Malingering and feigned sickness / by Sir John Collie... assisted by Arthur H. Spicer.

  • Collie, John, Sir, 1860-1935.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Malingering and feigned sickness / by Sir John Collie... assisted by Arthur H. Spicer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    certain theories with regard to these matters, exemplifying them with typical cases from my own experience, and oher certain tests for discovering, and remedies for deahng with, them. One may have a case which justifies the gravest sus- picion, but, without previously having had a similar experience, one hesitates to condemn it as fraudulent; it is therefore my hope that the cases quoted hereafter may be of assistance m helping the profession to perform the very serious duty that will be upon them of protecting the State, the Approved Societies, and Employers, from the unjust and improper de- mands which doubtless will be made upon them. It is seldom that so gross and deliberate a fraud is perpetrated as the following instance, which occurred in the practice of a personal friend of mine : Dr F was asked to examine A. A., a man of the shopkeeping class, who informed him that his life was insured, that he had allowed his policy to lapse through non-payment of the premiums, that he desired to resuscitate his pohcy, and that the insurance company had agreed to his doing so on condition that he sent a cheque for arrears of premiums, accompamed by a medical certificate stating that he was in good health. He therefore appealed to my friend to give him the necessary certificate^ which Dr. F. expressed himself quite willing to do after and only after, he had thoroughly examined him. In vain did the patient point out that the fee allowed by the company was a very sma 1 one that the certificate was only a matter of form, and that, as a matter of fact, he was in perfect health. The examination was undertaken ; indeed, it was done with some thoroughness, for the applicant was stripped to the waist, and his lungs and heart carefully examined Whilst thus undressed, placing his hands on his hips, or in tliat neighbourhood, he struck an attitude, saying, with some emphasis: Now, doctor, are you satisfied ? Am I not a fine feUow ? My friend's reply was that he did not think so, but, as he could fand nothing wrong, he supposed he would have to give him a certificate, and he did. . , -.i Si;c months afterwards an insurance company communicated w t the doctor, asking why he had given a certificate of good health to one of their assured who had just died of cancer of ^^e rectum, and who had had an inguinal colotomy performed antecedent to the date of his examination. 4u^ui„,, wArf» The brave words, the dramatic attitude, the hands on the hips, were all a piece of consummate acting, designed to cover the tell-tale scar of a colotomy wound. Relative Extent oi Malingering.-Cases of gross deception, in which serious illness or injury is feigned, based upon tiie