Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-07-05

Power Of Imagination.

Power Of Imagination.
| DR.. Sequard Brown, in recent lee
ture on the nerves. made some remark
able statements concerning the inf1uenc
of the mind on the body.
Du Cros, French phosiologist, tell
of trial made in a hospital by nurs
who went around and gave all the pa
| tients very harmless kind of medicine
and then told them that she was sorry
that she had by mistake given them al
very powerful emetics. Out of ont
hundred patients. eighty were affected
as If they had taken the most violen
emetic and vomited for long time.
This we see on very large scale or
shipboard every summer. 1 have NJ
doubt whatever that sea-sickness is in 8
great measure due to that, and if you
could go on board of steamer with the
idea that you would not vOmit, I an
well satisfied, from experiments have
made, that yen would escape great
deal of sea-sickness, if you did not es'
cape altogether. One fact / recall il
very interesting. A person had crossed,
on one occasion, small bay when il
was very rough. There was q man
playing the violin on the boat. The
person refer 20 wag terribly sea-sick
and vomited agreat deal. He had not,
of course made up his mind that he
would not be sick. However, the point
Is that after that he could never hear a
violin without vomiting.
To pass to something more serious :
You have all heard of what Is called
the stigna0t0-marks representing the
wounds on the limbs of Christ. Those
marks have appeared in persons who
have dreamed or imagined that they
were crucified 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 is no doubt that he had the mark
as clear as possible. If you compare
with this fact one that is related by DR..
Carter you will have the explanation of
it. DR.. Carter says that while mother
was looking at her child, who was
standing at window with the fingers
on the border of the window just under
:he lifted SASH she saw the sash come
down with great force on the three fin
gers of the poor child. The mother re-
manned unable to move, feeling imme.
0AoUoAy q R0AA Al LILO UA4OO AA6OAo aU
the very place where the child had been
injured. Her fingers swelIed, and effu-
sion of blood took place and liberation
followed, and she was a long time in
being cured. If In the case of this
mother the imagination could produce
such results. you will see in the case of
the stigmata the Imagination may have
been equally powerful.
shall be obliged to pass over good
many facts and come to the miracles of
La Salette and to the miracles accom-
plished at the tomb of Father Mathew,
and also what has been said of great
many other instances of recovery from
Illness. can not but believe that there
is no need of appealing to any other
power than what we know of imagina-
ton for the explanation of what takes
place in those miracles. They are
very curious, but hardly more curious
than what we see when we know with
out doubt that Imagination is the
cause of such change. The cure of
any illness which does not consist in
any disorganization Of the tissues can
often be accomplished when the person
thinks that itscan be done. If we ply
sicians, who treat patients every day,
had the power to make them believe
that they are to be cured, we certainly
would obtain less fees than we do, and
I must say the best of US would rejoice
at it. There is no donbt at all that if
we could give to patients the idea that
they are to be cured they would often
be cured, especially if we could name a
times for it, which is great element in
success. have succeeded In this way
sometime, and mayaay that I succeed
more now than formerly, because have
myself the faith that I can in giving
faith obtain cure. I wish, indeed, that
physicians 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 af-
fection only to deal with, as it is partic-
ularly, though not only, in these cases
that cure may be obtained. Indeed, q
cure may thus be obtained in certain
organic affections; even in dropsy it
may lead to cure. You know that 1t
will stop pain; that going to a dentist
is often quite enough to make toOthe-
ache disappear. I have seen patients
come to me with a terrible neuralgia,
who dreaded the operation I was about
to perform. and, just at the time was
to undertake. IT, ceased tn auffnr