Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-07-08
Mind in Medical Science.

From the New York Tribune.
The Boston ''mind' and "faith" cures have
caused an uncommon sensation in England of
late. Even the stately Loudon Times has de-
voted one of its long and dignifed leaders to
the subject, and the London press generally has
delivered sort of file fire. What puzzles our
TRANSATLANTIC cousins most is the apparent
reality OF many of the cures recorded, and they
manifest surprise over this which justfies the
inference that few graduates in medicine find
their way into journalism in England. Yet it is
true that even medical men often talk as though
In their special education they had never been
taught to understand the coordination of MEM
tai with physical processes. In criticising such
movements as the Boston mind cure they too
commonly revert to the theories of our grand
mothers, forgetting the new light which mod
ern science has shed upon all such problems
Every successful doctor as matter of course
ayails himself of the influence of the mind
over the body in his practice. He does it
habitually with all his nervous and hypochon-
driacai patients. He soothes them, he pro-
duces marked physical effects through the
medium OF negative medicaments, he knows
that he can rely confidently upon the operation
OF such subterfuges; and yet he can think of
nothing but folly to explain the mind cure
1t shows how backward the study of practical
psychology is when so much wonder is exhibited
at the phenomena of mind and faith cures Not
only has psychology been neglected, indeed, but
the history of medical science must also have
been studied to little purpose when such gen.
eral unfamiliarity with what ought to be con-
sidered fundamental principles Is shown. 1t is
perhaps 10 no way surprising that IMPRESSIONS
venerable truths should jump to all kinds of
odd and fantastic conclusions; but medical men
ought to know better and it is not a little sim
guiar that so far as we are aware, none of them
have taken the trouble to point out the entire
simplicity Of phenomena which are Just now
being tortured into all manner of transcenden-
tai and metaphysical shapes, to the perplexity
of the public and to the mischievous increase
OF the modern and too fashionable malady,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. There Is really nothing
new in the proposition that under certain cir
cumstances the body will obey the will even to
the extent of undergoing molecular changes
The possibility of this has been proved in too
the fact is not correlated with any supernatural
strate. ~
DR.. Carpenter has shown what can be accom-
pushed by "expectant attention." but he has
not gone so far as he might have done. Expect
ant attention will do great deal, but 1t often
happens that physical changes are set In mo-
ton by the operation of an external will. What
this shows Is that mind Is a force to be reckoned
with In III curative processes. The general
principle fs old as the hills. All that is new
liar about that is immaterial The mind-curer
may figure Is the Witch of Endor or as the rep
resentative Of the Logos, and the result viii be
the same SO long as the patient Is passive and
recipient. The PrOtean force which in different
periods has posed as magic, mesmerism. hyp1
notism, eiectro-biology, the psychic force and a
score OF other metamorphOses Is really mind
force. which plays so Important part in every
phase Of existence. Whether mind is mani
feStatiOn Of matter or of spirit signifies nothing
In relation to this question. In either case we
perfectly human and natural process, which
calls for no Mysteries, justif1es transcendent-
alism, and should excite no wonder. 1t is q pity
That so much mystery has been thrown over
this subject, for weak-minded people and those
who are always yearning after some new thing
appear TO have been almost thrown off their
seemed miraculous only because they were not
understood.