Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-03-26


wonderful stories of the healing power 81
faith were also told by Greek writers
hundreds of years before Galen was born
II Is related of one Axiochus, for in
stance. that when he had been given uI
by the doctors and was at the very gates
al the grave he was restored to health by
the mere sight Of Hippocrates. Paracel
sls. indeed, insisted that Ii was the sight
Of medicine effected all his cures. Ply
sicians in all ages have recognized this
prilcipie, and II has been generally &C
knowledged that the practitioner who in
spires most confidence will, other things
being equal, be the most successful. The
modicatrir natura, which Is often the best
of physicians, finds hope most powerful
ally. while, on the other hand, its worst
enemies are fear and depression Of spirit.
DIR. luke, in his Illustration Of the
Influence Of the Mind upon the
BODY in Health and Disease" gives many
striking instances of this mental agency
in all It's varied manifestations. Books
have been written on the subject before,
and q vast amount OF matter bearing upon
IL Is scattered through physiological and
medical literature; but he has cuiled from
II all whatever was most curious and In
,eresting, and given to the heterogeneous
mass Of facts an orderly and philosophy
cal arrangement.
One of the points that he has discussed
is the influence of mental labor on length
of life He shows that study seldom in
duces paralysis, while passion Ii fire.
quent cause Of 1t, and also OF sudden
death in disease of the heart Natural
philosophers, as class, attain to the
greatest longevity. Poets are at the other
end of the scale; those who, like Words
worth, were Of a con.emplative 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-heated air, and was
made sick by the sight Of stove In
church, though there was no fire in 1t.
Soon after the discovery Of potassium,
Davy was showing the new metal to DR..
Pearson, who, taking piece in his fin
gers, exclaimed, "How heavy!" and was
only undeceived when he saw it float on
water. The reader can doubtless recall
instances 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 sup
poses he has swallowed. Indeed, there
seems to be almost no limit To the in
fluence of the mind over the body in this
way. Disease may be developed or cured,
and the quack and charlatan know how
10 make the Imagination of their dupes
work in either direction, as may suit their
purpose.
Even hydrophobia may be brought on
by fear. Chomel reports the case of a
French physician who assisted in the dis
section 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 history
of two brothers bitten by mad dog, one
Of whom went to Holland and did not re-
turn for ten years. On his arrival, learn
ing that his brother had died Of hydro
phObta, he was attacked with all the
symptoms Of that disease and died.
We began this article with quotation
from John Hunter. That eminent man
himself afforded, in his sudden death
from heart disease, an illustration of the
truth of his own words. DIR. luke gives
some interesting particulars Of his case
as related by himself. He was subject to
I" spasms of his vital parts when anxious
about any event, or excited by anger. "At
my country box" he says, :" have bees,
which | am very fond of; and / was
anxious about their swarming, lest 1t
should happen before | sat off for town.
This brought it on. The cats leased me
very much by destroying my tame pleas
ants, partridges, etc, and roofing up my
plants. / saw large cat sitting at the
root of tree and was going into the
house for gun, when / became anxious
lest she should get away before my re-
turn. This likewise brought on spasm.
more affected, will not bring II on" He
Coulu tSll Ill duCCIuR stoIy Wltuoub Ca
citing any spasm, but it acted upon his
power of articulation. He had to stop
often during lis relation. The irregular
action of his heart was especially liable
TO occur under the excitement of anger,
and he was 10 the habit of remarking to
his friends that his life was +" at the mercy
of any scoundrel who chooses to put me
in passion Yet, forewarned as he was
Of the danger in which he lived from his
cardiac trouble, he had no. sufficient self
control to avert it. He was. one day
thrown into fit of anger by some unex-
pected contradiction and expired on the
instant.
We have said that the quack often takes
q villainous advantage Of this influence
of the mind over the body; and the true
physician should make II study how he
may utilize the same agency for the best
interest Of his patients. He must watch
lest it. by working against him, neutralizes
partially or wholly his most skillful treat.
ment, and must endeavor in all cases to
make 1t his ally, remembering that 1t may
become no less potent for good than for
evil.--J0uvndl Of Chemistry.
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