a mortal antipathy-第48章

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of　his　prying　newspaper。　　He　lived　chiefly　by　himself；　as　the　easiest

mode　of　avoiding　those　meetings　to　which　he　would　be　exposed　in

almost　every　society　into　which　he　might　venture。　　But　he　had　learned

to　look　upon　himself　very　much　as　he　would　upon　an　intimate　not

himself；upon　a　different　personality。　　A　young　man　will　naturally

enough　be　ashamed　of　his　shyness。　　It　is　something　which　others

believe；　and　perhaps　he　himself　thinks；　he　might　overcome。　　But　in

the　case　of　Maurice　Kirkwood　there　was　no　room　for　doubt　as　to　the

reality　and　gravity　of　the　long　enduring　effects　of　his　first

convulsive　terror。　　He　had　accepted　the　fact　as　he　would　have

accepted　the　calamity　of　losing　his　sight　or　his　hearing。　　When　he

was　questioned　by　the　experts　to　whom　his　case　was　submitted；　he　told

them　all　that　he　knew　about　it　almost　without　a　sign　of　emotion。

Nature　was　so　peremptory　with　him；saying　in　language　that　had　no

double　meaning：　〃If　you　violate　the　condition　on　which　you　hold　my

gift　of　existence　I　slay　you　on　the　spot；〃that　he　became　as

decisive　in　his　obedience　as　she　was　in　her　command；　and　accepted　his

fate　without　repining。



Yet　it　must　not　be　thought　for　a　moment；it　cannot　be　supposed；

that　he　was　insensible　because　he　looked　upon　himself　with　the

coolness　of　an　enforced　philosophy。　　He　bore　his　burden　manfully；

hard　as　it　was　to　live　under　it；　for　he　lived；　as　we　have　seen；　in

hope。　　The　thought　of　throwing　it　off　with　his　life；　as　too　grievous

to　be　borne；　was　familiar　to　his　lonely　hours；　but　he　rejected　it　as

unworthy　of　his　manhood。　　How　he　had　speculated　and　dreamed　about　it

is　plain　enough　from　the　paper　the　reader　may　remember　on　Ocean；

River；　and　Lake。



With　these　preliminary　hints　the　paper　promised　is　submitted　to　such

as　may　find　any　interest　in　them。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ACCOUNT　OF　A　CASE　OF　GYNOPHOBIA。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WITH　REMARKS。



