The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-14
THE IMAGINATION,
Some of the Parts 1t Playes in Matters
Involving Life and Death.

procure medical treatment who are not
sick?''
"Of course they do. There's nothing
the matter with half the so-called in
valids. l always kept a big batch of
bread pills made up for that class of pa
tients. Many a one I've got out of bed
with that sham medicine, and they
thought me man of profound learning
and skill."s
They just imagined they were sick?n
'Certainly! A woman is the contra
riest of Gods creatures. If she make:
up her mind she's sick, you can't talk
her out of it, You must administer
something. | had one call me years ago
that lay in bed for nine months, and she
was as well as am. On a certain day
there was one of these circus and ami,
nal show combinations passing. | had
an inspiration that beat any compound
my skill could produce. | hired the
manager to let tame bear out of the
cage ard we all set up hue and cry,
the children went for the woods, and
that woman took after them without
even stopping to make toilet. There
was nothing under the heavens the mat
ter with her, and when her husband
came to settle thought for while he d
boot her all over the farm.
Ever have any other case of the i'm
agination9'
''Lots of them. A big hullling fellow
about ten miles from the town | was
practicing in got the idea that he was
going to die at just eleven O clock in
the forenoon of certain day. About
nine o'clock Il messenger came for me.
| hurried out. When | got there the
crank had fifteen minutes to live ac-
cording to his calculations. He did
look like man on the verge of eternity.
His eyes We're dim and sunken, his face
had that peculiar pallor which heralds
the near approach of death, and his
breathing was very labored. The family
were gathered around and weeping as
they took Il final leave. Something had
to be done quick. There was a smart
looking woman there and called her
aside Pointing to the clock on the
mantelpece which the patient was
watching, | said: When | have his
attention turn that ahead Then |
NION'hCNi IIllO Illt ISlillllN 0lOUiJ. IuStltu
them into the next room, sat down on
the edge of the bed and began telling
that fellow one of the most horrible
murder stories you ever heard. located
it right in the town where he knew
everybody, named the woman killed,
went into blood-curdling details and so
completely interested the man that he
forgot about his eleven o clock appoint
ment. When | gave him q chance to
look again it was twenty minutes TO
twelve, and he was actually mad for Il
time claiming that he had been trickad.
He finally got to laughing and we all
took dinner together. The next day he
whipped two men at barn raising for
INVITING him about the programme OF
death that miscarried."
wasn't there anything the matter
with him."
Not a thing except what he mag
ined. He was sound as a bullet, but if
| had not adopted that ruse he would
have gone over to the majority at eleven
o'clock"
'Doesn' t imagination sometimes cure
people who are really ill?o
10 be sure it does. Imagination has
a strange and unaccountable power. |
had a funny incident that answers your
inquiry. There was Il giddy Young
widow called at my Office one day She
was a hite-tity creature. Talked all the
time she was awake, you know. and had
as much laugh as she had talk. She
wasn't very clipper when she came,
however. She was on crutches and ac-
companied by q SOLICITORS companion
who was brim full of sympathy The
invalid had Il knee badly swollen from
rheumatism and wanted to know if L
could administer electricity, which
always helped her. | soon had battery
in shape. The sympathetic friend
placed one connection at the invalid's
knee. which appeared angrily in
ton in my left hand so as to
complete the circuit by touching the
patient with my right. | drew my fling
erS across the back of her neck and of
course she INDUCED in few little
screams and some hysterical conversa-
ton. doctor, that's strange sensa-
ton. Ouch. haven't | got about
enough? My knee feels great deal
better. Don't fill me up with that cleo
tricity. There now you must Just quit,
I've got a whole streak o lightning in
me now and | knew it was all needed"
The pretty widow walked out to her
carriage without a limp, and had no
trouble in being the belle of all balls for
the balance of the season. | had no.
ticed a waggish student of mine in the
next room stuiling handkerchefs in his
mouth, writing with suppressed laugh
ter, winking at me on the sly and in
dulging i'll can-can whenever visible to
me alone.
"'What in the thunder are YOU max
ing such fool of yourself about, | en-
CURED when the ladies had departed.
He roared away and pointing to the
battery said: You might have killed
that handsome creature by an over
charge OF electricity looked and
ioi?ed in the hilarity. | had neglected
to hitch on to the battery and the wild
ow's vivid imagination had supplied the
currents which wrought SO sudden a
cure. "-Dctr0t Post.
A necktie and apron competition
look place at the Casino skating rink
Friday week, and created much amuse-
ment. Nerkties and aprons of every