CASE I.
A young Lady, of a tender, lax habit, about fifteen, before the Menses appear’d, was seiz’d with a fit of this Disease, and groan’d so miserably that she awoke her Father, who was sleeping in the next room. He arose, ran into her chamber, and found her lying on her Back, and the Blood gushing plentifully out of her Mouth and Nose. When he shook her, she recover’d, and told him, that she thought some great heavy Man came to her bedside, and, without farther ceremony, stretched himself upon her. She had been heard moaning in sleep several nights before; but, the next day after she imagin’d herself oppress’d by that Man, she had a copious eruption of the Menses, which, for that time, remov’d all her complaints.
CASE II.
A young Lady, about twenty, of a full, sanguineous habit, and lax system of Fibres, labour’d under an obstinate obstruction of the Catamenia for six months. About six weeks after her first period elaps’d, she had a severe fit of the Night-mare, and next morning she spit near a pound of Blood, part of which was coagulated. She complain’d of an anxiety and oppression in her Breast, for several days afterwards. She soon grew well, and continued so ’till a month had pass’d, when the Night-mare return’d, and was succeeded by a spitting of Blood; but the second fit was not so severe as the first. She had periodical fits and discharges of this kind, ’till, by proper remedies, the redundant streams were convey’d through their usual channels, which at the same time carried off the cause and heavy effect of the Nightmare.
CASE III.
A robust servant Girl, about eighteen years old, was severely oppress’d with the Night-mare, two or three nights before every eruption of the Menses, and us’d to groan so loudly as to awake her Fellow-servant, who always shook or turn’d her on her Side; by which means she recover’d. She was thus afflicted periodically with it, ’till she took a bedfellow of a different sex, and bore Children.
CASE IV.
“A Woman, fifty years old, of a good, full, fleshy, strong habit of Body, after her Menses stop’d, was constantly tormented with this Disorder[20].”
I might add many more instances of this kind, to shew, that the fair sex is subject to the severe insults of this oppressive Disease; but hope these are sufficient to excite the attention of others to make observations of this sort, which are the more necessary, as they have been too much neglected by writers on this subject.