The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-04-12
CURE FOR
It May Properly BE Called the New EIe
trio Car Remcdy.

It May Properly DO Called tho New EIec-
trio Car Remedy.
"The other day." writes q reader to
the Boston Herald, "a sensible lady at
the South End told me that riding in
the electric cars had cured her of rheu-
matism, and had cured another lady
also"
The ordinary electrician, II not tho
ordinary man who is not an electrician,
might smile incredulously at tho above
and say: pure Imagination" Perhaps
1t Is, and then again perhaps 1t Is not.
To begin with, tho Imagination is natur-
ally excited by mystery, which is only
another name for lack of knowledge
for ignorance. in fact. Now II wo SEQ IN
effect without knowing tho cause, wo
might guess for a year without guessing
correctly. Hence tho Imagination is OK
cited. Cases have been known where
bread pills havo effected cures of stom-
ach troubles. Why? No doubt because
the patient believed thoy contained
some potent drug. Indealing with hyp-
motto cases, French physicians found
that steel magnets seemed to have a
peculiar effect upon the subjects. One
of the experimenters, more skoptical
than others of his brethren, had a mag
net made of wood and fixed 30 as TO re-
semble q steel magnet. and found that
1t had equally as potent effects as tho
steel magnet on subjects. A London
physician not long since went to France
to study tho practice of hypnot-
ism for tho cure Of diseases. From
there he won't to Amsterdam on tho
same business. In his report OF what
he observed no says: 'Ono is asked
whether treatment by suggestion has
power over all forms of disease?" Over
some 1t has mono. 1t can not recon-
struct what disease has destroyed, nor
stay the course OF smallpox, diphtheria,
or othor acute m%aladios, It frequently
acts like magic on rheumatism, on par
alysis, or hystoria. Stripped of scion
tito explanation, %hypnotism may be
said to DO a peculiar abnormal or un-
healthy condition of the mind, In which
fapcies or ideas that are suggested DO
come agents for changing ones abnor-
ma condition las disease Isl by substi-
tuting another for it las h~ypnotism, or
faith In tho potency Of tho unknown
ts). How far this may account for the
cures related by tho correspondent
above quoted it is not easy 10 deter
mine.
1t Is notorious that many people who
ride In electric cars claim that thoy can
fool the electric current whenevor the
ear starts up. Induction Is a phonom-
enon in electricity, whore q conduct
bnIu tloN ia ln.,tol H.. -
carrying an electric current becomes
~nagpetised by that current. This may
DO likened TO tho heat that Ia given of
by q stove being taEcn up by q pioco OF
metal near II, but not In contact, Air Is
l very poor conductor OF electricity, and
so are wood, scat cushions, eto., and
electricians will toll us that ovon by
Q process analogous to induction no one
can be Affected by tho electric current
in a street car. What, then, is 1t tina
makes tho surface of tho bodies of peo-
pie In electric cars tinglo as II some dis
tnrbtng influence had taken possession
Of them through the capillary nerves?
These same people will tell US that they
do not feel this peculiar sensation while
In cars drawn by horses. Hero
the matter becomes involved paradox
ioal. Are these unseen Influences, not
ing In tho all~-pervading other, which
healing Impressions on tho body
the mind2 II We admit this,
we must also admit that faith cure,
mesmerism and other things which
regard as humbugs have Il basis OF
reality. Iioweyer, rheumatism is an
that ought 10 baye u cheap
and popular remedy, for the reason that
20 many arc afflicted by 1t. II tho cleo
tric cars will I'LL the bill. then tho sooner
tbeir use becomes universal the botter
1t VIII DO for tho afflicted, and IL they
will cure rhomatism, why not toothncho,
neuralgia, headache and all
other aches, including s~tomach-aoho2 II
all this can be realized from tho cleo
brio cars, what a double blessing they
stll be to humanity, and what q boon
70 the stockhoIdora. Truly, we are en-.
upon a % era Ip our electrical
Industries aud-nuP h~praDputiC