Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-10-15
Imagination Power.

Many persons are sick merely from the
effect of imagination or habit, the old
woman, for example, who has been bed
ridden for years with her rheumatlcs.
She was left alone one summer day at the
farmhouse with both front and rear
doors open. She saw mad bull tearing
across the pasture in the direction OF the
house, and feeling that it was meek or
nothing she bounced out of that bed in
double-quick time, barred both the door,
and never complained of rheumatism
afterward
Many cases are given in the medical
journals of persons who have been bitten
by dogs and have afterward taken to
foaming at the mouth, shuddering at the
sight of water, and initiating dogs
bark, imagining that these are signs OF
hydrophobia, and have actually died In
convulsive agonies, the facts being that
mad dogs don't foam at the mouth, never
bark and can drink water like a fish.
So far from running about in despera-
ton as if a hundred thousand dilapi-
dated tin-pans were tied to their caudal
prolongations, really mad dogs are the
quietest individuals in the world, make
no noise, seem to want to be alone, keep
their mouths shut, the distinctive symp-
toms of such madness being great rest
lessness, paving the face and eating
their own fresh objections. Mad dogs do
not run after people, but will snap at
anyone who comes in their way,
especially individuals of their own kind; ;
they seem to trot o. run as If looking at
something straight ahead. Infinite mis-
chief is done in publishing cases OF per-
sons becoming hydrophobic one, ten and
even twenty years after the last remem-
bered biting of a dog, the reporters OF
such tales not having taken pains to in
quire if there had not been later biting
Such monstrous absurdities are well cal
culated to keep nervous persons who have
been once bitten by dog in state of
wearying uneasiness all their lives long
afterward. If n person has been bitten
by dog supposed to be mad, the animal
should be put in n quiet room and let
alone, only slipping in food and drink
from time to time; if really mad death
will take place in day or two, and if not
mad there will be a complete recovery.
Only one bite in twenty of dogs sup
posed to be mad is fatal.
A dog in New Jersey last year bit a
oman, and ran under the sofa; her hus-
band dragged him out by the tail, held
tion the dog got a chance of biting his
master, who died in few days of hydro
phobia; this shows that the state of mind
of the animal gives virulence to the bite.
A mother nursing her infant child was
thrown into sudden, tempestuous
rage; as soon as it was over, she finished
nursing the child, which was at once
taken with commissions; the state of
mind of the mother imparting virulence
to the milk of her bosom. A lady saw
at distance a window sash falling i'm
mediately on the ends of the fingers of
her little grandchild; the child's fingers
were crushed-those of the grandmother
were similarly affected. This is given on
the testimony of the distinguished DIR.
Brown.Sequard. The lesson is, seek to
control the imagination and to guard
against intense mental excitement by
habituating the mind to take calm,
measured and deliberate view of all the
circumstances of life. Intelligent peo-
pie should bear these things in mind.
The greatest throat-swabber of the age
began to think he had sore throat too,
and swabbed himself every day; and
when he died his throat was found to
have been as well as anybody's.
The best way to escape imaginative
| diseases is to be just as busy as you can
| in doing something useful, profitable or
good; to have the mind fully employed
in some commendable object; it is thus
| that the washerwoman is often happier
| than the wife of the millionaire; the hod.
carrier than he who has retired from
| business. "-HaTs Journal Of HeatH.