The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-19
AFRENCH CURE.ALL.
Marvellous Manifestations OF Fomale
Empyrlc.

Seeing the crowds which Aocked arount
the carriage of the French doctress yes
terday afternoon, in the rain and through
the mud, the Chronicle was moved to sur
mise wha! could be the cause of the sue
cess of the dramatic little woman, wit
was introduced some ten days ago a
"Rhea on Wheels" The first afternoon
of her appearance, when she proflerec
her services to those having teeth they
wished extracted, the bystanders were
surprised at the number of patients who
took their places in the carriage. Blu
when, after ten days, the stream of bad
toothed mortals is undiminished, and the
seat in the carriage is no sooner vacated
by one person than another is ready tc
occupy it, surprise broadens into aston.
ishment. Verify, if our dentists are
having a dull season, it is not because OF
lack of material. but rather because j,
is not worked. If all the teeth that have
been pulled in Augusta in the last ten
days were collected they would make a
very respectable show in a peck measure
But not alone to th.pulling has the
field of her operations been confined
She has made the deaf to hear and the
lame to walk. Negroes are naturally
credulous aud superslitious, and there is
just enough of the mysterious in the for
eign tongue, gaudy dress and lightning
methods of the French doctress to inspire
them with the belief that she is possessed
of some strange power. Certain it is
they flock about her carriage day after
day, and the street is lined with patients
an hour before she appears. But all her
patients are not negroes. Many white
persons have occupied the seat in her
carriage and the best known people in
Augusta are daily seen in her audience.
She is the subject of countless rum0rs,
and taken altogether is a remarkable
woman. The negroes say she was paid
fabulous sums by the dentists and physi.
clans of different cities to leave them,
and some Of the cures that are ascribed
to her seem little less than miraculous.
1t is said by reliable parties now in
Augusta, that she was in Baltimore for
FIVE or six weeks and the crowds were as
large the last day as the first. And after
the first few days special body OF police.
men were detailed each day to preserve
order aud prevent blockade of the
streets by the immense crowds that focked
around her carriage. In Augusta it is
claimed she has performed some wonder.
full cures. Persons who have been deaf
for years, it is claimed. have regained
their hearing under her treatment, and q
we'll known party who has hobbled about
town on cruches for a year or two, after
a few moments of rubbing by the French
enchantress, sprang unaided from the
carriage and throwing his crutches over
his shoulder, went on his way rejoicing,
followed by an astonished multitude.
Such things as these are recounted
with picturesque embellishments and the
negroes are prepared to believe almost
anything can be done by the voluble lit
tie Frenchwoman.
Now, no more fortunate state of mind
could possibly exist for the success of her
treatment. It is we'll established prin-
ciple that fixed conviction of the mind
has an immediate effect upon the body.
1t has been demonstrated that man who
is perfectly well, if met by half dozen
different parties with EXPLANATIONS OF
surprise at his strange appearance and
inquiries if he is not very sick, will in q
few moments be convinced chat be is un-
we'll and in reality will become sick. A
man condemned to die has been told that
be would be blcd to death, then blind.
folded and slight scratch made upon
his arm to give him the impression that
he had been cut; then warm water was
allowed to trickle down his arm into a
vessel SO that he could feel and hear it,
and in a short time he was dead--purely
through the firm conviction of his mind
that he was bleeding to death, when as a
matter of fact he had not lost drop of
blood. Many instances of this kind
could be given. Aud the converse is
equally sure-peope who were sick have
been cured purely by the action of the
mind. One old woman, who was lhor.
oughly convinced of the power of a GER
tain physician to cure her, when given a
bottle of some propagation and told to
rub with it, carried it''home and rubbed
with the bottle and was cured. Another
old lady when given plaster, with di-
rections 10 put it on her chest, took it
home and applied to the wooden box or
"chest" in which she kept her clothes
and experienced immediate relief. These
examples are numerous, and are the di.
rect effect of the mind upon the body.
There certainly could be no efficiency in
rubbing with bottle or in applying a
plaster to a wooden box, YET these women
believed firmly that the prescription ii
followed out would cure them and thought
they had carried it out.
Now, are not the cures by the French
doctress on the same principle? Then
people 20 there with the firm conviction
that she can cure them. She tells them
she is going to cure them. She applies
her Chinese balsam, and in an instant
they are cured. Is this the effect of the
Chinese balsam or the result Of the action
of the mind? Would not an 'applica-
ton Of pure water, or lard, or sand, or
any other substance, under the same con-
ditions, produce the same effect? In
other words, is this faith cure, or is it
true that an application of Chinese bal.
sam for FIVE minutes can cure man OF
years of lameness or deafness? AS to
the tooth pulling, there is nothing in that
but skill from long practice and increased
power obtained by the use of improved
| instruments. The idea that there is no
pain attached to it is pleasing theory
which many of the victims will not bear
out. In fact, not only pain, but injury,
has resulted to some of her patients, aud
it is said several of the dentists have
been called upon to remove teeth which
she had broken off with her powerful in
struments. But whatever may be the
merits of her claims, she can certainly
lift molar with wonderful dexterity
she has surely performed some remark
able cures she unquestionably has ex.
cited the curiosity of the public; she
uumstakahly has the fullest confidence
of the negroes in her ability to cure; she
draws bigger crowd each day, and she
is selling Chinese balsam in sufficient
rrI;o,o tIo o,,ro of