Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-05-26
Effects of the Passions.

Every one, says the American Union, knows
the influence of depressing passions on the human
frame A beaten army has always more sick lex
cluslvely OF the wounded) than a victorious one
and In civil life, the effects of loses and disap-
continents IN destroying the digestion and wasting
the strongest constitution but too familiar to
| the commonest observer But the picture has a
brighter side.
Hope and success are finer tonics than any to be
found in apothecaries' shops, and even fear NAV
boast its cures. A German physician, SO runs the
tale, succeeded in curing All epidemic convulsion
among the children Of a poor house by fear of red
hot poker The fits had spread by sympathy and
imitation; and this great physician. mistrusting the
ordinary remedies in so grave a case, heaten the
instrument and threatened to burn the irst who
should fall into fit. The CONFUSION did not
return.
celebrated scholar was once attacked with
fever at country inn. He was visited by two
physicians; one of them supposing from the poy-
erty of his appearance, that he would not under
stand foreign language, said to the other, Lets
try an experiment on this poor fellow" AS soon
as they were gone the patient got out of bed, hur-
red on his clothes, scampered off as fast as he
could, and was cured of his fever by his fright.
In England, quite recently, girl being attacked
with typhus fever, was sent to the hospital A
week afterwards, her brother was seized with the
same disease, and was sent to the institution. The
nurses were helping him up the stairs at the hos
pital On the way he was met by some persons
who were descending with coffin on their shout
ders. This sick man inquired whose body they
were removing, when one of the carriers mad
vertently mentioned the girls name. 1t was his
sister! The brother, horror stricken, sprung from
his conductors dashed down stairs, out of the hos
pital gate, and never stopped running till he had
reached home-a distance of twelve miles. He
flung himself On the bed Immediately, fell into
sound sleep, and awoke the next morning entirely
cured of his illness.
The most beautiful instance however, that we
met with, s one in which the cure depended on the
combination of hope and of memory. DR.. Rush,
when quite young man, educated in the
country, in very remote part of which he was in
the habit Of visiting, in company with farmers
daughter, various scenes Of beauty and sublimity,
and among others, the nest of an eagle in a ro-
mantle situation For some time the visits were
very frequent. Rush afterwards left the school
and settled in Philadelphia, where he found his
former associate married. Many years after, she
had attack oftyphusfever under which she lay in
complete state of insensibilty, apparently lost to
all surrounding objects. In this state, Rush, then
physician, was called in to visit her. He took
her by the hand and said, with strong and cheer
full voice, "The Eagles nest!" The words re-
vived an association Of ideas comprehending the
actions of her youth. She Immediately grasped
his hand, opened her eyes, and from that hour re-
covered rapidly.