The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-04-03
TIE Power Of Imagination.
by EMERsoN BENNETT.


mind has direct and important action
upon the body, and to much greater
extent than persons in general suppose.
During the prevalence Of an epidemic
for instance, such as the cholera, thou
sands become afflicted. through their
own fancy, who would otherwise escape
the fell destroyer. We well remember
when this scourge was last upon us, of
hearing several in lividuals spoken of as
likely to perish with the disease, for the
simple reason that they were constantly
in dread and fear of it; and we noted
the fact, that these same persons rarely
lived out the season; while, on the 9TH
er hand, those who seemed to care little
about 1t, and in some cases scotfed at
and dehed it, were seldom touched BY
the invisible foe.
No one can tell what the mind is, nor
how it acts upon the body; but we have
constant evidence of its presence and
power, through one of its attributes, the
will; and we are sometimes astonished
at its increased force, when stimulated
by passion. or fear.
Two men were chopping in wood,
an1 one of them was crushed by tree
falling upon him. The other, under the
excitement of the occasion, ran up,
lifted off the tree. picked up the dead
body, and carried it home. He went
back the next day, with some of his
neighbors, and made the, TO him, sur
prising discovery. that with the utmost
eXertion of his strength he could not
stir the huge trunk in the slightest de-
gree. Yet the same physical man was
there, but not in the same mental con-
dition, and he owed all his extra
strength to his then unduly excited state
of mind.
Both passion and fear are known also
to produce the opposite effects-to para
lyze or weaken the vital energies instead
of weakening them; grief generally de-
presses and sometimes proves fatal, and
both disappointment and joy have been
known to kill; but all of these only
demonstrate the close connection of
mind with body, and show how much
the latter may be affected by the former.
In conversation with a distinguished
physician of our acquaintance upon this
subject, he related a case of the striking
effects of the Imagination, or mind upon
body, which came undel his own obser.
vation while student at l.. A lee
ture by one of the faculty, touching up.
on Imagination and its strange effect:
became subject of discussion in his
class; and the question shortly arose
whether it was not rather the body tha
t affected the mind than the mind the
body.
81 contend," said one, "that the body
| first becomes affected by some morbiC
influence, and the mind of course take!
, its tone thcrefrom. If the brain be in
jured, Inconsistencies, or insanity, fol
2 lows in the same degree. With heal
thv body, and sound, well developed
, brain, we may look for clear, sound, dis
= eliminating mental faculties, which can
e not be impaired while the physical mar
remains unchanged"
= II maintain" said another, ''that TIN
mind may be first affected, and so i'm
,, pair the body, as in cases of mental ex
4 element, such as grief, Joy, fear, hor
l ror, shame, chagrln and disappoint
mcnt."
The students took sides on the ques
r ton, and the matter was ably argued
/ pro and con, each party about equal!
: maintaining its assumed position.
, In all questions of a nature permit
b ting strong argument on either side,i
Y is fair to presume that both parties hay'
: truth for foundation, and neither ha
v the whole truth; and so ii was in thi
!, case-the fact being that the mind doe
t affect the body and the body the mind.
+ But something more than argumen
i was wanted in this case; medical stud
D ents like to try experiments and witnes
t practical demonstrations; and it wa
i finally agreed that perfectly health.
subject should be selected and put un
e der the effects of imagination.
! A young, robust, rOsy-cheeked farm
d er. who occasionally came into town Il
4 dispose of his fruit, and who had fount
! some of his best customers among tn
q students, was finally fixed upon as al
II individual in every way satisfactory 70
= the trial.
c The plan was, for some of the stud
. ents, at different times ard in differen
/, places, without any appearance of col
g lusion, to be struck with his altere
= looks-tO perceive some secret malad
n beginning to affect him-an finally t
predict his death at given time.
Il With this understanding they wen
l. deliberately to work the next time h
e appeared among them. Some three @
l. four of them sauntered out to his WACO
,, from which he was selling apples; an
10 each, as he came up, took long an
is unusual stare at him, as if suddenly di:
e. covering something very peculiar; an
; then all seemed to consult together, in
,e very serious manner, occasionally glant
n ing at him with looks of pity yerging o
l. alarm.
" "How are you to-day, Mr., Bassett?
" at length inquired one of the party, in
c. grave, quiet tone, with look of con
Is miseration; while the others crowde
4, up; stared hard in his face, and SCENE
as anxious for his answer.
\ "Pm right well, thank your +,
" piled Bassett, with a pleasant smil'
D. ''how do you find yourself? I've g
Is some right down good eating apple