The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-03-10
Effects of the Passions.

Every one knows the influence of the
depressing passions on the human frame.
A beaten army has always more sick Tex
elusively of the wounded J than victo-
rious one; and in civil life, the effect of
losses and disappointments in destroying
the digestion, and wasting the strongest
constitution, are but too familiar to the
commonest observer. But the picture
has brighter side.
Hope and success are finer tonics than
any to be found in apothecaries' shops,
and even fear may boast its cures. A
German physician, so runs the tale, sue
ceeded in curing an epidemic convulsion
among the children of a poor-house by
the fear of a red hot poker. The fits had
spread by sympathy and imitation; and
this great physician, mistrusting the ordi-
nary remedies in so grave case, heated
his instrument, and threatened to burn
the first who should fall into fit. The
+convulsions did not return.
A celebrated scholar was once attack
ed with fever at country inn. He was
visited by two physicians; and one of
them, supposing from the poverty of his
appearance that he would not understand
a foreign language, said to the other in
Latin, "Let's try an experiment on this
poor fellow" AS soon as theywere gone,
the patient got out of bed, hurried on his
clothes, seampered off as fast as he could,
and was cured of his fever by fright.
In England, quite recently, a girl be-
ing 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 same institution
The nurses were helping him up the
stairs at the hospital. On the way he
was met by some persons who were de-
scending with coffin on their shoulders.
The sick man inquired whose body they
were removing, when one of the bearers
inadvertently mentioned the girls name.
Il scas his sister. The brother, horror
struck, sprung from his conductors, dash
ed down stairs, out of the hospital gate,
and never stopped running until he had
reached home-a distance of twelve
milesi He flung himself on the bed i'm
mediately, fell into sound sleep, and
awoke next morning entirely cured of his
illness.
| The most beautiful instance, however.
that we have met with, is one in which
the cure depended on the combination of
the pleasures of hope and of memory.
Dr. Rush, when quite young man, was
educated in the country, in very remote
part of which he was IN the habit of WIS.,
iting, in company with farmers daugh-
ter, various scenes of beauty and sublim-
ity, and among others, the nest of an
eagle in romantic situation. Fer some
time these visits were very frequent
Rush afterwards left the school, and set
tied in Philadelphia, where he found his
former associate married woman.
Many years after she had an attack of
typhus fever, under which she lay in a
complete state of insensibility, apparently
lost to all surrounding objects. In this
state. Rush, then physician, was called
to visit her. He took her by the hand,
and said, with strong and cheerful voice,
"The Eagles Nestp' The words revived
an association of ideas comprehending
the actions of her youth. She immedi-
ately grasped his hand, opened her eyes,
and from that hour recovered rapidly
american Union.