Abnormal Fear of Strangers.
This is a species of nerve exhaustion, or rather a series of symptoms designating an ill-defined weakness of the brain or spinal cord, or of nerve-ganglia[1]. The person afflicted fears to walk the streets or fields alone or to mingle in a crowd of strangers, or to travel where unacquainted. Such feelings are uncontrollable and agonizing; they may accompany other diseases, or they may be experienced by persons in apparently good health and for that reason call forth ridicule. But it should be remembered that the feelings are the result of nervous disturbance at some point.Agoraphobia was spelt as agorophobia in the text.
Treatment. — Persons cannot be forced to overcome these feelings, and children especially should be treated with great kindness. The mind must be turned upon other thoughts and tact used in accustoming the person to situations dreaded. Diet should be nourishing; milk and eggs are good. Exercise should be regular in the open air[2], and an interest awakened that will turn the thoughts to subjects other than self.
[1] The attribution of an anxiety disorder to "ill-defined weakness" of the "nerve-ganglia" may seem strange, but the disorder had only been recently been named and described in 1871; and experimental psychology, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy were only recently receiving serious attention. A number of physicians believed that agoraphobia was a form of vertigo.
[2] Perhaps the author had not encountered a patient with this form of anxiety?