Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-07
IMAGINATION CURE.
KEY TO THE MYSTERY OF A CLASS
 OF OBSCURE PHENOMENA.

A Story of voodooisn in South Carolina.
 A Bogus Charm-Dr. Carpenter on "Ex-
 pectant Attcntion'' and Its Effects-Sor-
 cery and witchcraft.
 A South Carolina story appeared the other day. which, rightly considered, throws much light upon the interesting subject of negro supersttions, and, in fact, popular supersti- tions generally. A negro woman had been ill for some time, and physicians were in vain," so at last she consulted voodoo doc tor, who prescribed application to local sorcerer of repute. The sorcerer oracularly declared that a search of the sick woman's premises would reveal the IsFcsence of charm by which she had been ''voodooed," and gave a description of what would be found. Now the husband of the sick woman told doctor all about the alleged charm, and the doctor for joke fabricated a charm to answer tho description, and hid it where it would be found.
 So far all is plain sailing, but what appears to be regarded extraordinary is the fact that from the moment the bogus charm was unearthed the patient began to mend, and rapidly regained her normal state of health. This is referred to as ''the strangest part of the story" but really the strangest part of the story is the circumstance that at this day any one should think the matter at all mys- terious, or should fail to apprehend the obvious and perfectly simple explanation sf it.
 MOST POTENT ENERGY.
 What cured this woman-and there is no inherent improbability in the statement that she is cured-was what cures thousands of people who have been made sick by it in the first place. It was in a word, imagination, which is, however psychical its nature, among the most potent of physical agencies. The mass of authentic evidence going to show that the imagination can and commonly does influence the body in the most direct and powerful manner long since put beyond con- troversy the fact that body is under the con- trol of mind to an extent which might seem scarcely credible to such as have not studied the subject.
 Dr. W. B. Carpenter, in his admirable treatise on mental physiology, prefers to de nominate the influence which effects organic changes in cases of disease "expectant at tention." His theory is-and it is now gen. orally accepted-that in these cases the pa tient believes something will happen, expects a favorable crisis, fixes his or her mind upon the affected part or the sickness generally, and thus unconsciously sets up therapeutic action More closely analysed it will be found that the mental process involves an exercise of faith and an act of volition The patient anticipates a cure, believes in it's pos sibiity, and so contributes to it's accomplish ment
 sORCERY AND wITCHCRAFT
 Every physician knows that in serious ill- ness it is of the first importance that the pa- tient should be hopeful, and should will re- covery. When the desire of life has from any cause ceased or great mental depression ol~ ~-l,+ T; ease may prove fatal. When the desire of life is strong rude attacks on the vitality may be repulsed The part played by the will and tho imagination in disease is always in- fiuential and often the dominant one. Tho old tales of sorcery and witchcraft are by no means all fiction. The things related hap pened in ages when people believed easily in occult and malignant powers and the expla- nation of great deal in those days must be sought here, and not in the theory of hallu- cination. If all ignorant negro firmly be- leves that he is "voodooed,n he may, and often does, fall sick. There is no delusion about that Tho illness is real. But it IS caused by delusion none the less, for it Is the direct result of faith in powers which do not i exist
 The subject is one of deep interest and se- rious importance to medical science. More and more the wise and skillful physician must address himself to curing the body with the help of the mind. He must administer to 0 mind diseased, ,n ill fact, frequently, if he wishes to restore tho physical organism to health; and the simpler the mind to be dealt with the easier will it be found, as Q rule, to employ it independently. In the South Carolina case a bogus charm operated pre- cisely as it was expected the real one would | do.-New York Tribune.