The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-28
IMAGINARY ILLS.
WHY MANY PERSONS SHOULD LET
MEDICAL BOOKS ALONE.

Not Rest Ia Make Too Close "a study Of
Ones Physical Ajimcnts-rhe Results
of Brooding over Matters-Thc Faith
Cure.
II Is dangerous for many highly intelec-
tual people to study or even read medical
treatise, because it will surely undermine
their comfort and peace, if not their health.
have known several who were compelled to
turn hack from the study of medicine purely
because OF their having this over powerful
imagination am myself unable TO treat
many contagious diseases without securing
mild attacks Of the same myself. believe
the most serious effects on susceptible persons
is a sort of congestion Of different organs,
most likely Of bladder, kidneysand the heart.
That this is dangerous in many cases is not
TO be disputed.
The very best possible advice to many per-
sons is simply TO let all medical books alone,
and to so employ their minds that they will
not think OF matters Of health and disease. |
do not mean that on that account they must
neglect all precautions against disease, and
refuse 20 exercise common sense as TO diet
and physical protection. This can be done
on general principles, with special attention,
and so without morbid consequences What
do mean is that there is one hundredfod
more doctoring going on than Is necessary;
exS ibis is tending 70 create false
sfa IA an unhealthy sell anatomy.
r ely as in moral affairs Wise
ton l.s that a person can form no
&C "a, habit than study of his own
GA. ucrd Everett Hale ma kcs the law
Of !ag 20 be ''tO look upward, not
de- outward. not inward; forward.
no. a. ard - lend hand" ! would
say r. . similar law should control us
oh ioei.r--to look away from orr petty all
ments. 10 loOS up, and forward, and ont
ward.
EFFECTS o. IMAGINATION
Chronic medicine takers will soon develop
every i'll that they imagine. | wish 20 en-
phasize this side OF the faith" question. 1T
is not only true that faith cures, but that
faith also diseases; and it is the diseases Of
faith that faith is able to remove There are
natures in whom Imagination is so dominant
thai they can make themselves 81 OF well
as they decide to be- But let it be also un-
derstood that we are all liable 10 be more or
less similarly victims Of our own Impressions
In cases OF insomnia. the one ali important /
point IS 20 convince the patient that he is /
re tc have good night Of 1t. Tie viii /
thc nptly fail asleep and rest undls- I.
tD 70 ably all night But if, just be- /
fosz he begins to wolry and imagine !
tieT bee wakefui, the chances are BE .
Will b. open eyed in spite Of yourdrucs. I
II hss --- any custom in eases Of nervous /
fpsoT-i. fo administer sweetened water,
Favored with some harmless substance. and .
Il Va, Us quite as weil as powerful soporific. /
Wis., 3 needed is % arouse the confidence Of /
the patient
1t is an absolute necessity that vc DO not .
brood over any matter whatever allowing 1t /
10 make too deep an impression on the brain, I
or rs we say, on our minds. a large proper .
ton of the women patients in insane asylums .
are there Tor no other reason but failure 10 .
restrain and curb their emotions. DR.. Como /
molly says, Through their hubituol indul .
gence Of had temper" This statement of the I
case must. however, be- modified by the fact F..
that bad temper is itself a result of habitual /
excited nerves. A chronic tea drnkcr hav-
ing established an irritafed digestion tract,
is also rritated and irritable cerebrally The /
result is a chronic display Of iiltemper and /
then follows the need of confinement in .
asylums The danger Of fits of anger or in. /
diligence in ir11tabiiity Of an extreme and /
increasing sort, is great 1t is incipicuJ in. /
sanity TO brood over wrong or t. fall .
into frenzy OF excitement over it, tends to .
increase the probability that We shall become /
victims TO the excitement Us well as the cause .
of the excitement
AN IRRATIONAL COENEE
Indeed, am inclined 10 think that each
and every one Of us has in some c0ruerof the {