Deleau, a celebrated doctor of Paris, while
embracing his favorite daughter, who was in the last throes of
consumption, was so overcome by intense grief that he fell over
her corpse and died, and both were buried together.
The fear of child-birth has been frequently cited as a cause of
death McClintock quotes a case from Travers of a young lady,
happily married; who entertained a fear of death in child-birth;
although she had been safely delivered, she suddenly and without
apparent cause died in six hours. Every region of the body was
examined with minutest care by an eminent physician, but no signs
indicative of the cause of death were found. Mordret cites a
similar instance of death from fear of labor. Morgagni mentions a
woman who died from the disappointment of bearing a girl baby
when she was extremely desirous of a boy.
The following case, quoted from Lauder Brunton, shows the extent
of shock which may be produced by fear: Many years ago a janitor
of a college had rendered himself obnoxious to the students, and
they determined to punish him. Accordingly they prepared a block
and an axe, which they conveyed to a lonely place, and having
appropriately dressed themselves, some of them prepared to act as
judges, and sent others of their company to bring him before
them.
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