Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-04
TEE pH11osopHY OF TEE m1RAcuLous.

81 SdllSQ lillldClCo VI Uidu6 ny tic
Rev. DR.. Tying, of New York. The OBJ
vious fact that in the case of Dr. Tying the
conviction that the Lourdes phenomena
are genuine rests upon ignorance of the
physiology of the subject suggests the
propriety of attempting to estimate the
scope and extent of that credulity which
continues to render such exhibitions of in
tellectual obtuseness possible. There is
reason to believe that many if not all the
historians who have dealt with human
superstition have hitherto failed to appre-
bend its full significance, because they too
have been ignorant of the extent of the
power which the mind exercises over the
body; in other words, the power Of the
mind to realize even the most extravagant
conceptions, and to translate folly into
fact. Whoever, wanting this knowledge
of the physiology of superstition, ap-
proaches the study OF human cred
ulity, is sure to lose his labor, and
to reach conclusions which are alike
fallacious and perplexing. When we
speak of credulity we must not deceive
ourselves with the idea that the mental
capacity Of our ancestors was very much
inferior to that of the present generation.
1t is not SO much that the men of the dark
ages believed things in defiance of reason,
as that they by their ignorance of science
actually created evidence which seemed to
warrant their superstitious beliefs. We
can illustrate our reasoning more clearly
by reference to existing superstitions
among certain savages. On the west coast
of Africa there are negro tribes who are so
convinced of the power OF their Obeahs or
medicine men that they believe it possible
to charm people to death and so effective
is their faith that if native Of one of
these tribes believes himself to have been
so charmed, he will forthwith lie down,
and die in few hours, without any dis
ease or ailment whatever, and from no
other cause but the overmastering appre-
hension of superstition. This shows how
far the influence of the mind over the body
may extend, even at the present day, and
| this also serves to illustrate the causes of
the apparently dense credulity of our
ancestors. It is impossible to understand
the witch. mania without bearing this
consideration constantly in mind. In that
epidemic of fear and extravaganza there
was a certain stratum of actual phe-
nomena which seemed to bear out the
accusations of Hopkins and his witch
finding gang. That is to say, people did
sometimes really suffer physical pain I'M
Ger the belief and because of the belief that
they had been charmed or cursed by
witches. Just as the African savage pines
away when he fancieS that the Obi man
has cast the fatal spell over him, so some
of our ancestors really pinned away when
they thought the witch or the wizard had
been comprising their destruction by SUI
pernatural means. And the same may be
said of all charms and COMPUTATIONS what
ever. Amulets and talismans have always
depended for their power upon the cred
ulity and ignorance of those who used
them. We laugh in these days when we
read that it used to be thought possible to
cure cough by fastening spider in a
hazel-nut shell, and hanging it round the
neck of the patient, and such fantastic
ize that when people were very simple
and Very confding it was actually
possible to cure diseases by such methods.
And these superstitions are not all
dead yet. A short time ago we read
in publication which affects superior
philosophy and intelligence, receipt for
the cure of the ague which consisted in
cutting the finger and toe nails of the pa
tient, putting the cuttings on a piece of
bread. and-butter, and giving the bread
and butter to a dog. 1t was gravely
stated that this had been tried with emf
HcnI SuCCCoS. anu do blG CdSC 10 d4lSBGQ W
have taken place among the ignorant peas
antry of Hindostan it is quite possible that
the cure actually occurred. Our ancestors
had very similar recipe for ague. They
supposed that by breaking sailed cake
of bran and giving it to dog, when the fit
came on, the malady would be transferred
from the patient to the animal. In other
days there can be no doubt that amulets
and charms did really produce certain eff
fects. Some of these effects were very en-
barrassing, as witness the curious proceed
ings had before the Judicial Congress of
France, in regard to the superstition known
as modifying, by which newly-married
couples were sometimes plagued out OF all
measure, and to which amusing reference
is made by Montaigne.
The truth is that the evidence of
the influence of the mind over the
body is very abundant, and that it may
be found almost everywhere. We all