Aids to Forensic Medicine and ToxicologyRobertson, W. G. Aitchison (William George Aitchison )
Science
Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology
Robertson, W. G. Aitchison (William George Aitchison )
Medical jurisprudence; Poisons
=Voidable Marriages.=--If a man and woman go through the marriage
ceremony, such a contract is null and void under the following
circumstances: (1) Where bigamy has been committed; (2) if one of the
parties were insane at the time of marriage; (3) where the plaintiff is
under sixteen years of age; (4) when the marriage has not been
consummated or followed by cohabitation; (5) when one of the parties was
incapable of performing the marital act (impotent, and such not known by
the other at the time); (6) when drunkenness had been induced so as to
obtain consent; (7) concealment of pregnancy at the time of marriage.
XXXIX.--FEIGNED DISEASES
Malingering in its various forms is by no means uncommon, and by many is
regarded as a disease in itself. It is necessary, however, to
distinguish between those cases in which it is feigned for some definite
purpose--for example, to escape punishment or avoid public service--and
those in which there is adequate motive, and the patient shams simply
with the view of exciting sympathy, or from the mere delight of giving
trouble. It is not uncommon for individuals summoned on a jury, or to
give evidence in the law courts, to apply to their doctor for a
certificate, assigning as a cause of exemption neuralgia, or some
similar complaint unattended with objective symptoms. In such cases it
is well to remind the patient that in most courts such certificates are
received with suspicion, and are often rejected, and that the personal
attendance of the medical man is required to endorse his certificate on
oath.
Malingering has become much more common since the National Health
Insurance Act has been passed. The possibility of obtaining a fair sum
each week without the necessity of working for it induces many persons
either to feign disease or to make recovery from actual disease or
accident much more tedious than it ought really to be.
The feasibility of successfully malingering is greatly enhanced by the
possession of some chronic organic disease. An old mitral regurgitant
murmur is useful for this purpose.
It is not flattering to one's vanity to overlook a case of malingering,
but should this occur little harm is done. It is a much more serious
matter to accuse a person of malingering when in reality he may be
suffering from an organic disease.
Here are some of the diseases which are most frequently feigned:
=Nervous Diseases=, as headache, vertigo, paralysis of limbs, vomiting,
sciatica, or incontinence or suppression of urine, spitting of blood;
others, again, simulate hysteria, epilepsy, or insanity.
On the other hand, the malingerer may actually produce injuries on his
person either to excite commiseration or to escape from work. Thus, the
beggar produces ulcers on his legs by binding a penny-piece tightly on
for some days; the hospital patient, in order to escape discharge,
produces factitious skin diseases by the application of irritants or
caustics.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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