San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-02
IMAGINATION CURE.
KEY TO THE MYSTERY OF A CLASS
OF OBSCURE PHENOMENA.

Story Of voodooism in South Carolina
A Bogus Charm-Dr. Carpenter on "Ex-
pectant Attention and Its Effects-Sor-
Gerry and witchcraft.
A South Carolina story appeared the other
day. which, rightly considered throws much
light upon the interesting subject of negro
superstitions, and, in fact, popular supersti.
tons generally. A negro woman had been
i'll 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 search Of the sick woman's
premises would reveal the presence of a
charm by which she had been "voodooed,"
and gave description of what would be
found Now the husband of the sick woman
told a doctor all about the alleged charm,
and the doctor for a joke fabricated a charm
to answer the description, and hid it where
it would be found.
So far all is plain sailing, but what appears
to be regarded as extraordinary is the fact
that from the moment the bogus charm was
unearthed the patient began to mend, and
rapidly reganed her normal state of health.
i
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
of it.
MOST POTENT ENERGY.
What cured this woman-and there is no
inherent improbability in the statement that
-. ,knx dc ~
people who have been made sick by 1t In the
first place. II 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-
troll of mind to an extent which might seem
scarcely credible 10 such as have not studied
the subject
DR.. W. B. Carpenter, in his admirable
|reatise on mental physiology, prefers to de-
nominate the influence which effects organic
changes in cases Of disease "expectant at
tention." His theory is-and 1t is now gen.
orally accepted-that In these cases the pa
tient believes something will happen, expects
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 IN
exercise Of faith and an act of volition. The
patient anticipates cure, believes in its pos
sibility, and so contributes to its accomplish
ment.
SORCE2Y AND wIrCHCRAFT
Every physician knows that in serious i'll
ness it is Of the first importance that the pa
tent should be hopeful, and should will re-
cOvery. Whom the desire of life has from
any cnuse ceased or great mental depression
exists, a comparatively slight attack of dis
ease may provo fatal. When the desire of
life is strong rude attacks on the vitality may
be repulsed. The part played by the will
and the imagination in disease is always in
tiuentlal and often the dominant one. The
old tales of sorcery and witchcraft are by no
means ell fiction. The things related hap
pened in ages when people believed easily in
occult aud 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 an ignorant negro firmly be-
lieveS that he is ''voodooed," he may, and
often does, fall sick. There is no delusion
about that The 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
exist.
The subject is one Of deep interest and Sc
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 mind diseased, " in fact, frequently, if he
wishes to restore the physical organism to
health; and the simpler the mind to be dealt
with the castor will it be found, as a rule, to
employ it therapeutically. In the South
Carolina case bogus charm operated pre-
cisely as it was expected the real one would
do.-New York Tribune