St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-24
MTND-CURE CRAZE.

The GLOBES Boston correspondent gives
an interesting account this morning of the
absurd and peculiar craze known as the
''mind cure" which is now having its run
in some of the Eastern cities. In course of
time this mental science cure will
run its course in the East and following
the star of empire viii work its course
westward. In order that our people may
be prepared for its invasion, they would do
well to study the essential features of a
craze which has such a numerous following
in the East, and whose missionaries are sure
to be down on US within the next few
months. Ever since the Savior of men
announced that grain of faith the size of
mustard seed would be sufficient to remove
mountains, all sorts of people have been en-
gaging in all sorts of perversions of the
faith principle to uses for which it never
was designed and has no sort of application.
This new fashionable delusion, which the
Bostonian literati dignity as a mental
science, is only temperance of the old
perversion in a new form. That
its duration is bound to be tenn
porary is conclusive from the fact
that the first principle of the new science is
an entire suspension of common sense.
The patient is told in authoritative tone at
the outset that his or her disease does not
exist; that no such thing as disease can
exist in the universe ruled by Almighty
Goodness therefore it does not exist. She
it is generally a she patients COM
manded to believe that her disease and pain
l. Of cxuhi 0l, of
the mute bidding of the sorcerer. In nine
cases out of ten the disease is only mag
mary, the result of an empty life, disap-
pointed love, or something that produces
dependency in the feminine nature. And
thus it is that by magnetic force, which is
one of the commonest retaining influences,
soothes the nervous symptoms for time,
and the patient mistakes the soothing of
the magnetic presence for radical cure.
Educated and conscientious physicians tell
of cases of invalids who are really afflicted
with serious disease where cure by legiti-
mate medical treatment has been made i'm
possible by the jngglery of faith cures and
mind healers.
Themain trouble with this new metaphys-
icalcraft is the opportunity it gives, not only
for the practice of quacllery and a. hypo-
critical profession of religious faith, but the
immoral influences, which are SO insidiously
welded that the victim does not suspect
their presence until it is too late. 1t fur
nishes a profession for shoals of adventur-
esses, beginning with the robust, gray
haired, well-costumed woman of middle
age, who proves the most dangerous of
domestic syrens, the smooth, cheeky and
tonguey doctors who are noticed out of the
medical profession because they have never
been read in, ending with the sharp young
women, who can't succeed at music teach
ing. concert giving or copying. but pres
entlv rustic around in silk dresses
as mind heaters with credulous old gentle
men for patients. A. good deal OF private
detective work and espionage goes on under
the French bonnet and lace shawl of the
bland female. who charms away the dis
eases of unsuspeeting and credulous ner-.
yous sufferers. Were the men aud women
in Boston Of good social repute who have
taken the mind healers to the bosom of their