The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-06
MAGNETS.
Patients Cured of Real and Fancled Ailments
by Imagination.

by Imagination.
Philadelphia Press.
We've just got in a fresh stock Of wooden
magnets" said the head of a large firm Of manu-
faeturers Of surgeons instruments yesterday.
"We sell about three a year. Our last consign-
ment was six. This time we have twelve, and
they will last a long while. Look at them. They
are made of wood and painted red. The little
bits of metal at the cad are intended to give the
patient the idea that the whole thing is genuine"
DIR. George c. Harlan, surgeon to the Wills
Ophthaimic Hospital, in the current lumber of
the Medical News, reports a curious case show
ing the great influence Of tho mind upon the
body, and the beneficial effect of a wooden mag
net upon both. A young Philadelphia woman,
Lizzie d. by name, applied at the Polyclinic,
Thirteenth and Locust streets, for relief from o
disease of the tonsils. She was treated by DR..
Soils Cohen. Her disorder was attended with
hysteria, and, like, all hysterical people, the
idea of being doctored filled her with de-
light. Shortly after her initiation the
nervous symptoms became more and more
marked, and she was transformed to the care
of DR.. Mills, the well-knOwn neurologist. Five
or six weeks previously she had had pleuro-pneu-
monia, and after that paralysis attacked the
arms. This was cured, but the disease mani
tested itself in the legs and feet. Besides this
there was a numb feeling in the lower part of
the body and twitching on the right side of the
face, similar to that seen in st. Vituss dance.
DIR. Cohen applied a Charcot magnet in front
OF the ear. To his a~mazemeut the spasrns on
on the side Of the face touched by tho magnet
were greatly fessened in frequency and extent.
1t was evident that the cure was the result Of
imagination. After that she was attacked
with eye troubles At first there was no
defect other than headache, after the
prolonged use of the eyes, and some
short sightedness, but at length the right eye
became, apparently. entirely blind, and muscular
spasms of the most violent character disturbed
not only the eye, but the face and neck. She
was sent to the eye hospital and treated by DIR.
Hn---II Hk-- - 49, ENb.,
cot magnet, that had proved so efficacious in the
hands of DIR. Cohen, was applied to the defect
i've vision, and with the most astonishing result.
After many applications, it occurred to DR..
Harlan that it world be a good idea to try the
effect OF un,nagnetized iron OF the same form
and appearance of the magnet A wooden
magnet" was procured with iron tips, to give
the metallic impression upon the skin. 1t was
placed in the drawer where the original
Chareot implement had been kept, and
the patient was thoroughly ignorant of
it's character. Before it was applied it was
noted that the pupil of the right eye was widely
dilated, as in disease. and was perfectly rigid
when exposed to a bright light There was
twitchirg of the muscles of the right side of the
face.
The application of the wooden magnet had a
wonderful effect. As much more parade was
made over it than had been made over tho real
magnet, it was a great deal more successful than
the latter had been. Shortly after the painted
wood was applied with so much seriousness to
her head the twitcAing of the muscles stopped
and the face assumed its normal appearance.
Gradually the pupil of the right eye became of
the same size as the other and freely responsive
to light. The wooden magnet had triumphed.
1t had accomplished. by influencing the patients
imagination, a perfect cure.
Dr.. Cohen a short time ago had a case where
the wooden magnet proved its efficacy, and that
gentleman now claims n place for it in general
surgery. A patient of his fell down and thought
she dislocated her elbow joint. She was treated
for that by a practitioner called in the emergen-
cy, ana he discharged her with y stiff arm, which
he said he was unable to straighten. DR.. Cohen
examined the arm and found no dislocation at
all. He asked her to report to the surgical de-
partment of the Polytechnic for verifcation of his
opinion. She called there and DIR. Steinbach
noted extreme spasm of the bieeps. the tendons
standing out like whip-cords. DR.. Cohen ap-
piled a wooden magnet and the spasm relaxed at
once.