The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-08-07
Can IMAGINATION XIII.


Such is the question asked by the Brit
ISL and ColoniM Druggist in arecent issue,
and il is suggested by the death, AT Hackney,
of young lady who was determined to
commit suicide. She swallowed what she
supposed was deadly poisson, but which
was subsequently shown To have been dose
of keating's insect powder, and entirely
harmless to human bodies. La support OF
the theory that the suicide was the work OF
the imagination, the English journal quoted
cites two cases, one OF which Is well known
10 medical writers. One case was that OF u
convict sentenced 70 death but was dellv-
cred into the hands of medical gentlemen
for experimental purposes. lie was blind.
folded, and led TO believe he would be bled
to death. He thought an incision was made
in one of the veins of his body; that he
could feel the blood trickling from the
wound, and could hear il fall into vessel
beneath. As a matter of fact no incision
was made sufficient to draw blood, and the
liquid he felt and heard was tepid water.
He died, however just the same as he would
have done by phlebotomy. The other case
was that of a college porter wis was sub
jected by college students to mock trial
for some trumpedup offense, and con-
demned to death by decapitation, He was
shown the block and AK with which the ex-
ecutlon was to be effected, blindfolded, and
his head laid upon the block A blow
from wet towel was then dealt upon the
back of his neck, but 1t had all the effect
of an AK, for the poor fellows imagination
did the rest He died as summarily as
though he had been decaptated.
Gen Jse Johnston, leader of the Con.
federate armies, tells of an incident In
point which came within his own personal
observation. When he was a lieutenant In
the regular army of the United States ac-
ordinances of his Concocted scheme for
testing the power of imagination upon the
human system. They selected a young
man in apparent perfect health, and arrang.
ed that half dozen of their number
should, one after another, meet him, seem
inly by chance, and each one comment on
his appearance of extreme illness. The
result of this practical joke was the sick
ness and death of the victim. An Ameri-
can physician states that he has personally
known of persons who had supposed they
had come in contact with poison Ivy, ana
altogether the contrary was subsequently
demonstrated, belief in the supposed con
tact with poisonous vine produced all the
effect of actual poisoning. DR.. BuCknill
narrates this instance of the effect of i'm
agination; "A lauy oi intelisence VIM" hiie
paHsipE P"oiic lns,i i S,m " ,h un'i'
win MS Ioot III secn P ,S.ipni LIZA, a
as if about to crush it. The child escaped
uhhaihlcu' ouI In: a""lg vi "a ,,n, hwy p'
came 50 iai'e ll' II wa, .'' ,'',,u Wv, S''t
couiu Ieaon noun u'a!'.' -, y t c"l w. W.
illle' Inc l'i'I','.',ln ~, I''t ' , %"I
80 severe IIN' S,'9 ""' '''''''''' " '''' '''
iOI many uays' ,..,,,....,.,
II 'he l'na3lna'.on NILS u"et II . I'NT",a,
cure Au aH,r'n"'..t %'sMt, ~ we i,'T,,
IerF"SAIy YES a, ,IlG Se", ','r Az
ne" S,leioo VI i.!ea ! ME- i,' o
eaSr' oul III lraI,,N '"e S.ir".e u"tT9 70. u n
70 !ne oy % la'o - ' s;oaf ~ Rn ,
It.e VI HIanse 'n". az Vi, ,i o ,iuo,'
III ~ WIEN ne .e'''liv,a ,i'' we ha,s -,
was " SUI, ,,,C.,,',.,,a,,