American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-11-22
Imaginative Medicine.

The earth bath once had an amazing
run. About century ago a London en-
piric opened "Temple of Health" in
Pail Mall, where he gave lectures on
health at the extravagant charge of two
| guineas for admission, which fee many
wealthy simpletons were willing to pay.
| Among other attractions he enlisted the
| services of beautiful woman, said to
have been that equivocal person who af-
terward became Lady Hamilton. Many
kinds of mOuntebank fraud were exhibit
| ed at this place, the last of which was
earth bathing. He and the Goddess of
Health immersed themselves to the chin
in warm earth, he with his hair full dress
ed and powdered, she with the fashiona-
BILE couture. How many dupes honestly
believed in their own cure by such means
history has not recorded, but the admis-
sion to the Temple" gradually fell from
two guineas to one shilling, and then the
earth bath died out-not, however, before
the ''lady" had run much chance of ruin
ing her health by this peculiar kind of
bathing.
The toad has had its day of importance
in the minds of those who look for speci-
fics against diseases; and so has the toad
stone, which was described by Joana
Baltic in a letter to Sir Walter Scott as
IA celebrated amulet, which was never
lent to any one unless upon bond for a
thousand marks for its being safely re-
stored. 1t was sovereign for protecting
newborn children and their mothers from
the power of fairies; and has been re-
peatedly borrowed from my mother for
this purpose" This amulet was described
as being a convex circular stone, rather
less than three-quarters of an inch in di-
ameter, semi-transparent, dark gray, and
apparently silicious composition; it was
set in massive silver thumb-ring- Be
sides its virtues as charm for keeping
off wicked fairies, this toad stone was be-
lieved to be a specific against diseases of
the kidneys; it was immersed in cup of
water, and the water then quatfed off.
Fish charms have been met with among
many nations. The fish called the bull
head is used by some of the Russian peas
ants as a charm against fever. Again, if
suspended horizontally, and carefully
balanced by single thread, while allow
ed some freedom of motion, the fish is
credited with the power of indicating by
the direction of the head the point of the
compass from which the wind will blow.
Many Kinds of fish have two hard bones
Just within the sides of the head and one
species, the maigre, has these bones larger
in proportion than most others. These
two bones, called collie stones, are in some
countries regarded to possess medicinal
virtues; mounted in gold, and hung
around the neck, they are specific for
the collie. But this popularity attaches to
them; they must have been received as a
gift; if purchased, they do not possess the
magic virtue.
Medicinal rings were at one time very
seriously believed in. Physicians were
wont to wear finger-rings in which stones
were set, and these stones were credited
with the possession of many virtues.
Sometimes the patient was simply touch
Q ~ tfay mt
his finger for "a while. Many a patient
has worn such a ring to stop hemorrhage
which sedatives, absorbents, and astrin-
gents alike failed to allay; if the desired
result followed, the ring was unreservedly
regarded rs the healing agent; if the cure
did not follow we are told nothing about
it; for in these matters
s'What is hit is history,
But what is missed is mystery!"
A wine-cOlored amethyst, set in a ring,
was specific against intoxication and its
consequences; a hyacinth stone, similarly
set, acted as "a charm to produce sleep; an
agate had wonderful power to cure amaur-
osis and other diseases of the eye; IA Jasper
showed its value in cases of dropsy and
fever; while u coral was an antidotc
against nervousness and causeless fears
That many imaginative cures have been
wrought by such means, who can deny?
T1NtH II tHt patient oHil S''S Il ii''i' p''t'i'
and attributes the healing influence to
the stone in the ring, he may be right so
far as this-that the influence excrts itself
through the imagination.
Charms, amulcts, talismans and phylac-
tcries all belong to the list of articles
which produce imaginative cures, seeing
that the persons who trust to them believe
in some good obtainable from them in
purse or in person, in health or in wei
fare: and if the good comes, most assured
" the Imagination is the channel through
which it approaches. Two or three years
ago, at town in Worcestershire, Eng
land, after the inquest on the body "f ii
man drowned in the Severn, woman APP
piled to the chief constable for permission
10 draw the hand of her son, II hoy of eight
or nine years of age, nine times across
the dead mans throat, in order To bring
about the removal of n wen from the
boys neckl In another instance, in the