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Davies and Wilson (2), in a valuable research on the life history of the chronic peptic ulcer patient, reached the following conclusions:
In 205 cases of peptic ulcer, 84% of the symptoms began soon after some event affecting the patient's work or finances, or the health of his family. Only 22% of a control group of hernia patients gave histories of such events preceeding their illnesses.
Of 52 relapses of peptic ulcer patients proved by radiography, 42 were shown to date from some event causing anxiety to the patient.
In a group of 100 ulcer patients, compared with 100 hernia patients as controls, and using Culpin's method of group-scoring for the comparison, a significant excess of ulcer patients showed undue tension antedating the onset of their ulcer symptoms.
The typical ulcer patient is over-conscientious, with long thin face, sharpened nose, angular jaw, deep lines from alae nasi to the angles of the mouth, and little spare fat on the body. He tends to be aggressively alert, over-ready to tackle any job or problem, and shows an intense watchful expression which conveys a suggestion of continual apprehension mixed with underlying defiance and discontent.
In a further research the same authors (3) showed (1) That events capable of producing unusual emotional tensions were found to precede haematemesis and perforation in 63 out of 75 patients;