Anomalies and Curiosities of MedicineGould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Science
Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine
Gould, George M. (George Milbrey)
Abnormalities, Human; Medicine -- Anecdotes
The perverted appetites and peculiar longings of pregnant women furnish
curious matter for discussion. From the earliest times there are many
such records. Borellus cites an instance, and there are many others, of
pregnant women eating excrement with apparent relish. Tulpius, Sennert,
Langius, van Swieten, a Castro, and several others report depraved
appetites. Several writers have seen avidity for human flesh in such
females. Fournier knew a woman with an appetite for the blood of her
husband. She gently cut him while he lay asleep by her side and sucked
blood from the wounds--a modern "Succubus." Pare mentions the perverted
appetites of pregnant women, and says that they have been known to eat
plaster, ashes, dirt, charcoal, flour, salt, spices, to drink pure
vinegar, and to indulge in all forms of debauchery. Plot gives the case
of a woman who would gnaw and eat all the linen off her bed. Hufeland's
Journal records the history of a case of a woman of thirty-two, who had
been married ten years, who acquired a strong taste for charcoal, and
was ravenous for it. It seemed to cheer her and to cure a supposed
dyspepsia. She devoured enormous quantities, preferring hard-wood
charcoal. Bruyesinus speaks of a woman who had a most perverted
appetite for her own milk, and constantly drained her breasts;
Krafft-Ebing cites a similar case. Another case is that of a pregnant
woman who had a desire for hot and pungent articles of food, and who in
a short time devoured a pound of pepper. Scheidemantel cites a case in
which the perverted appetite, originating in pregnancy, became
permanent, but this is not the experience of most observers. The
pregnant wife of a farmer in Hassfort-on-the-Main ate the excrement of
her husband.
Many instances could be quoted, some in which extreme cases of
polydipsia and bulimia developed; these can be readily attributed to
the increased call for liquids and food. Other cases of diverse new
emotions can be recalled, such as lasciviousness, dirty habits,
perverted thoughts, and, on the other hand, extreme piety, chastity,
and purity of the mind. Some of the best-natured women are when
pregnant extremely cross and irritable and many perversions of
disposition are commonly noticed in pregnancy. There is often a
longing for a particular kind of food or dish for which no noticeable
desire had been displayed before.
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