The herald., 1897-01-10
ACTS AND THOUGHTS

That acts and thoughts have much to
do with longevity there is no doubt
wha tever. The relation between the
mental and physical man is so intimat te,
science now admits, that the ailment or
healthfulness of the one is reflected upon
the other. To be sure. the mental domi-
mates the physical and lives on after
the body has been laid aside, but injury
may be inflicted upon the physical una
ware, SO to speak, to the mental. The
mind takes cognizance of physical in
jury at once, however, unless, perchance,
it is so occupied with things so trans
cending the demands of the body that
the physical ailment is not noticed. In the
exitament of battle, as we'll as under
other circumstances, one may receive
a severe flesh wound and be in total
ignorance of 1t for q good while after
ward.
These things go to show that the men,
tai man is the one that Is most inter-
ested, and that the mind is the predoni-
mating as we'll as the vital principle Of
mans makeup" Assuming that to
be true. it follows that the condition of
the body is often chargeable to the mind.
That is to say, bodily ailments may be
the reflection, so to speak, OF an un-
healthy mind In fact, 1t is true that
very many physical diseases are moth
ing more nor less than the consequence
Of impure or vindictive mental acts often
repeated.
The philosophy OF mind teaches, il
proves, indeed, that mental states have
a great deal to do with the health of the
body-more, in fact, than most people
suspect. Recent tests have demonstrat-
ed that the persplration Of one enter
tanning grossly immoral thoughts, or
thoughts Of hatred and revenge, be-
comes sour and impure and poisons the
fluid secretions of the body, which In
turn invite disease microbes to enter
in upon the work of destruction 1t is
held by students who delve in the realm
Of psycho-physics that self condemna-
ton for purely imagined sins Of commits
sion or omission, or the mind dwelling
upon acts which the individual could
never bring himself to actually commit
Will produce bodily sickness 1t is no
uncommon thing for some persons to
imagine a condition Of things, and then
Work themselves into rage and men
tally do exactly what they would Ike
to do In reality. stand upon any street
corner In Los Angeles and watch the
facial expressions of the throng and you
will see all the degrees or phases of men
tai states, from the serene and pure
minded to devils incarnate.
A distinguished psychologist is Of the
opinion that very many cases of apo
plexy and vertigo are superlnduced
by highly wrought mental state, with
no foundation for SO being other than
situations or circumstances that were
ell or nearly all. creatures of the i'm
agnatlon. Another Psychologist asserts
that not few of the deaths resulting
from apoplexy and kindred ailments.
when asleep are the result of great
mental agitation in "dre amland" That
is to say the individua! went to sleep
with his mind burdened with hatred Of
some one, which became so intersg
while he slept that he Shocked his
physical body until it died"
1t is held by some Of the Oriental re
usionists to be as sinful to permit the
Imagination to invent distressing or jim
moral situations as it is to live them
in reality, aud that the effect upon tac
physical system is as hmJfm in ore case
as the other "Qld sinner is term that
is often used, but as a matter Of fact.
men who violate natmal and moral
laws continually 10 NOT as a rule, live
10 be Old II is nousense to talk about
the good dying young" The Individual
who has peace OF mind" is provided
with life-sustamine tonic which dis
ease does not Cften prevail against Lie
continues longest with those who think
right, tor those who think right act right
and live right. Honor thy father and
thy mother, that thy days may be long