The Portland daily press., 1883-11-17
The Power of Faith

One day few weeks ago partridge few
into tue woodshed of Mr.. Lafayette Cook,
of Lewiston, and. after circling sevsral times
around the head of Mr.. Cook, flew out of
the door in the direction of neighboring
grave yard. Mr. Cook, who was of super
stilious turn OF mind and firm believer In
omens, was greatly affected by the birds
conduct and disclosed to his relations his
conviction that it foreboded impending
death and designated himself as the victim
Soon after he went into something which is
described as trance" and VIXEN he awoke
announced that he should die on a certain
day two weeks distant. So firmly did the
notion seize upon his mind that when the
day arrived, although meanwhile there had
| been no apparent decline in his physical
condition, he made preparations for the
event which he believed to be impending
When these had been completed he lay down
upon lounge, calmly remarking that he
should never rise from 1t again. His pre-
dic'iop was verified, for he soon became
unconscious and in a few hours was dead.
Mr. Cook was an aged. man of weak vitality,
but he was in fair health and no physical
disease was present of sufficient gravity to
account for his death. The case is I'M
doubleday a striking illustration of the pow
er of mental emotion. Had not the convict
ion that be was to die ON certain day seized
upon Mr.. Cooks mind he would probably
be alive to-day. But his physical organism
was not strong enough to successfully resist
the depressing influence of his mental pro-
cesses. The case is not an unprecedented
one although instances Of this kind are
rare.
Our purpose in abiding to 1t is to point out
how closely allied the process by which death
was produced in this instance is with that
by which the reverse-health and strength
is produced in what are popularity termed
faith cures" The apostle of the faith cure
makes use of the same power in restoring
his patients to health as that which was in
strumental in causing Mr.. Cooks death.
In both cases the power is firm belief and
nothing more. The partridge eircIing
around Mr. Cooks head and then fying
away to the grave yard inspired him with a
firm conviction that he was to speedily die,
and this conviction depressed his enfeebled
vital forces to a point from which they
could not rally. The faith doctor inspires
his patient with the belief that he is to be
speedily restored to health, and the exalta-
tion of the mind which follows lifts the body
up with it. But neither of these results
are of miraculous origin. They are
mysterious, but in accordance with
natural laws, although tie operation of those
laws is not understood. Our quarrel with
the faith doctor is not because he does not
SA< N.iS,. a.s1 Slaallls, qua because
he ascr.bes them to a supernatural and mira
culous special Intervention of the Deity. The
agency which he makes use of is one the
value of which is recognized by every intel
ligent member of the medical profession. 1t
is the power of the mind over the body, and
it can be rendered just as effective in retard-
ing recovery as in accelerating it. As long
as the faith doctor attributes his cures to the
power of faith he is making no claims which
are beyond reason, but when he goes
further and ascribes to them miraculous
origin, he is as wide of the mark as one
would be who attributed Mr.. Cooks
death to miracle wrought by the partridge
which few into his woodshed.