The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-25
CURED BY IMAGINATION.
Faith Not the Only Panacca Pound Outside
the Pl,.r,nacorr!a-Oucer Remedies.

Faith Not the Only Panacca Pound Outside
the PharnacorGia-puee Remedies.
The beneficial effects Of faith have
probably come under the observation Of
as all when it has become q question Of
a change of doctors The old medical
attendant docs not please. new one who
has been highly recommended Is engaged,
and so great is the ratients faith III the
new conner that the progress Of a fatal
disease often seems arrested. IL is. Of
course, but temporary check, ard II -
ONLY a question Of time before another
new doctor is looked for Sometimes,
on the other hand. when it is not case
Of the destruction Of the vital organs. a
cure has actually LeeD effected. Ere
quontly. too. patients become impressed
with the curative value of certain nedi-
cines, and doctors Of long standing have
been puzzled to say where Imagination
or faith ended and reality began.
Faith, however, has by no means been
the only panaccl fond outside the phar'
r.acounia. as the siirewd manufacturers
of clixirs. charms, omulets and magnetic
thingumbobs very gye.l know. Even the
wisest Of men are not free from the pecu-
liar thra!ldom OF Imaginative medicines
Bishop Berkeley, wh-ss idea concerning
the westward course :; the star Of empire
has become proverlial, was a very clevcr
very 1elatc and very good man, yet he
was q victim to IL, lea that lie had dis
covered a curcall. The universal rcstor-
alive ia bis case was tar water. sur
occrt Of tar in a gallon Of wafer, and
drink three glasses Of this water daily,
sail the bishop, and You would never
know what i was 10 su.,er pain or even
discomfort. Berkeley |as not content
with calling the tar a simple remedial
agent. but he went SO far as TO write
books about his tarry water, claiming that
tarcO..ained the yital element Of the uni
verse For a time tar water had a pro
digious success. Tar water warehouses
were established and every one was
going to BE- curol Of everything Then
the people began to remark that there
was Just as much sickness about as ever,
and gradually the fad died out.
Another great remedy that SCI people
ac0g some two hundred years ago was
the earth bath. Establishments were
opened all over Europe where the pa
tents were covered up 10 their nccks IL
loose, dry earth. and thus planted were
Supposed to be clealfsed Of every iniirm-
ity and impurity known to human Ia
turc. Human nature continued obsl-
rately TO get ont Of gear notwithstand-
iag the earth cure, and SO the establish
ments were closed up and the soil carted
Off to tho nearest garden.
Faith has had some curious allies in
c.Tecting cures. Aided by the peculiar
forms Of oolte called toadstone AMI ca
glcstone, it has been a charm against dis
case, shipwreck and famine. Joined to
a proper amount Of faith, the two unat-
tacheJ bones found in the heads Of some
fishes. when mounted in gold and hung
around the neck. will prevent the colo.
With The powerful adjunct Of iai,h 1t
has been found that ring set with a
bloods.onc wcald sop hemorhages; that
AZ amethyst rirS would cure drunken
ness, IN agate was cfiicacicus against eye
diseases, a jasper against the dropsy, n
sapphire against insomnia. and coral
against nervousness. - San Francisco
Chronicle.