St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-07-07
THOUGHT MICROBES.


eeeYow and Dasoppoantmoat - Disoooeo
for the DoctorA
II is claimed by some of the more adj
vanced of modern writer's that excesses
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 tho normal And maybe the
day will como 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 s1ea by average
eyes. There is an invisible, intangible,
mental as we'll rs . material micro
scope. and they who understand its
handling and adjustment learn much
of interest, much that Is suppressed
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 mt
crobe can be 50 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 q sudden fash
lights the fire Of thought; . suggestion
opens the door of the past, and ALI con-
ditions arc right for an absolute over
whelming Of the entire being with this
living tide. And many doctors would
at once diagnose the malady as malar
ria, nervous fever, depression Of the
vital forces, or in some cases infiamma-
ti0n of the brain. This state of Affairs,
simple enough 1T the outset and char
acterized by = little fever, slightly
accelerated pulse. trifling flush OF the
checks and like indications increase
with rapidity until the sufferer is ia .
condition bordering on mental distrac-
tion. The doctor comes in, prescribes
draughts and q 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 tho mental
microscope, it would take him but q
short time TO discover that the malady
was not in any sense physical or depend
ent upon any of the bodily functions
He would find hordes of bacilli disap-
| Ans~rHs ~~>~~Hs~EAA
tion germs infinitesimal in themselves
but in the aggregate forming IN inn
mense army of devouring adversaries
slowly consuming the life forces Of
their helpless victims Just what they
feed upon NO one has rs yet been able
to determine; but that they speedily
sap the vitil forces, those who have
suffered in this way know but too well.
although they may not know the
cause.
IT, instead Of morphia, tonics ind
anti-malsrials and anodynes. they
could take the suffering one from pres
ent environments. start . new train of
thought, awaken other interests
stronger for the moment than the in
vading forces. and bring back the de-
parted delights or some that would to
IN. extent difvheir place, the dealing
out of drugs would be superseded by
An entirely different form Of practice.
/. But the day Of this enlightenment has
not yet come. May be in the far-o6
hereafter our doctors will be pbiloso-
pliers as we'll. and instead Of confining
themselves strictly to the material
they will search for the hidden sources
of the sorrow and care, that more than
any other cause destroys the best and
brightest members Of the human fami-
ily.-N. S. StOweil. in n. Y. Ledger