The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-09-01
Doctors and Patients.

Why are the doctors never sick
This is pertinent question; for, in pro
portion to the amount Of their exposure
to disease, their illnesses are infinitesi
| mally few as compared with those q
other people. They go out in al
weathers, take little medicine. worl
hard. sleep ittle-in fact do everything
they ADVISE their patients not to do
Why, then, are they not sick? The rea
reason, though they may not admit it
probably is that they are not afraid Of
becoming sick. We all remember the
old story in the school reader of the
man who, though in perfect health, was
made violently i'll by being told that he
looked i'll. The Imagination has DOW.
erful influence on the human BODY.
One can very easily imagine himself to
be catching cold, and will really catch
cold at the sight of an open window.
when if he did not know the window
was open, or was not afraid of its effect,
ne would escape the cold.
Again. many times the taking of con-
tagious diseases can be avoided by not
fearing them Napoleon went amono
his diseased troops and came out un.
harmed, because he was not afraid of
the contagion. Had ne trembled and
said. '.Now, / know am catching this
disease, as the majority of people say
or think when contagion is in their
midst, he would have placed his system
in the proper state to receive the dis
ease.
Many doctors understand this treat
ment and profit by it, but few of them
impart it to their patients. If one
should ask them why they give their
patients different advice from that which
they follow themselves, they might saw
that by so doing they would lose ali
their practice. One might then saw
that although this would probably be
true. yet it would not be greatly de-
plored except by the physicians them
selves, for the world could get along
very well with fewer patients and fewer
doctors. But then they would answer
that this is not what they mean. They
mean that, if they should give such adj
vice as they themselves follow, their
patients would dismiss them and en-
ploy other doctors; and this, alasi is
probably true, though it does not ex-
cuse the doctors.
Many people, especially women, are
fond OF being I'LL and taking medicine.
They would be angry if a physician
should say to them !. Nothing ais YOU.
madam, if You viii only think So" They
prefer to think themselves sick, and in
time they really become SO, for Nature.
though she struggles hard, cannotst stand
everything. Too many drugs will
finally destroy her healing power. These
people love to have little box of white
pills in. bottles and little book. all
kept in some handy place, SO that when
a friend who has eaten too much dinner
says, 20, ! am fearfully nervous!' they
may run for the little book, look for
nervousness, and administer so MANY
pills OF byronia- When they have q
headache, instead of dieting or eatino
more moderately, they take several
drops OF some nice poison. Their chill
dren catch slight cold and are imrne-
diately shut up In a close room and
1osed with aconite and belladouna. in
The meanwhile taking their usual nour-
shment OF minee-pie, doughnuts, etc.
The doctor comes, smiles, leaves more
irops of aconite and befladonna in q
sumbler, and, after a while Nature he
ng benefcent, the children get well.
Such people as these must and will
nave doctor for every little ailment,
md, since 8 the doctor must live.p thew
20 on giving poisons and drugs, when |
n most cases people could be kept in |
rood health by fresh air. exercise, and,
'bove al. BY Drawing the weather and |
laving no fear of sickness or of taking |
old.
Happy the patient who has the med
cal aid Of such physician as the old |
loctor who, in all such cases, used the /
nfallible remedy of brown bread pills.
.hese can do no harm. and they assist
pc imagination. Boston Iranscrspt.g
s