The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-08-11
From Good Health.
Getting Cured

my Dody, but two applications OF your
lotion completely cured me" "After
swallowing your pills l was restored to
youth and beauty-in proof of this
enclose my carte de visite."
Such are among the cures announced.
But who are these wonderful patients7
and who are the fortunate inventors Of
these nostrums! Why should any Of
us pay five-d dollar fee when for ten, OF
at most twenty-five cents, we can be al
once delivered from all the ills to which
flesh is heir, besides having our exist
ence indefinitely prolonged3 Alas. for
one who derives any benefit from our
quack medical philanthropists and their
perfect cures" there are fifty whose
tootheaches continue and whose spasms
go on twining in spite of draughts and
boluses. And yet, when a man gets i'll,
credulity is blessed thing. We have
all met those sangune individuals who
will not believe that there is anything
really the matter with them. "They
have, perhaps, been a little out of sorts,
but in day or two they will be down
stairs again" Only, as the doctor leaves
the house, he whispers to the confden-
tial man, "Your masters very ill-it
would be as well to get his lawyer TO
look in" But for all that, the sanguine
man, who, when be is too i'll to ride,
has his horses trotted out before him.
OF his business books brought up stairs
because he is sail right" and can look
attet bis own affairs, and is not going
to put his nightcap on before he goes
to bed-such man, every doctor will
tell you, has a great advantage over
your nervous subject. He is credulous,
but has credulity is on his right side; he
may not believe in physic, but he does
believe in health, and not Till almost the
last moment will he be induced to set
his house in order.
The public are exceedingly credulous
about what can or cannot be done by
the skill of the surgeon or physician.
Indeed, it is every mans interest to be-
Iieve good deal for his own comforts
sake-tor any of US may be attacked by
almost any disease, or may break our
bones or get smashed in the train, or
shot, or go bin or delf-and in looking
forward to such-lke inconvenient in
terruptions of life and health, we say it
is the greatest comfort to reflect that
science cannot only cure all sorts of
things, but can almost bring back the
dead to life again.
Most OF our readers may have perus-
ed story which recently went the
round of the papers, about two men
who were executed. Their heads were
cut of; and then a cunning surgeon
was allowed to step forward, pick up
one head, clap it on the lifeless trunk
which was laid fat on couch, sew il
on tightly, and apply vigorous cur
rent of galvanism to the defunct male
factor. His pulse revived-slowly, of
course, mot long afterwards, he winked
with one eye, or even both. In some
months, this medicated Frankenstien
got up, and to the doctors terror, be-
gan to walk about; but horror ofhorrors
he got on the wrong head!-in the hur-
ry and excitement of the moment his
own head had dropped aside, and been
cleared up with the other body. But
where is he now? The account, which
processes to be a we'll authenticated
medical report, forgets to say; but
doubtless by y-and-by, we shall hear that
Mr.. Barnum is in treaty with this live
wrong headed corpse, and we may hope
yet to see him, orit, or them (whlchever
the head and body choose to be called),
for twenty-five cents apiece. Now, it
is fact that many people read this sto-
ry gravely-for it was stated with inim-
liable gravity and detail-and, for aught
we know, many people may believe it
devoutly at this moment When Edgar
Allan Poe, some years ago, wrote his
great mesmeric story, in which a man
on the point of death was kept suspen-
ded between life and death for some
months, and then, the reverse passes
being made, suddenly collapsed into
rhe loathsome condition of corpse
many months old; this story was reprin-
ted in cotemporary daily paper, still
in circulation as a new story, and be-
lieved in by thousands. No doubt this
kind of credu'ity bestowed upon medi-
cal science, phy,ic, an | physicians fills
many fashionable watering place at
home and abroad. Ofcourse, a good
many people affect the invalid because
they have nothing else to do, and get
we'll under the most elaborate treat
ment, because there was nothing the
matter with them; but we must not shut
our eyes to facts, and we cannot deny
that the mind exercises an astonishing
influence over the body, and that in
this way faith and physic together re-
move mountains OF maladies
Here is a man who suffers from pains
in his joints. Ofceurse he must go to
SlOshenbad at once, and lie in liquid
mud for six hours per diem, and eat
nothing but grapes, or drink nothing
but milk. 1t is most extraordinary,
but his appetite does improve. The
fact is, be expected it to improve. He
eats with will and on principle. The
whole thing is novel, and he enters
into the novelty with zest. He gives
his whole mind to it, and what we give
our whole minds to generally succeeds.
He goes home: his joints are still stiff
and painful "Oh," says the doctor,
"the popularity of these baths is
that Won don't feel the henefit Of them