Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-24
DISEASES CURED BY MIRTH.
French Physicians Tell of Cases When
Laughter Has Dispelled Sickness.


Some French science men have been
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, it ap-
pears that some very novel views were
advanced on the subject of mirth as a
therapeutic, and the case was recalled
of Lord LaneSborough, a victim of
govt, who, on the approach of an at
tack began dancing, not as if from the
spasm of pain, but with the lightness
of joy, executing, so to speak, a pas
seul that might be applauded in the
academy. Lord Lanesborough, ac-
cording to the statement of the
Frenchmen who spoke in praise of his
action, was SO steadfast a believer in
the merit of mirth as cure for ills
that at the death of the prince of Den
mark, the husband of Queen Anne, he
requested a special audience of her
majesty in order that he might explain
to her the advantage of ordering the
fiddlers to tune up" that her grief at
the loss of her consort might be by
this method assuaged and that she
might WOO gracious forgetfulness at
time of sore personal trial by dancing,
so the French also describe it, the reel
of Virginia.
DIR. Denis Prudent-Roy another
Partisan, commended mirth as cure
| for bronchial catar1'h. He averTed
that laughter was beneficial alveolar
stimulus, giving useful shocks to the
chest, and it was wise, cheap and sat
| isfactOry substitute for creosOte and
other drugs. Unfortunately there are
in every community some persons I'M
able to avail themselves of the ad-
vantages of medication for illness, but
as DR.. Denis Prudent-Roy pointed
out, there are no persons in any COM
munity so poor in means, if not in
temper and fortitude, that they can
not laugh, if by laughing they can
promote a cure of their ailments.
| Another learned man told of an his
| torical incident in which laughter had
| figured as a 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 bailliff, his secretary, and the
captain of the royal guards. These
came to the bedside of the duke dress
ed in white and wearing, each of them,
red hats with cocks feathers. All
three We're men of demure aspect; all
three were between 60 and 70 years of
age. Each one endeavored, in the
dukes presence, to knock off the hat
Of one of the others, and the duke of
AEgouleme was so conVulsed 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 re-
stored, and he resumed command of a
portion OF the kings army.
In cases of intermittent fever too,
according to some of the French ex-
perts, unrestrained and understandable
mirth produced by the perusual of an
almanac or joke book in a language
which the patient understands will re-
store where medicine has failed to.
An instance is had of a patient who
was cured by attending the Theater
Franchise and enjoying performance
Of lie Marriage de Figaro" presented
with much animation. In fact, the
Instances Of recovery caused by the
magical influence Of mirth poured in.
The nondoctors in the congress were
eager to add to their number, whereas
the medical men seemed loath to adj
nit that laughter-either unbridled
mirth or "the guarded laugh" as it is
now sometimes called-could be ac-
cepted as a primary hygiene agent
rather than as an aid to convalescence.
Laugh and grow fat" has long been
a homely adage, the merit Of which
has not been disputed seriously even
by scientific minds or by the uniniti-
ated in the mysteries of hygiene. But
laugh and grow WELL is a new YER
sion of the ancient admonition, and 1t
will require, probably, much more than
the assurance Of any French lights OF
science, however accomplished profes-
sicnally and however desirious OF pro-
noting hilarity and good cheer, to
establish the principle that any seri-
Gus bodily ailment may be cured rad1-
cally by simple prescription OF
laughter. For such a simple matter
as toothache the policy Of Laughing 1t
off" has frequently been tried without
success, it is believed in by everyone
but there is novelty on the side Of the
Paris Enthusiastically and original
ity too. Good cheer aideth medicine.
Might it replace and abolish it.-New
York Sun.