The Red Cloud chief., 1885-06-19
FAITH CURES.
Mlmetic Maladics Amenahle to the CurA-
tive Influence Of Faith.

tive Influence Of Faith.
1t Is not u purpose to deny. or ven
question. the verify Of cures '.by faith"
The mind 50 acts ON the body. and
the brain plays SO important a part in
the nervous system. by which the whole
organism is energized and controlled
both in regard to its functions and nu-
triton. that it is not only quite posi-
bic. but an absolute tact, that many
maladies which are not so far advanced
rs to be dependent upon changes in
structure. or ''Organic Diseases may be
remcdied by or through the agency Of
the mind. We will even 60 SO far rs to
affirm that a very large proportion Of
the ailing might be. and probably would
be. sound if only they were sufficiently
strongly impressed to believe them
selves to be so. This influence of the
mind on the body has been the strong
hold of quackery from the earliest
times. and faith" is as powerful IN in
fiuence for good or evil 20 as it has
cver been. Such miracles" Is the
Salvat.on;sts are working with their
presage among the emotion
al classes. whether illiterate or
well informed. nave uniformly signal
ired the commencement Of q new era
in religious enthusiasm. When the
first enthusiasm subsidies. miracles
cease" of physicO- mental necessity.
The large class of sO-called historical.
cataleptic. and even epileptic affections
are distinctly amepable to this intiu-
ence; SO are thOSe nervous disturbances
and arrangements which consist wholly
or chiefly In disOrdcrly activity. as dis
tinguished from actual disease. The
mimetic maladies. of which there are
always . very large number Of cases.
are, Of COURSE, amenable 10 the cura-
tive influence of faith. Outside these
classes. however. stand q multitude OF
badly managed or misunderstood cases
which only need to be placed on q new
footing it m tiers little what-tO get
well. A wondrOus crowd Of ignorant
prejudices still hOvers over many dis
tricts as to tn. durability or hopeless
ness OF special diseases which are bet
ter understood and more successfully
treated-On common sens principles
in the centers of knowledge.
For example. we know Of Localities
and affections which. being associated.
produce the most dire decisions as to
the length of time bones usually take
to unite in healthy subjects: and how
coughs and other distressing maladies
arc. or are not. under the control Of
the will. In such combinations OF
facts and fiction. it is easy TO get
miracles out of such common matters
as the union of the accurately applied
ends of q fractured radius in three OF
four days! There is not a word 70 be
said against "healing by faith" Every
busy practitioner has cases under hn
observation that he would be heartily
glad to find 20 powerfully affected
that they could be cured even BY
this agency. All We are anxious
to point out Is that m in.
to lend i.seT to the promulsasioa Of
~nonsensical beliefs and impressions "
course 1t il true that many Of the poo1
people who arc reported 70 b ''cured"
arc actually benefited BY Their faith.
This il q fact and there l. 10 sort Of
reason Why the benefits received should
not b permanent II ths subjects a
these cures arc thankful TO the Givef Of
Ill good, that II not . matter % make
merry about Il II - it shOuld b. We
are Elad q their gain. and plessed 10
find thcm moved 70 gvstieudc. Mean
while, II these ''cures" need b die
cussed, let the comneats made -
neither irreverent. offensive, nor pusrilA
Ths modus opersadi Of sucA rsooveres
h perfectly we'll underse0od. and there
4 nothing eitAse specially noteworthy
OF vondeeful shout them SoSesssse
AmsgiooA