Being　the　Substance　of　a　Report　to　the　Royal　Academy　of　the　Bio~

logical　Sciences　by　a　Committee　of　that　Institution。



〃The　singular　nature　of　the　case　we　are　about　to　narrate　and　comment

upon　will；　we　feel　confident；　arrest　the　attention　of　those　who　have

learned　the　great　fact　that　Nature　often　throws　the　strongest　light

upon　her　laws　by　the　apparent　exceptions　and　anomalies　which　from

time　to　time　are　observed。　　We　have　done　with　the　lusus　naturae　of

earlier　generations。　　We　pay　little　attention　to　the　stories　of

'miracles；'　except　so　far　as　we　receive　them　ready…made　at　the　hands

of　the　churches　which　still　hold　to　them。　　Not　the　less　do　we　meet

with　strange　and　surprising　facts；　which　a　century　or　two　ago　would

have　been　handled　by　the　clergy　and　the　courts；　but　today　are　calmly

recorded　and　judged　by　the　best　light　our　knowledge　of　the　laws　of

life　can　throw　upon　them。　　It　must　be　owned　that　there　are　stories

which　we　can　hardly　dispute；　so　clear　and　full　is　the　evidence　in

their　support；　which　do；　notwithstanding；　tax　our　faith　and　sometimes

leave　us　sceptical　in　spite　of　all　the　testimony　which　supports　them。



〃　In　this　category　many　will　be　disposed　to　place　the　case　we　commend

to　the　candid　attention　of　the　Academy。　　If　one　were　told　that　a

young　man；　a　gentleman　by　birth　and　training；　well　formed；　in

apparently　perfect　health；　of　agreeable　physiognomy　and　manners；

could　not　endure　the　presence　of　the　most　attractive　young　woman；　but

was　seized　with　deadly　terror　and　sudden　collapse　of　all　the　powers

of　life；　if　he　came　into　her　immediate　presence；　if　it　were　added

that　this　same　young　man　did　not　shrink　from　the　presence　of　an　old

withered　crone；　that　he　had　a　certain　timid　liking　for　little　maidens

who　had　not　yet　outgrown　the　company　of　their　dolls；　the　listener

would　be　apt　to　smile；　if　he　did　not　laugh；　at　the　absurdity　of　the

fable。　　Surely；　he　would　say；　this　must　be　the　fiction　of　some

fanciful　brain；　the　whim　of　some　romancer；　the　trick　of　some

playwright。　　It　would　make　a　capital　farce；　this　idea；　carried　out。

A　young　man　slighting　the　lovely　heroine　of　the　little　comedy　and

making　love　to　her　grandmother！　　This　would；　of　course；　be

overstating　the　truth　of　the　story；　but　to　such　a　misinterpretation

the　plain　facts　lend　themselves　too　easily。　　We　will　relate　the

leading　circumstances　of　the　case；　as　they　were　told　us　with　perfect

simplicity　and　frankness　by　the　subject　of　an　affection　which；　if

classified；　would　come　under　the　general　head　of　Antipathy；　but　to

which；　if　we　give　it　a　name；　we　shall　have　to　apply　the　term

Gynophobia；　or　Fear　of　Woman。〃



Here　follows　the　account　furnished　to　the　writer　of　the　paper；　which

is　in　all　essentials　identical　with　that　already　laid　before　the

reader。



〃　Such　is　the　case　offered　to　our　consideration。　　Assuming　its

truthfulness　in　all　its　particulars；　it　remains　to　see　in　the　first

place　whether　or　not　it　is　as　entirely　exceptional　and　anomalous　as

it　seems　at　first　sight；　or　whether　it　is　only　the　last　term　of　a

series　of　cases　which　in　their　less　formidable　aspect　are　well　known

to　us　in　literature；　in　the　records　of　science；　and　even　in　our

common　experience。



〃To　most　of　those　among　us　the　explanations　we　are　now　about　to　give

are　entirely　superfluous。　　But　there　are　some　whose　chief　studies

have　been　in　different　directions；　and　who　will　not　complain　if

certain　facts　are　mentioned　which　to　the　expert　will　seem

rudimentary；　and　which　hardly　require　recapitulation　to　those　who　are

familiarly　acquainted　with　the　common　text…books。



〃The　heart　is　the　centre　of　every　living　movement　in　the　higher

animals；　and　in　man；　furnishing　in　varying　amount；　or　withholding　to

a　greater　or　less　extent；　the　needful　supplies　to　all　parts　of　the

system。　　If　its　action　is　diminished　to　a　certain　degree；　faintness

is　the　immediate　consequence；　if　it　is　arrested；　loss　of

consciousness；　if　its　action　is　not　soon　restored；　death；　of　which

fainting　plants　the　white　flag；　remains　in　possession　of　the　system。



How　closely　the　heart　is　under　the　influence　of　the　emotions　we　need

not　go　to　science　to　learn；　for　all　human　experience　and　all

literature　are　overflowing　with　evidence　that　shows　the　extent　of

this　relation。　　Scripture　is　full　of　it；　the　heart　in　Hebrew　poetry

represents　the　entire　life；　we　might　almost　say。　　Not　less　forcible

is　the　language　of　Shakespeare；　as　for　instance；　in　'Measure　for

Measure：'



　　　　'Why　does　my　blood　thus　muster　to　my　heart；

　　　　　Making　it　both　unable　for　itself

　　　　　And　dispossessing　all　my　other　parts

　　　　　Of　necessary　fitness？'



More　especially　is　the　heart　associated　in　every　literature　with　the

passion　of　love。　　A　famous　old　story　is　that　of　Galen；　who　was　called

to　the　case　of　a　young　lady　long　ailing；　and　wasting　away　from　some

cause　the　physicians　who　had　already　seen　her　were　unable　to　make

out。　　The　shrewd　old　practitioner　suspected　that　love　was　at　the

bottom　of　the　young　lady's　malady。　　Many　relatives　and　friends　of

both　sexes；　all　of　them　ready　with　their　sympathy；　came　to　see　her。

The　physician　sat　by　her　bedside　during　one　of　these　visits；　and　in

an　easy；　natural　way　took　her　hand　and　placed　a　finger　on　her　pulse。

It　beat　quietly　enough　until　a　certain　comely　young　gentleman　entered

the　apartment；　when　it　suddenly　rose　infrequency；　and　at　the　same

moment　her　hurried　breathing；　her　changing　color；　pale　and　flushed　by

turns；　betrayed　the　profound　agitation　his　presence　excited。　　This

was　enough　for　the　sagacious　Greek；　love　was　the　disease；　the　cure　of

which　by　its　like　may　be　claimed　as　an　anticipation　of　homoeopathy。

In　the　frontispiece　to　the　fine　old　'Junta'　edition　of　the　works　of

Galen；　you　may　find　among　the　wood…cuts　a　representation　of　the

interesting　scene；　with　the　title　Amantas　Dignotio；the　diagnosis；

or　recognition；　of　the　lover。



〃Love　has　many　languages；　but　the　heart　talks　through　all　of　them。

The　pallid　or　burning　cheek　tells　of　the　failing　or　leaping　fountain

which　gi