Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-22
THE INFLUENCE OF THE MIND UPON
THE BODY.


all but comparatively few are aware OF
the extent to which this influence may be
carried. We have already, IN comment
ing upon recent singular cure through
Imagination, made some remarks upon
this subject, but it is so full OF interest
that we may be excused for recurring to
it. 1t is indeed not an exaggeration to say
that the Imagination is capable OF affecting
the body to the extent of destroying life,
and this in such way that no examina-
ton after death will reveal any lesion
OF vital organs. Among the men who IN
habit some of the islands OF the Pacific
are people who believe it possible to wish
one another to death; and who, in fact,
have made it possible. Among these
curious savages, when one thinks he has
been made the object of such murderous
wish, he will retire to his home, arrange
his affairs lie down, and in two or three
hours will die, for no other reason than
because he believes that he has to die. This
is the fullest coz ceivable power of the mind
over the body, but however staggering 1t
may be there is no doubt as to the facts.
And yet, though the causing of death with
out any decay of the organs, or ally dis
ease, is almost incomprehensible, it is per-
haps not more marvellous than the altera-
ton OF tissue caused in the same way. a
very remarkable story of this kind Is noted
BY DR.. luke, who vouches for the facts
as having come within his personal obser-
walton. "a lady was walking by public
" institution where she saw a child, IN
whom she was particularly interested,
coming out through an iron gate. She
90 saw that he let go the gate after opening
"it, and that it seemed likely to close
upon him, and concluded that it would
do so with such fierce as to crush his
g." ankle however, this did not happen.
But as she watched, expecting the acct
dent, she was conscious of an intense pain
in her own ankle, corresponding to the one
which she thought the boy would have i'm
agined. She could scarcely walk home, and
when she took off her stocking she says: II
found circle round the ankle, as if it had
"been painted with red-currant juice,
with large spot of the same on the
"outer part By morning the whole foot
"was inhamed, and l was confined
to my bed for many days" Here, then,
was evidently so powerful an influence
exerted as to produce in the tissues precisely
the same effect as a severe bruse would
have done.
The Imagination may play queer tricks
with us. Instance the case of the butcher,
who, while hanging a quarter of beef on a
high hook, slipped from step.ladder, and
was caught under the arm by the hook.
This poor fellow suffered the most excrucl-
ating pain. His screams were agonizing
while he hung suspended from the hook
When lifted off it he became almost pulse
less, cold at the extremities, livid, and
collapsed. Yet when his clothes were
opened to get at the dreadful wound it was
found that the hook had not entered his
body at all, having caught in his clothing.
This case serves to show that it is possible
for the Imagination to produce on the body
the general effects of severe injuries, and
it is evident conversely that the same
agency may by diverting the attention
enable the body to endure great injuries
without serious discomfort. In fact ex-
perience warrants the conclusion that what
we firmly and absolutely believe is to US
that which is. We can thus very literally
create our own conditions, and what is more
we may often create and regulate the con-
ditions of others. When the Russian con.
victs condemned to death were told that
they were to be put to sleep in beds which
had been occupied by cholera patients, it
proved precisely the same to them as
though this had been true, though it was
not true. No cholera patients had really
died in the beds, and yet every convict
who slept in them died of cholera. What
shall we say to the abundant examples of
the influence of Imagination in the cure OF
diseases Skeptics laugh at the stories of
the wonderful effects of the relics of saints,
but the skeptics are mistaken, for it is very
certain that the sanity relics have acted
as the leverage by which the Imagination
acts.
One of the most curious cases on record
OF this kind is that of Sir Humphrey
Davy's cure of paralysis, which is told as
follows by DR.. Paris: Early in life he
"was assisting DIR. Beddoes in his expert
"ments on the exhibition of nitrous oxide.
CDR. Beddoes having inferred that this
"oxide must be specific for palsy, a
patient was selected for trial, and placed
under the care OF Davy. Before admin
"istering the gas, Davy inserted small
thermometer under the tongue of the
patient, to ascertain the temperature.
1.-THE paralytic man, wholly ignorant of the
process to which he was to submit, but
deeply impressed by DR.. Beddoes with
b" the certainty of its success, no sooner
/" felt the thermometer between his teeth
ethan he concluded the talisman was in
operation, and in a loud burst of enthu-
"siasm declared that he already felt its
benign influence throughout his whole
"body. The opportunity was too tempt
(" ing to be lost. Davy did nothing more,
"but desired his patient to return on the
" following day. The same ceremony was
repeated the same result followed; and
" at the end of fortnight he was dis.
"missed cured, no remedy of any kind ex-
"cept the thermometer having ever been
used" This was clearly case of cure
by Imagination, like that recorded at Erie,
n Il