The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-05-10
THOUGHT MICROBES.
Sorrow aud disappointment as Disease
for the Doctors.

HbNNbN anu AthsAHHutAAAhtnb NA bAhtNhNh
for the Doctors.
II is claimed by some Of the more ad-
vHnced of modern writers that excuses
Of all sorts are produced by morbid
condition of the mind, brought about
by the presence of microbes in undue
numbers From tuberculosis to tenn.
per, from murder to melancholia, these
theorists declare that microbes are the
cause of all conditions anywhere out
side of the normal. And maybe the |
day will come when these people will
be found not so far from the right as
scoffers now profess to believe, Those
who dive deep into the hidden mystic
ries of existence find many quaint and
curious things not seen by average
eyes, There is an invisible, intangible,
mental as we'll as material micro
scope, and they who understand its
handling and adjustment learn much
of interest, much that is suppressed
because of the storm of ridicule that it
would provoke, and which for this rea-
son they care nothing about exhibiting
to the outer world.
1t is no secret to many persons of eX-
treme temperament that thought mi
crobe can be so increased and multi
piled that it dominates not only the en-
tire mental but physical system. There
are cases where the memory takes pos
session of the individuals; sudden flash
lights the fire of thought; suggestion
opens the door of the past, and all coa-
ditions are right for an absolute over
whelming of the entire being with this
living tide. And many doctors would
at once diagnose the malady as mala-
ria, nervous fever, depression of the
vital forces, or in some cases inflamma-
ton of the brain. This state of affairs,
simple enough at the outset and char
acterized by a little fever, slightly
accelerated pulse trifling flush of the
cheeks and like indications increase
with rapidity until the sufferer is in
condition bordering on mental distrac-
ton. The doctor comes in, prescribes
draughts and fever regimen, reduces
the diet, orders cooling applications
and goes away much worried lest the
patient runs into brain fever or some
new complaint with an unpronounce-
able name and fatal termination, Had
this professional adviser Of the sick and
suffering the power to use the mental
microscope, it would take him but a
short time to discover that the malady
was not many sense physical or depend
ent upon any Of the bodily functions.
, He would find hordes of bacilli, disap-
, pointment microbes, unsatisfied ambi-
, ton germs inhnitesimal in themselves
1 but IN the aggregate forming an inn
. mense army of devouring adversaries
y slowly consuming the life forces of
= their helpless victims. Just what they
v feed upon no one has as yet been able
/ to determine; but that they speedily
+. sap the vital forces, those who have
suffered in this way know but too we'll,
!, although they may not know the
. cause.
I If instead of morphia, tonics and
O anti-malarials and anodynes, they
az could take the suffering one from pres
3 ent environments, start new train OF
7 thought, awaken other interests
a stronger for the moment than the in
NJ vading forces, and bring back the de-
a. parted delights or some that would tc
a an extent fill their place, the dealing
h out of drugs would be superseded by
q an entirely different form of practice.
h But the day of this enlightenment has
h not yet come. May be in the far-ofl
= hereafter our doctors will be Philoso
o. piers as we'll and instead of confninl
70 themselves strictly to the material
u they will search for the hidden sources
=. of the sorrow and care, that more thai
IN any other cause destroys the best AM
h brightest members of the human fami
- lily. IN. S. Stowell, in N, Y. Ledger