Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-10

New York SUM.


Some French science men have been
discussing and endeavoring to dispose
of the question of mirth as an agent
for the cure OF disease or of states OF
mind which favor the progress of GER
tain diseases. At the convention OF
the French scientific press, as repro
duced In the Journal d'Hygiene, 1t APP
pears that some very novel views
were advanced on the subject of mirth
rs therapeutic, and the case was
recalled of Lord Lanesborough, VIC
tim OF govt. who, on the approach OF
an attack began dancing, not as II
from the spasm of pain. but with the
lightness OF 10y executing so TO speak,
n pas seul that might be applauded in
the academy. Lord Lanesborough.
according to the statement OF the
Frenchmen who spoke In praise OF
his action, was so steadfast a believer
in the merit of mlrth as n cure for ills
that at the death of the Prince of
Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne,
he requested a special audience of
her majesty in order that he might ex-
plain to her the advantage Of order
ing the iiddlers to tune up" that her
grief at the loss of her consort might
be by this method assauged and that
she might WOO gracious forgetfulness
at time of sore personal trial by
dancing. as the French also describe
II, the reel of Virginia.
DR.. Denis Prudent-Roy another Pa
rlsian. commended mlrth as Il cure for
bronchial catarrh. He averred that
laughter was beneficial alveolar
stimulus, giving useful shocks to the
chest,and II was n wise. cheap and
satisfactory substitute for creosote and
other drugs. Unfortunately there are
in every community some persons UNI
able to avail themselves of the ad-
vantages of medication for illness, but
as DIR. Denis Prudent Roy pointed out.
there are no persons in any commune
ty so poor in means. II not in temper
and fortitude, that they cannot laugh,
IL by laughing they can promote
q cure of their ailments.
Another learned man told of a his
torical incident in which laughter had
| figured as cure. When the duke
of Angouleme was in service in the
army of Henry " he was stricken
with illness in the camp and his life
was despaired of. The surgeon of the
army corps. to whom appeal was
made, recommended (the medicine
chest was probably empty laughter.
| He secured the cooperation of the
| dukes bailiff. his secretary, and the
captain of the royal guards. These
came to the bedside of the duke
| dressed in white and wearing, each
OF them, red hats with cocks feathers.
All three We're men of demure aspect
all three We're between sixty and sew
| enty years OF age. Each one endeav-
ored, in the dukes presence to knock
of the hat of one of the others, and
the duke of Angouleme was so con-
| vulsed with laughter at the antics of
his visitors that the fever which had
beset him for more than three weeks
diminished. He recovered his health
he was restored, and he resumed COM
mand OF portion of the kings army
In cases for intermittent fever, too
according to some of the French ex-
perts, unrestrained and understandable
| mirth produced by the perusal of an al
manac or Joke book in a Language
which the patient understands will res
tore where medicine has failed to. An
instance is had OF patient who was
cured by attending the Theater Fran.
eaise and enjoying the performance OF
LIE Marriage De Figaro, presented with
much animation. In fact. the instances
of recovery caused by the magical in.
fiuence poured in. The non doctors In
the congress were eager to add to Their
number, whereas the medical mer
seemd 10th to admit that laughter
either unbridled mrth or "the guard.
ed laugh" as 1t Is now sometimes called
could be accepted as a primary by
gienic agent rather than as an aid t.
convalescence.
Laugh and grow fat" has long beer
IL nOHltly duhEe, tfle merit OF Wnltn na'
not been disputed seriously by scientii,
minds or by the uninitiated in tn,
mysteries of hygiene. But laugh and
grow well" is new version of the an
cient admonition and it will require
probably much more than the assur
ance of any French lights of science
however accomplished professionally
and however desirious of promoting
hilarity and good cheer to establish
the principle that any serious bodil.
ailment may be cured radically by {
simple prescription of laughter. Fo
such a simple matter as toothache Thu
policy of laughing 1t off, has fire
quently been tried without success; it Il
believed in by everyone but the MAJ
with the toothache. But there is nov
city on the side of the Paris scientist
novelty and originality, too. Goo,
cheer aideth medicine. Might 1t re
place and abolish 1t?