National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-03


know that great many cases OF death have
been produced by other methods.
RFFEcrs THAT BORDER ON THE MIRACULOUS.
Not only anasthesis may be produced, but the
secretions may be very powerfully affected by
the influence Of the mind .oyerthe body Here
we find facts Of great Importance indeed. There
are many facts which show that the secretions OF
milk may become poisonous for q child from
mere emotion in the mother, and especially from
anger. And Il IL we're not the duty Of every one
to avoid anger It would certainly be the duly OF
a Young mother who has to nurse . child There
are cases, although they are not common, In
which death has resulted; and alterations Of
health in children from this cause are very fre-
quent: great many men who have reached an
adult age owe their ill-bsalth to such an influence
In childhood.
Every one knows, also, thai. the secretion Of
bile, the secretion Of tears and the secretion Of
saliva are very much under the influence Of the
nervous system. The purging Of the bowels.
which depends on q secretion there, o secretion
in the liver, 10 also much dependent on the infu.
enoe Of the imagination. The Emperor Nicholas
tried to see what power there is In the imsgina-
ton in that respect. Bread crumb pills were
given to great many patients, and, as result,
most ofthem were purged. In one case student,
not Of medicine, but Of theology, having the idea
that the word pill meant purgative. looked for
that he found there was one composed mainly Of
opium and hsnbane, both astring ents, and capable
OF producing great constipation. HeNanted to be
purged, and took Q certain number Of these pills,
and instead Of becoming eonstipated he was
purged, Just as he wished to be. GLaughter.l
Vomiting may be produced in the Same way.
DuCros, French Psychologist, tells Of trial
made in hospital by 9 nurse who went around
and gave to all the patients very harmless Kind
AMI 4han al IA
that she had by mistake given them all very
powerful emetics. Out OF one hundred patients,
eighty were affected as If they had taken the
most violent emetic, and Tomited for long time
This we zee on q very large scale on feaboard
every summer. have no doubt whatever that
sea sickness is in great measure due to that, and
If you could go board Of steamer with the idea
that you would not romit, am we'll satisfied,
from experiments / have made, that you would
escape great deal eff sea sickness, II you did not
escape it all together. One fact 1 recall is very
interesting. A person had crossed, on one occa-
sion o small bay when 1t was very rough. There
was man playing the violin on the boat. The
person refer to WAS terribly sea-sick, and yom-
tied great deal. He had not, of course, made up
his mind that he could not be sick. However, the
point is that after that he could never hear vio-
lin without vomiting. daughter and applause
To pass to something more serious: You have
oil heard Of what are called the "stigmata"-
marks representing the wounds on the limbs Of
Christ. Those marks have appeared in persons
who have dreamed or imagined that they were
cructfed and suffering the pains of Christ, having
invoked the goodness of God to let them have
that suffering to punish them for their faults.
The most remarkable fact Of that kind is that
concerning St. Francis Of Assist. There 10 no
doubt that he had the mark clear as possible. II
you compare with this fact which is related by
DR.. Carter you will have the explanation Of 1t.
DR.. Garter says that while a mother was looking
at her child, who was standing at window with
the fingers on the border Of the window Just under
the lifted sash, she saw the sash come down with
great force and crush the three fingers Of the poor
child. The mother remained unable to move feel.
ing Immediately pain on the three fingers at the
very place where the child had been injured. Her
fingers swelled, an effusion of blood took place,
and liberation followed, and she was long time
In being cured. If In the case of this mother, the
Imagination could produce such results, you wfil
see in the case Of the stigmats the Imagination
may have been equally powerful.
PERFORMANCES OF RELIGIOUS DEvorEEs.
The mind in state of emotion has also great
power on the heart the breathing apparatus, aud
several other organs. The most important Of the
facts here--whIch must say committed the
fault of denying for q long time-are those which
relate tethe fakirs of India. You know that they
may remain dead to all appearance for number
ofdaye, and It Is even said for months, without
any change occurring in their body, without any
change in, their weight, without their receiving
any food. They show neither circulation nor res
piratlon, as theis temperature had diminished
very considerably and altogether present q
series OF effects which certainly very marvel
Gus. But, marvellous as It is, the testimony Of
some of officers in the British army, who are men
orfo ooIfr loau hnuh tn ha
possibility Of the fact.
But in the light OF the fact that mentioned in
my first lecture, that had dead animal in my
laboratory lying for several months without
any signs of decomposition, in o temperature
varying from 400 to 900 during day and night, we
can understand that these fakirs may remain able
to live although they don't live-that is, do not
have actual and active life. But why, you will
say, do they come outf Admit that there is in US
power which is quite distinct from our ordinary
power of mind, which Is quite distinct from what
we call consciousness which, during our sleep, is
awake and watches: with this admi ssion and the
facts that have mentioned before, we have all
the elements, think, for an explanation Of what
has been said about the fakirs.
1 find, unfortunately, that the time presses, SO
that shall be obliged to pass over q good many
facts and come to the miracles Of La Salette,
Father Matthew, and also what has been said Of
great many other instances OF recovery from H.
ness. cannot but believe that there is no need
of appealing to any other power than what we
know Of imagination for the examination Of what
takes place in those miracles. They are very Gu
rious, but hardly more curious than what we zee
when we know without doub. that Imagination Is
the cause OF such q change. The cure Of any Ill
neos which does not consist In any dsorganization
of the tissues can often be accomplished when the
person thinks that 1t can be done. II we physi-
clans, who treat patients every day, had the power
to make them believe that they are cured, We
certainly would obtain less fees than we do, and
must say that the best Of US would rejoice at It.
There is no doubt at all that If we would give to
patients the idea that they are to be cured, they
would often be cured, especially II we could name
time for 1t, which is great element In success.
have succeeded in this way sometimes, and
may say that succeed more now than formerly,
because have myself the faith that can In CIV
ing Aith obtain o cure. wish, indeed, that ply
slcians who are younger men than myself, and
who will have more time to study this question
than have, would take It up, especially in those
cases in which there is functional nervous afsc-
ton only to deal WITH as 1t Is particularly though
not only, In those cases that q euro can be OBJ
tanned. Indeed, q cure may thus be obtained in
certain organic aflections-even in dropsy 1t may
lead to cure. You know that 1t will stop pain;
that going to . dentist is often quite enough to
make a toothache disappear. [Laughtsr.l have
seen patients come to me with q terrible neural
gia, who dreaded the operation was about to
perforn, and, just at the time was to undertake
1t, ceased to suffer. ILaughtcr.l
---IS -sSssEss .
MOUNT SINAI
n r