Annual medical and sanitary report / Nigeria.

  • Nigeria. Medical Department.
Date:
[1918]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical and sanitary report / Nigeria. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    108/172 (page 106)
    101) A CASE OF SOME INTEREST. A boy named Dick, aged about 20 years—occupation, a cook to a European Official, visited the Native Hospital at Port Harcourt during the month of <July 1917. He complained of a boring and scratching pain in the abdomen, located slightly below the Umbilicus and one inch to the right of middle line. He stated that this sickness had been troubling him for the past four months and was becoming worse, and gave him little rest of mind or body. There was no history of former illness or any injury. Examination.—Showed no abnormality palpable in the Abdomen ; in fact only slight tenderness on deep pressure over the area. The temperature and pulse* were normal, and the patient was a little nervous and self-centred. He was told the result of examination and given a sedative mixture. In less than one month, he returned with the same complaint and looked more worried and had lost flesh. He had still no temperature and a pulse slightly accelerated, probably functional. An examination was made under chloroform, very carefully and thoroughly, as the patient was thin, without revealing anything abnormal. Over the painful area, the skin had been deeply incised by a native practitioner, leaving raised linear scars. I assured him that no sickness in his abdomen was found while he was asleep, and another sedative medicine prescribed. But in two weeks’ time he returned and begged that he might have his abdomen ‘ cut ’ properly, and as he seemed so miserable and self-centred, he was taken into Hosjntal and in due course operated on. Before doing so, at my request, one of the Native Nurses in conversation elicited the statement that he believes that an enemy of his had put this sickness into his abdomen ; on a former query he denied this delusion. His description of the pain was that of a fowl’s foot tearing his inside. A laparotomy was done,- and with the exception of a thin band (like official tape) stretching from the abdominal wall to the Mesentery, of Inflammatory origin, and easily excised a wide search revealed no enlarged glands or anything abnormal in the abdomen; Appendix quite healthy. On the day after the operation he was shown a bottle containing specimens, which included the excised band of about 4 inches long, one of which had a hard and horny appearance. On seeing the latter he exclaimed “ I sabey them be fowl foot, and I sure them ‘ person ’ done put him into my belly, thank you, thank you. I am glad you pull him proper.” As the suggestion was necessary to his regaining his mental equilibrium, I took the credit of removing the cruel fowl’s foot. The skin sutures were removed on the 5th day, and on the 9th morning after the operation, he left the Hospital at his own request, in order to tell the good news to his friends at Port Harcourt. He had then regained a cheerful appearance. Since then I have seen him happy and healthy-looking on many occasions, and even as late as November, 1918 at Enugu Ngwo, when his master'had Epidemic Influenza. This case I consider of interest as it shows the great influence of mind over matter in even primitive African types. J. JACKSON-MOORE, Onitsha, Medical Officer, W.A.M.S. 10 January, 1919.