The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-12-18
AL " THEIR MIND.

Diseases which Exist Only In Their
Frightened Victims Imagination.
Philadelphia Times
"This is singular case sure enough"
said young physician recently, "but
there are great many diseases which
exist only in the imaginations of their
supposed victims" The doctor had
been reading the story of a man who
thought himself victim of heart di
sease until his physician discovered
that the "creaking sound" of which he
complained whenever he took . deeI
breath, was caused by . little pulley
wheel on pair of patent suspenders
which he wore. The doctor laughed
and laid down his paper.
"This is the first case I over heard OF
where suspenders were to blame" SAID
he, ''but great deal of what passes TO,
heart disease is mild dyspepsia. Ner.
vousness is an aristocratic name for irri
liability and bad temper, and two third,
of the so-called malaria is nothing but
laz,ness. A fellow practitioner once
told me of an old lady he knew of ir
Newburyport. Mass. She kept her bed
for three years, and in spite of her ply
sician's assurances she believed herself
hopelcssly paralyzed. One night he,
grandson got up ghost to scare her,
and the old lady ran half . mile before
they could catch her.
The longer an hallucination is in
dulged the more deeply rooted it be-
comes. In many cases it ultimately
developers into monomsnia or delusion-
al insanity. DR.. 8. Weir Mitchell per.
forms many of his most remarkable
cures of So called nervous diseases sim
ply by his wonderful success in per-
suading patients that nothing on earth
ails them. Few physicians have the
ability to do this, and still fewer have
the discretion to adopt course Of
treatment adapted to the mental pecu-
iarities of each particular case. Some
times persuasion is necessary, but fire.
quently little tonic combined with 8
good scolding produces the desired re-
suit.
''When delusion is harmless it is
often the best plan to humor it. A rela-
tive of mine, who was . clergyman,
lived for several years IN my family.
He firmly believed that he could no,
sleep after preaching on Sunday night
unless he was under the influence of an
opiate. Time and again I have seen
him doze off as soundly as q tired child
after teaspoonful of sweetened water,
which had prescribed as 'morphia.
Without this harmless little dose, how
vey, he would toss about res tlessly TO,
e0urs.
"The negroes indulge some very fun.
ny superstitions about diseases and thei,
cures. One of the things of which the,
have peculiar horror is the common
difficulty known as elongation of the
palate. When 1 was practicing as 8
newly Pledged student in Virginia an OLD
negress called on me one evening. He,
hair was pulled back from her forehead
and knotted with cord in tight buncl
on the crown of her head. She wa
evidently suffering from a bad cold.
"Mars' doctor, she said, Use afrait
I'se got fallin' Oh de palate. Use done
tied up my har' as hard as I can, but i
don't pear to make it no better, an :.
'spects mebby I need some pills.
II examined her throat and found
nothing the matter but slight indamma.
ton. l don't think you need any pills,
auntie.' said L If you can only get
your hair tied up little closer for day
or two have no doubt your palate will
shorten up all right She came in
again in 4 few days and told me she was
much better, but her ole man had tied
her hair go hard that she had to sleep
with her eyes open, cause she couldn't
even make q wink"