to excite unusual
attention. No physician examined her until the supposed labor began,
when, of course, the truth came out. She was pleased not to have
another child, and in her case, as in all the others known to me, the
fat lessened as soon as the mind was satisfied as to the non-existence
of pregnancy. As I now recall the facts, this woman was not more than
two months in getting rid of the excess of adipose tissue. Dr. Hirst
tells me he has met with cases of women taking on fat with cessation