Morning journal and courier., 1888-06-20
GENUINE FAITH CURES.
Cases In Which Physieians Stimulate Patients, Imagination,

Gases In Which Physicians Stimulate
 Patientss Imagination.
 From the New York Sum-
 Physicians have their faith cure as well
 as Christian scientists, and they report
 quite as remarkable imaginary effects as are
 related by the professors and healers of the
 mind-cure schools. Dr. Ward of St. Louis gives happy illustration of the power of
 the imagination to heal disease unaided by
 the use of medicine in the case of an ignor-
 ant and credulous fever patient, who was cured simply by the use of : the fever ther- mometsr. This small glass instrument, which all physicians use, is eleansed and
 disaffected with carbolio acid, which leaves slight taste even after it is washed thor oughly. When Dr. Ward placed this simple instrument under the patients tongue for the first time he exclaimed: fThere ain't much taste to 1t, doctor, but suppose it is terrible powerful Seeing that the fellow believed the thermometer to be some effective medi- cine or conjuration, he humored his strange fancy as to the occult virtue of the instrus ment, and gave him no medicine. After the first treatment the fever abated, and with each subsequent application of the remedy the patient was considerably improved, until finally he was cured simply by faith and 8 fever thermometer.
 One of the visiting physicians of the Man haitian hospital reports case similar in pur- port to the one just quoted. A lady who has been chronic invalid for many years suffers from insomnia to relieve which hy- podermic injections of morphine. are given her each night on retiring-at least she sup poses them to be of morphine, but in reality only clear cold water is inserted. Experi- ments have been made frequently which lead to singular results. If the water is not in- serted as usual the patient becomes dull and listless, exhausted and extremely nervous and irritable, and spends the night tossing on her couch in wakefulness or 6tful broken slumbers. If, on the other hand, the accus- toned operation is performed, her eyes brighten, the expression of suffering leaves her face, her countenance grows animated and cheerful, and after little pleasant chat she drops into sweet sound sleep like tired child.
 Dr. Clinton, also of the Manhattan hos pital, reports a case of man sick with in aammation of the stomach. When. first en- tering the hospital he took morphine at night because of wakefulness from real dain. See ing that the patient was liable to remain in the hospital for some time, and fearing the long-continued use of the morphine would engender habit of taking it continually, the doctor discontinued the use of 1t. The patient was restless, nervous and wakeful, and finally the expedient of giving him a dose of water rendered bitter with quinine was resorted to. The man presently fell into sound slumber and has been enjoying ! comfortable nights rest. ever since, through faith in his sleeping potion. Salt and water
 are frequently given for bromide with bene- I fcial effect, and in numerous diseases water rendered slightly bitter or distasteful is very frequently used with most satisfactory re- suits.
 Another physician in a hospital gives an \ instance of man suffering, or imagining ! that he suffered, from 8 severe pain in his side. The physician becoming convinced that no serious difficulty existed placed a simple surgeons adhesive plaster, unmedi- cated on the side, and the pain was quieted s immediately. Sick people suffer slightly from insomnia, and if they lie awake one hour at night are apt to fancy they have moi slept at all; so we have some simple pre- paratiou of water seasoned with some harm less drug prepared for them, and they go tc sleep from faith in the medicine, whicE