THE DREAD OF DISTANCES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1163, 13 June 1884, Page 4

THE DREAD OF DISTANCES.

Among the curious maladies which advancing civilisation seems destined to thing in its train, not the least remarkable is that on which Parisian doctors are bestowing a good deal of attention just now—the o liqnity of mind which has been called peur dcs espaces. The sufferer is usual y a man in apparently good health, and is affected by no promoditoiy symptoms, al hough, on the other band, there are cases where the malady results font other diseases, and is introduced by a fueling of weakness and ickuess. It generally comes on suddenly, when the patient arrives at a particular place or is brought into the presence of a particular person He then is observed to be in mortal terror without, any apparent cause The earth seems to him to open into a chasm before, bis feet, or be finds himself isolated by an immense and impenetrable space from the r, st of the world, [f he is on the pavement he dares not for his life step on to the roadway, but stands stock still to be jeered at by the street boys. If he is on a step, ho is afraid to move up or down for tear of being dashed to pieces in some imaginary abyss. All this timo' he keeps his wits—or at least a great many of them—about him, and insensible of his absurd posi tiou. Sometimes he has enough sense to avoid places where the attack lias come on before, or seems likely to do so again. Another peculiarity is that most of the sufferers belong to the liberal professions and to the higher ra ks of society. By examination into a considerable number of cases in the hospitals, it was found that more men suffered than women, in a proportion ot about four to one.— Glob:.

A Florentine ignoramus was ridiculing Masilialrechi on his great age • Magliahechi replied ; “ An ass is older at 20 than a man at 60 years