Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1855-03-02
THE FORCE OF IMAGINATION.

of their imlginatiOns aud hence, people
of good mental, but oil very ordinary phys
ical requirements, are the most subject to
this tyranny of mind over matter. o..
cassionally, very ordinary sort Of per.
Son-that j.. an individual Of cousitera-
Die mind, but whose mental capacities are
unframed, and so partially undeveloped--
suffers from this peculiar fact, in a most
distressing degree No doubt (says the
best physical authority one half Of the
ills that flesh is heir to are superinduced
by the fancy of the sufferer alone. Hun
JledS have died Of mere symptoms OF
cholera, yellow fever, and plague, induced
by sheer dread and fear Of those terrible
maladics.
A case is recorded wherein felon, con-
iemned to death hy phlcbotoiny, had his
arm laid bare to the shoulder. and thrust
through hole in partition. while he
was last bound 10 the opposite side; the
hidden eyecutioner. upon the other side,
applied the lancet to the arm with a click
the poor culprit heard the muddy stream
out pouring, and soon growing weaker
and failter, he iell into a Swoon and died
when the fact was, not drop of blood
hal BEEN shed. Il surgeon having merely
snapped his lancet upon the arm. and con-
tinued to pour small stream Of water
over the limb and into basin
Another case in point was that Of
Philadelphia butcher who. in placing his
meat upon hook, slipped, and hung him
self, instead of his beef, upon the barbed
point. His agony was intense--he was
quickly taken down and carried to a phy-
sician's office, and so great was his pain
(in imayination) that he cried piteonsly
upon every motion made by the doctor,
in cutting the coat and shirt-sleeve from
about the wounded arm When at last
the ann was barred, not scratch was there .
The hook point hal merely grazed along
tie skin, and torn the shirt sleeve p!
will not multiply the various facts ex-
tant in p;oof Of the force exercised by a
lnisdi,ecte, imagination; but will men
zion one so ludicrously imposing, as to
cause a pretty broad smile, If not prove
otherwise interesting.
Some years ago, near the town OF Rcad-
ing. Be.ks Co., Pa, there lived cosy old
farmer, named Sweighoffer, of German
descent. and accent, too, as his speech will
Indicate Old man Sweighoffer, had once
served As menber oil the Legislature,
and WAS therefore ono fool" and as he
had solong commanded volunteer corps
of rustic militia, he could hardly be sup
posed inclined to cowardicc. His son Pc.
ter was his only son. strapping lad OF
t seventeen and upon old Peter AMI young
: Peter devoved the principal cares anc
, tolls Of the old gentleman farm, now ant
tAen assisted by the old lady and her two
| bouncing daughters---for it is very com
t mon in that State to see the women ant
girls at work in the feldS-and upon eX
' ira occasions oy some hircl hands.
| Well, one warm day, in hayins Tina
. old Peter and young Peter were hard a
: it," inAtLc meadow, when the old MAJ
e drops his scythe and bawls out
4 %! mine Gott, Peter!
: whats der matter, faler p answers tn
|, son, Strengthening up, and looking toward
S his sire.
$ % mine Gott, Pe;cr' again cries til
{ old man.
Il 'Doner = echoes young Peter, hurry
It ing up to the old man. 'Fadcr, what
It dc matter!'
n %. mine Colt! Peter, der shnkae bit
Il mine leg!
$ If anything was capable of frightcnin
Il young Peter, it was snakes for he ha
Il once nearly crippled himself for life b
: tramping upon crooked stick. whic
st clampeu his ankle and so hor.ifed tn
1t yoangster that he liked to have taile
g through himself.
0 At the word snake. yonng Peter fc
ct back, nimbly as wisedancer, and baWlc
y in turn.
!. Where ish der shnake 2
s. 'Aup mine trowsia--O, mine Gott !
is %, mine Gott' echoed Peter, junior
ID kill him, ia lrr, Kill him !
- No; ; no; he kill me, Peter ; come
sr come qui,k-git off mine trowsis! !
t. But the youngsters cowarnice overcan
II his flial love. while his fear lent strengt
III to his legs, and he started. like a scare
locomotive, to call the old burly Dutcl
ne man, who was in distant part of Il
It. field, to give the father lit with Il
h. snake. Old Jake, the farmers assistan
s. came bundling along, as soon as he heal
a. the news, and p; ss.ng by the fence whe'
p on Peter and his boy had hung up the
rt linsey woolsey vests, Jake grabbed o.
n of the garments, and hurried to old M
tn Peter, who still managed to keep on /
is pins, al ,hough he was qnaking and flute
er Ing like an aspen leaf in June gale
he wind.
to 70 mine Gott Comc-come quic
ng Yacob!'
oil Vat you got, Peter, eh Shnake .
,i- 'Yaw, yaw. Come, come, Yacob !!
vn He bite me all to pieces--herc, aup mi
I'M leg!
ny Old Jake was not particularly sensiti
lat to fear, but few people, young or old, ,
dead to alarm when 'pizen reptile
mt making a levy. Gathering up the S
dry stalk of stalwart weed, old ia
,ne told thu boss to stand really, and he wo,
The at least stun tho snake by rap or two
us he did not kill it stone dead and the (
nd man Peter, less lo'h to have his leg bre
on en- than be .itten to death by the vip
en- designated the spot to strike, and old ia
Ter. let him have it The first blow bre
The the weed. and knocked old Sweighol