The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-06
CURES BY SUGGESTION.
How Easily the Mind Moves the
Also Stubborn Body.


lsE Stubborn Body.
From ths New York wOrlI.
DR.. William A. Hammond, the distin.
guished professor Of diseases Of the mind
and nervous system, has been the frst to
prepare for It's reception in its native
land, and by series Of very interesting
experiments lately made and still maxi
Ing, he has come very near to explaining
the secret Of the metal cure. u am now
engaged in preparing paper on the sub.
feet, !" said DR.. Hammond 10 the writer,
sand It will probably be published before
long. It Is true that there Is a good deal
more about this thing than We csn ex-
plain, but I have investigated 1t far
enough TO ASCERTAIN that ii Is not go won.
derful and unique as people had suppos.
ed. / have q full set Of these metallic
plates or disks, with the needles, etc, all
done up in neat little case, just as they
are prepared for US by the European
doctors. By repeated experiments ! have
proved that the metallic plates Of gold,
silver, copper, bronze. etc., have nothing
10 do with the cure. for I have produced
the same results with plates Of hard rub.
Der, tortoise shell, and In fact piece oil
chalk or cork will answer the purpose
lust as well. The whole thing is nothing
more than the power OF one mind over
another. 1t is what l call the principle
Of suggestion. That is, If one person sug.
gests an idea TO another who has COM
plete faith in that persons power, the
one acted upon will experience all the
sensations the operator may suggest to
him.
Within the past week DR.. Hammond
has repeated the experiments several
times In the presence Of q large number
Of spectators.
To girl about fifteen years old who
had been semitic him 10 be treated Tor
epileptic fits be said, "Here lie new dis
coyery for curing such diseases as yours.
Here, you see, are number OF bright
metal plates-gold, silver, copper, bronze,
nickel, etc. One Of these plates will cure
you, and l have selected the right one to
do Ii, Now, il place this disk on the
back Of your hand and hold 1t there 4
certain time Il will cause all the sense OF
main TO leave your hand, 90 that can
4 with this gold needle without its hurt
ing you at ALL"
The girl, who had plump. rosy cheeks,
and looked healthy and strong, held ont
her hand to have the disk applied.
aBut you must first tell me whether you
believe I can cure you. Do you " asked
the doctor. =,
The patient smiled and nodded her
head.
"Well. ityou believe I can, that's
enough" =,
DR.. Hammond, then laid tortoise shell
disk on the back Of the girrs hand and
held It there, pressing 1t slightly, for
about two minutes. "Now," said he ~
think that all feeling has gone out OF your
hand" He then pricked her and she
said she felt nothing. On trial 1t was
found that the anssthesia extended as far
up a her elbow at least. SNOW" resum-
ed DR.. Hammond, ito prove whether
this will cure you for sure, / am going TO
put on another plate that will bring all
The feeling back to your hand and make
Il tender indeed"
Then, holding on rubber disk Tor
about minute, Dr. Hammond took up
the needle again. Each time that he
brought the point Of ii in contact with
her akin the girl WINGED and drew her
hand away. 81.
at works all right" said the doctor,
suppressing a smile, but now want to
put This plate on the back Of your neck
once before 90 any further. Now, the
effect Of putting my plate on the back Of
your neck will be 10 make the top oil
your head burn. Just as soon as you
feel the burning sensation let me know"
When the plate. Of hard rubber had
been held 10 her neck about minute the
girl said the top Of her head was getting
hot. The disk was held on about bali q
minute longer and when It was removed
the girl's face was finished and the tips oil
her ears were as red as burning Goals.
Aaimilar experiment was tried on 4
large, strong, middle.aged woman, who
had came 10 be treated for paralysis
Holding u rubber disk TO the womans
forehead, DR.. Hammond said, VI want
TO see whether you can be cured by the
new medical treatment. will hold this
plate to your forehead and the first sensa'
lion You feel you must tell me-"
aDon't you feel any change 2" asked
DR.. Hammond, when he had been hold,
ing the disk on the woman'A forehead
about minute,
"No, sir, twas the reply. :,
Still another minute the disk was held
In the same place without effect. SIS II
possible that you don't feel any change
Don't you feal any pain f'Iaid the doctor
The woman shook her head.
aDon't you feel somethingP said the
doctor, placing his hand on the left side
OF the Woman'S head.
aNo, sir" was the reply.
Half minute later she said, Now
feel something"
aWell, what il itin
IA kind OF shooting.pain through
here" said the woman, putting her hant
on her head Just where DR.. Hammond
had placed his, and before another min
ute had elapsed the pain was so grea
that she could not bear It. /.
DR.. Hammond says that in an expert
ment he even deprived patient Of BIZ
eyesipht and restored 1t agaiu In the
same way merely by suggestion. An!
physician who chooses 10 practice th'
metal cure, he said, could just As well I'll
his case with chips, or bits OF chalk o.
leather a 10 20 to The expense Of fillinl
| Il with the more expensive metallic disks
"The power Of the mind over matter
as II Is called, Is very curious" he said
a We have been 10 the habit Of CALM
thoae Who practice according to this u
ory uuaeks and humbugs. Bat that ]
NOT right. They do what they claim :!
do;in the majority Of cases. All that
have done 10 to demonstrate that the 20
tency does not exist In the operator o.
his metallic disks, but rather In the mint
I Of the person operated onafter receiving
the suggestion from the operator. Iol
remember how people used TO ridieul
thoSe pretended doctors who practices
ShAt wa called the power cure. The.
would tell q man TO hold up hiI arm, 10