Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-04-16

agency in all its varied manifestations.
Books have been written on the sub
iect before, and a vast amount of mat.
ter bearing upon it is scattered through
physiological and medical literature;
but he has culled from it all whatever
was most curious and interesting, and
given to the heterogeneous mass OF
facts an orderly and philosophical ar
rangement.
One of the points that he has dis,
cussed is the influence of mental labor
on length of life. He shows that
study seldom induces paralysis, while
passion is frequent cause Of it, and
also of sudden death in disease OF the
heart Natural phi. .osophers, as q
class, attain to the greatest longevity.
Poets are at the other end OF the
scale; those who, like Wordsworth,
were of contemplative turn Of mind
living longer than those who, like
Byron and Burns, were occupied with
themes that excited intense feeling
How the imagination may cheat the
senses has been often illustrated.
Every one has heard Of the old lady
who was very sensitive to stove-beated
air, and was made sick by the sight of
stove in church, though there was
no fire in it, Soon after the discovery
of potassium, Davy was showing the
new metal to DR.. Pearson, who, tax
ing piece in his fingers, exclaimed,
"How heavy" and was only unde-
ceived when he saw it float on water.
The reader can doubtless recall in
stances in which his own fancy has
thus made fool of him
In like manner the muscular system
is affected by the Imagination, A
bread pill will often cause vomiting or
purging as effectively as the drug the
patient supposes he has swallowed.
Indeed, there seems to be almost no
limit to the influence Of the mind over
the body in this way. Di sease may
be developed or cured, and the quack
and charlatan know how to make the
imagination of their dupes work in
either direction, as may suit ther pur-
pvsc.
Even hydrophcbia may be brought
on by fear. Chomel reports the case
of a French physician who assisted in
the dissection of several hydrophobic
patients and became apprehensive that
he had been inoculated with the virus.
He lost his appetite, was sleepless,
and when he attempted to drink was
seized with spasm of the pharnyx.
In this condition he wandered three
days about the streets in a state of
despair At length, however, his
friends convinced him that his malady
had its seat in his imagination. But
other cases have not terminated so
favorably. The Memoirs of the Royal
Society of Montpelier record the his
tory of two brothers bitten by mad
dog, one of whom went to Holland
and did not return for ten years. On
his arrival, learning that his brother
had died o: hydrophobia, he was at
tackled with all the symptoms of that
disease, and died.
We begin this article with quota
ton from John Hunter. That emf
nent man himself afforded, his sudden
death from heart disease, an illustra-
ton of the truth of his own words.
Dr. Tuke gives some interesting par
ticulars of his case as related by him
self He was subject to "spasms of
his vital parts" when anxious about
any event, or excited by anger. AT
my country-box,' he says, II have
bees, which am very fond of; and |
was anxious about their swarmng,
lest it should happen before l sat off
for town This brought it on. The
cats teased me very much by destroy
ing my anne pheasants, partridges,
etc, and roofing up my plants. |
saw large cat sitting at the root of
a tree and was going into the house
for gun, when l became anxious
lest she should get away before my re
turn. This likewise brought on a
spasm. Other states, when my mind
is much more affected, will not bring
! it on" He could tell an affecting
story without exciting any spasm, but
it acted upon his power of articula-
ton. He had to stop often during its
relation. The irregular action Of his
heart was especially liable to occur