The Portland daily press., 1885-02-27
The Boston Craze.
Corr. Albany Journal,)


Hypochondria, hysteria, nervous prostra-
t1on, beside many ills having local habita-
tions in the human system, are undergoing
new species of treatment In Boston, which
is amounting to an actual crsze. 1t is even
called "the Boston craze" and ii is attract
ing as much attention as some other peculi-
arities our neighbors declare to be essentially
characteristic of the Hub. How long it will
last need not be conjectured, but probably
until the fools are all dead-a condition not
imminent, as the world will admit-but as
there must always be some fad to engross
idle people, this ia as good or as harmless as
another. The treatment is purely mega
tive, or perhaps should say purely spiritu-
al, Inc patient being passive and the ''doc-
tof eqCally passive to all appearances
thougn she-lt is generally she-must keep
up q ueVil OF thinking, like the sailors
parrot. Women who are bowed down by a
multitude of aches and pains which tbey
cannot localize, but which Imagination tells
tnem are Somewhere" have adopted sthe
mlnd cure with deep satisfaction. Their
family physicians failed to cure them, but
lne mind doctor works miracles, SO they saw,
won't be unjust to the sex, and therefore
ADMIT That several intelligent men have also
Tried the cure and pronounced on it's being
wonderfully eficaciousp' "of great bene-
Mt, etc., etc. Now as far as | can see the
cure consists in the patient being "sat with;
6y the doctor" who looks at her or him
for half an hour without saying a word.
Neftalniy very easy remedy to take. es-
pecially II the doctor should happen to be
good-looking, though believe that is never
tne case, and the virtue of the cure is wholly
owing TO the effect of mind on matter, A
friend OF mine who has been victim of
dyspepsia for 10 years or more, was the
nrst person TO call my attention to this
new dodge, and her enthusiasm quite car
rled me away, so that ] really wished [
had something the matter with me that I
too might receive benefit through such de-
hgntfully novel source. Though this case
OF dyspepsia was quite chronic, and several
eminent physicians had used all their skill
and knowledge to perfect cure without
success, what does the mind doctor do but
make the victim "feel ever so much better''
Immediately, and in few weeks time rout
the disease foot and horsel How long this
state of things is to last remains to be seen.
fronaDly just SO long as the ssdoctor', con-
tlnues 10 gaze magnetically at her patient,
ana just so long as the patient fancIes she
is cured. You may see what field this is
Tor people gifted with strong Commemorative
power to turn penny by the very gentle
and the least objectional humbug of preying
on nervous hysterical women whose wills
are more at fault than their internal organs.
1t is quite the custom to hear ladies appar-
emily in good health say: ooh, this is my
nour Tor the mind cure; pray excuse me if /
run away and then go and sit an hour
with doctor who receives couple of dol
lars for exerting this unknown influence
that makes them feel ''like new creatures
MY theory is that an hours complete sub
Jection to quiet, restful insnity is as good as
a box of pills for bundle of nerves, and
then, as observed before, the fools are not
all dead. This, however, is our latest craze,
and as innocent as most of the crazes which
Deset mankind from time to time, whether
one calls it massage. hot water drinking or
the mind cure