Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-22
Mind-Cures,

a correspondent of the Albany JOlundl,
who signs himself "layman," writes as
follows concerning the so-called mind
cures
believe in sympathy, but excessive
sympathy, and especially with nervous
and emotional woman, Is an unmXed evil.
1t has been SAID of women of the higher
classes Of society, IN whom these Joint
mental and physical diseases are most
commonly diagnosed that at least four
tiths suffer from hysteria and nothing
else. In my mind the best criterion tor
making Il diagnosis, l. e., naming the dis
ease, Is the sudden disappearance, through
the agency OF Il moral or mental IN
tluence, of disease which had continued
for years and bade defiance to all treat
ment | remember while visiting an
asylum not long ago, of seeing a woman
who was under treatment tor hts. The
doctor told me her treatment was
of purely moral character. Ii was dis
covered that her attacks were quite volun-
tary, and We're to ali appearance put On in
order to elicit sympathy. She was 50 in
formed. The fits soon disappeared. These
persons crave sympathy, and are exceed
lngly ANXIOUS to have 1t Away under
stood that they are Ill, and not only so
but that they have To -uier IN an alto
gether unprecedented manner. They are
ALWAYS talking about their disease They
are annoyed and made ill by every tritle,
and demand the most constant soticltude
from their friends In many cases the
efficiency of certain remedies become, an
article of tWth with them, and by this
faith they are cured, equally whether with
medical or other remedies. All possible
quack olutment,, sympathetic and relig-
luus influences may have the same effect,
il it be only possible to create sufficient
lV firm conviction in the patient = mind.
Threats are likewise etfectual in some
Cd>t- Often the more severe symptoms
are manifested only when the patient is
provoked by some disappointment or an
uOYauCe, or they may come only IN the
night, gong to show the great influence
he mind has ON this disorder. That these
symptoms are seen generally unurr such
circumstances is a most suspicious fact.
These cases are, then, hysterCal, and the
disorder is hy,teria. Whatever increases
the will power of these patients cuuses an
amelioratiou of the disease, and that the
disease disappears 10y Wlll-poWer l. proof
enough, if there were no other that Its
occurrence III the first place was IN large
measure due to lack of It, This is the
true Aimot moral and mental treatments,
1t has happened that an arise and walk
has been successfully said 10 these pa
tients, who have Tor years been ned rid
den, and who appeared no longer aDle 10
move limb. | heard Of case OF an ny
,terical patient who suffered from attacks
of commissions, whom her father cured
by "A sound thrashing This many sided
malady ludiUdiC jm09tIuUt, OF the
French is really paralysis of the Will,
which is controlled 10y the emotions rath-
Ter than by the reason and Judgment. The
faith-cure or mind-Cure Is praCtlCed by
all judicious physicians, but the difference
between such physicians who uphold 1t
from a scientific standpoint, and those
who make IA speciality OF ii, il that the
former donot refer the results to any SUI