Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-10-16
POWER OF THE MIND OVER
THE BODY.


The power of tile mind over the body
through the nerve force is infinitely greater
than most of us can imagine, in extent aud
variety. Mesmcrism, animal-magnetism,
tho Cd force, Perkins's trIctors,-all these
have some ground in nature, that ground
being simply the immense power of the i'm
agination on the body. John Hunter made
some curious experiments in willing pain
into part; he failed, however. to will the
attacks of the govt into his great toe, though
he tried to do II. Swcdenborg, though sub
Iect TO illusions and Authorizations, had an
equally clear view of the way in which the
brain can convey various kinds of sensation,
&C., into any part of the body. Bennett, of
Edinburgh, tells OF u man whose sleeve was
caught in hook the man. thinking his arm
was pierced. suffered cxcruciating pain I'M
ill he was extrcatcd. As for mcsmerism,
the senses are exquisitely exalted; but the
feat of reading watch placed out Of sight
may he (pcrhaps) explained by the obscure
| faculty we possess of estimating the lapse oil
time. even in sleep. The conrUlsiondircs OF
| st. Medard suffered themselves to be tram
| pied under foot in the most shocking WAY
without feeling pain; this is one instance oil
the suppression of feeling by mental infu-
encc, of which the mesmeric anRsthesia, is
another example.
| The secre;ions are arrested or made ac-
| tive by nerve influence. Nursing mothers
who give way TO anger or other emotions
poison their own milk, whereby the infant
health is often injured for life, il he be not
Killed outright. The bowels are purged by
bread pills (as was once proved on II large
scale by the Emperor Nicholns) provided
people are told they arc to he purged
eighty out of one hundred hospital patients
have been v0mitCd by neutral remedy
when told " there had been a mistake made
and they had all taken e;netcs." Much
sea-sickness would be avoided If people
could be made to believe they were not GO
ing TO have it. Tho stigUs.tll. Or marks oil
the nails on the Savior's hands and feet
havo been plainly seen to appear on the cor
responding portions of the bodies of ccrtaii
of his more devout followers, among WHOM
ST. Francis, OF Assist, must he spec#!g
named Yet ought We not to lose iruul ON
SIGHT the possibility that these occurrences
however unqucstionable they he, are ye
simply owing to an action oil tho imaginh
ton. whereof II notable instance is relates
upon authority of great weight: a motna
saw n window sash descend with violcnc'
upon her little child's fingers, whcreupol
she herself was instantly seized with eX
treme pain in her own fingers which did nj
forwards swell and inllame III such man
ner that she was long in being cured. TIT
fakirs of India are sometimes able to dives
themselves Of the signs of lifs-Tespiratiol
and circulation being stopped aud bOdil.
temperature lowcred-for months continual
~. This we'll attested fact becomes les
strange in view of the fact, once observed b.
the lecturer in his own laboratory, where
dog remained several months after death il
u temperature from 400 to Coz without un
dergong putreflction; here is evidence of
power to arrest mctamOrphosis, even whe
the voluntary, AMI indeed all, the motion
are at an end. The pain OF toothacho van
ishes nj sight of dentists chair; neurplgl
once disappeared ms the lecturer was abou
to enter on an operation for its relief; mo:
functional and oven some organic, aztec
tions Gas dropsy) may DO cured by giving
patient the idea that he is to DO cured an
the well attested list Of modern miracles
In the same category of fIcts.-Dr. BroWh
SeqHard.
A clergyman ut Paris, KY, stopped hi