West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-07-03
FAITH CURES.
Mlmctic Maladies AmcnnbIe TO tho Cura
tive Influence of Faith.

mincttc MaiadicS Amcnnble TO the Cura-
tive Influence of F1ith.
1t Is not our purpose to deny, or even
question, the verify of cures "by faith. ="
The mind 50 acts on the body. anu
the brain plays so important part in
the nervous system, by which the whole
organism is encrgizcd and controlled
both in regard to its functions and nu-
triton, that IT is not only quite posi-
BILE, but an absolute tact, that many
maladics which are not so far advanced
rs To he dependent upon changes in
structure, or organic diseases, - may be
rcmcdicd by or through the agency of
the mind. We viii even 90 so far rs to
Affirm that 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 quackcly from the earliest
times. and 'faith' is as powerful an in
iluencc for good or cvil now rs it has
ever been. Such miracles" as the
Salvat onists are working with their
prcsagc among the emotion
al classes, whether illitcratc or
well informed, have uniformly signal
ed the commencement of a new era
in religious enthusiasm. When the
first enthusiasm subsidies, miracles
cease OF physico-mental necessity
The large class of so-callcd historical,
cataleptic, and even epileptc affections
are distinctly amenablc to this inllu-
cncc; so are those nervous disturbances
and arrangements which consist wholly
or chiefly in disordcrlv activity, as dis
tinguishcd from actual disease. The
mmctic maladics of which there are
always very large number of cases.
are, OF course, amenablc to the cura-
tive influence of faith. Outside these
classes, however, stand multitude of
badly managed or misunderstood cases
which on.y need to bc placed on new
footing it m tiers little what-to oet
well. y wandrous crowd of ignorant
prcludlccs sill hOYcrs over many dis
trict- rs to tn durability or hopeless
ness oil special diseases which are bet
ter understood and more successfully
trcatcd-on common sense principlcs-
in the ccnters of knowledge.
For example, we know of localities
and affections which, being associated
produce the most dire dcIu-ions as TO
the length of time bones usually take
TO unite in healthy subjects: and how
coughs and other distressing maladies
are, or are not, under the control of
the will. I'm such combinations OF
facts and fiction, il is easy to get
miracles out OF such common matters
as the union OF the accurately applied
ends OF a fractured radius in three or
four days! There is not word TO be
said against healing by faith" Every
busy practitioner has cases under his
observation that he would be heartily
glad to find so powerfully affected
that they could be cured even bv
this agency. All we are anxious
to point out is that nm in
tclllgent lay press ought not
to- lend itself to the FORMULATION OF
nonscnsical beliefs and Impressions OF
course. 1t is true that many of the poor
people who are reported to be cured"
are actually benefited by Their faith
This is fact and there is no sort OF
reason why the benefits received should
not be permanent If the subjects of
these cures are thankful to- the Givcr of
at good, that is not matter TO make.
merry about Il is as IL should be. We
arc glad OF their gain. and pleased to
iind them moved to- gratitude. Mean.
Whli', N these cures need be dis
Gus ed. let the comments made be
neither lrrcvcrcnt, offensive. nor puerile.
The minus ODcrUHdi of such recovcrios
I7 perfectly well understood, and there
is nothing either specially noteworthy
or wonderful about them. - S,t,utipc
dUlfrJguV