The Shasta courier., 1866-12-15
SHASTA COU K | Err.

yvrrp.v Corps LEcTuREs.-The third
,.o,nra ,f the series given bv the Veteran
Corns took place at Congress Hall last night
T. Vas given bv DR.. Henry Gibbons. whose
ror,tat;on as an interesting lecturer is well
known to all Californians. The Doctor chose
for his subject 'The Curing of Disease by
the Laving on Of H,rds, and Other Won
derful Agencies. The house was well I'LL
ed with ladies and gentlemen, who listened
to the lecture with deep interest. The lee
turer began hv stating that he had selected
this subject because If the local Importance
that had recently been given to It. by the
pretensians Of person VIII" was endeavhring
to delude persons into the belief that he
poss ssed some extraordinary power. and
was gifted bevond the ordinary OF mortais.
Charlatans had existed in all ages. and the
sick. lame and halt. like drowning men,
were ever ready to clutch at straws. and any
thing that promised cures was good enough
for the time being But. asks the public 1t
these men are not gifted, how is IT that they
effect cures? That they do so we know. for
we have seen persons who have been cured
The cures are wrought not by the agency of
the wonderful doctor, but by the powers Of
Imagination. which in many cases exerts a
most potent influence. Illustrative OF these
propositions, the lecturer related MANY anec-
dotes, some of which were experience OF his
own, and others familiar TO every reader Of
medical literature He alluded to the pre-
valent belief in a large portion of the human
family that red flannel drawers and under
shirts were sovereign remedies in rheuma
tism that the wearing Of ear rings strength
ened the eyesight. and other equally absurd
beliefs. He related the story Of the paravtic
H. e ~ L II.
use Of the thermometer. The patient was
hempleeic r ,a~ird on one side. and was
sent tn Sir Humphrey Davv. tie aiscoverer
of nitrous oxide or laughing gas. for the pur-
pose Of being placed under the influence of
the gas in hopes that it would benefit his
disease. Previous to the admiqiStra ion ol
the gas a small Thermometer was pl tced
under the patent'> tongue for the purpose of
Mating the state Of the system. The patient
being an ignorant man, and believing the
thermometer to be the remedy that was u he
applied 10 him after it had been under his
tongue for moment exclaimed . declare,
/ feel much hotter" and in few moments
moved his paisied arm Six days thermom
eter treatment effected radical cure. for the
physicians determined to see how far the
powers Of Imagination would 90. The lee
turer once met IA MAJ who had great repu-
tat'on for curing fever and ague. and who,
as a great favor. divulged his mode f treat
ment lie was in the habit Of taking the
person suffering with the dis ease into haze'
thicket. and tying a wooilen string about the
little finger of the left hand. and then tying
the other end 20 haz.l bush and cutting
the string with sharp knife, repeaiing
while 50 engaged the following words:
q This bush aud finger with string tie.
To hang the feyer'n ager high
After the string was cut. the patient would
90 away and have nn more fever and ague,
lur the hazel bush wO1li die in few davs
This fellow had good luck until the hazel
thicket gave out. and then he flile1.-S. F.
can.