The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-11
SICK CURED AS BY MIRACLE.
rsYCHOTHERAPY. OR SUGGESTION
As A CAUSE OR CURE OF
DISEASE.

The last number OF the Medical Record
of this city contains the full text of the
last annual address of DR.. H. T. Seeiye
as president of the Hampshire County
Branch of the Massach usetts Medical So
Getty. II is devoted to a very interesting
discussion of the theme OF the Importance
Of suggestion as both q means of produc-
Ing disease and the agent for its cure. The
subject has peculiar pertinence at this
time OF faith cures and Christian Sci
ence healing" for it explains the reasons
for whatever Justification there may be In
their pretensious.
DR.. Seelye begins his address by saying
that his purpose is not TO discuss the
broad subject of hypnotism. but rather the
outlying field of influence acting on the
mind when no conscious abnormal change
has been produced on the patient. In
hypnoism. as he explains, the subjection
OF the will of the subject 10 the desires of
the hypnotizer is conscious. so that the
assertion is made that person cannot be
hypnotized unconsciously or against his
will; but mere suggestion may frequently
and altogether unconsciously play its part
in producing symptoms or modifying bodi-
~ functions. without the patient, or. some
times the operator, being in the least
aware that the suggestion has been iuten-
tionally made with the expectation of
given result, and consequently appropri-
ate ideas, artfuily suggested, will often
arouse the latent subconscious mind to
perform wonders in undOing disorders
wholly or partly caused or aggravated by
unconscious fears or anticipated evils"
THE essential fact for success seems TO
he ny ait nan
sciously or unconsciously. there must be
in the mind of the individual a desire,
longing, a hope, a faith, or an expectation
that certain condition will in time pre-
vail Surprising as it may seem. il is
however the unconscious belief. usually
that works most powerfully. and often this
is directly contrary to the conscious and
expressed opinion of the subject And
here suggestion may be made either to
strengthen or weaken this subconscious
impression. as directed by the operator,
for the good of the patient Granting this
theory of unconscious cerebraton and ex-
pectant attention, due to suggestion, to
be correct, we have now an adequate ex-
PLANTATION of the many authentic cures of
both functional and chronic organic disor-
ders wrought by faith cures and Christian
Scientists" While not belittling the real
value of scientific uses of active drugs and
sanitary hygienic measures, he calls at
tention also to the patient toward the
physician and his curative measures, as a
very important item in the rapidity and
thoroughness of the cure. DR.. Seelye then
| proceeds TO give the history of eight cases
on which he used suggestions with nota-
Bile success.
The first was of a young girl of IS years
of delicate nervous temperament. While
| suffering from headache, she took some
so-called headache powders" probably
| chiefly acetanilid. In the morning her
| t,o,- llrr
sleeping; and fearing the Supplying effect
| of the unknown powder, awakened her
! with fright expressed in her voice and
manner. Grace opened her eyes in sur
| prise at this unusual method of waking
and doubtless noticed at once the fright
| eued expression of her companion and her
startled cry of, what's the matter with
| you, Grace? Can't you speak? she SEEM
! ed forthwith to become literally paralyzed
with fear and found herself unable to
| move hand or foot, or to utter word.
| Her room-mate's added fright and start.
| ling announcement that the powder had
| poisoned her and she was certainly para-
! lyzed, and the summoning of the rest OF
| the excited household only added to the
| intensity of the girls belief in the actual
| ity of her helpless condition" DR.. Seelye
| was summoned and found the room full
of anxious friends watching the girl, VINO
| was acutely awake and mentally active,
but lying fiat on her back unable to talk.
| swallow, or use any muscles save those
| of the eye. After requesting the family
to withdraw for a few minutes he ex-
| planned confidently 20 the patient that the
| reason of her remaining in her present
| condition was a failure to apply the prop
er remedies, but that, unders tanding thor
oughy her disorder, he could assure her
! of prompt and rapid recovery. Then,
| having gained her confidence, l began
using remedial measures in themselves in
| ert, applying them, and at the same time
so commenting on them as to attract her
| attention to and concentrate her nervous
energy on successive paralyzed parts; till
| in turn she speedily recovered her voice.
was able to swallow moved her head, then
her hands, arms, legs and body, and in
less than five minutes from beginning
! conference.-the she was walking about
| the room and out into the hall, shouting
| to the astonished family that she was cured
| and all right. The cure was wrought en-
tirely by suggestion. without the patients
| being at all aware of the efficient cause of
| her recovery, which she, as intended by
| me- attributed to the intelligent use OF
| very powerful drugs and local applica-
! tons"
The second case was that of farm lab
orer of IS years who came to DR.. Seelye
complaining that he had awakened that
morning with intense pain and lameness
on one side of his neck at every effort
said that he had once before had just
such an attack, and was under treatment
for two weeks before he was relieved and
able to go to work.
1T proved to be a typical case of wry
| neck l asked him If he would be sur
priesd If l should send him from my of
fee cured after few minutes of treat
meut. This aroused his attention and Gre
! dulity and he laughingly replied that he
did not think he could. l assured him,
however, of prompt relief, and began maxi
| ing local applications and rubbings which
l told him would draw the pain out and
| scatter it. At the same time | encoura ged
him to move his head, first slowly then
| rapidly, remarking constantly that the
pain was lessening, till, within FIVE min
utes he found he could turn and twist
his head as freely as ever. in any direc-
ton, without the slightest pain. The
| Christian Scientists would, in time, have
produced the same effect by telling him
that pain does not exist ID is purely suh-