The times., 1899-04-23

but am merely giving my individual opin-
ion, which is based upon rather wide
experience as a general practitioner of
medicine.
In order to understand how a thought
can influence the physical organs, it is
necessary to have some conception of what
is called the subconscious mind, which is
that part of the mentality that carries
on such involuntary actions as the circu
lation of the blood, the digestion OF the
food, etc If these obscure functions were
dependent upon the exercise of the con-
seious viii, the very necessity OF drawing
the breath in and out several times a min
ute during ones lifetime would be such
a stupendous eiiort as to appall the brav-
est and most energetic of creatures But
these matters have all been simplifed by
a beneficents Creator through the action of
the subconscious mind. This mind. while
distinct from the thought, or intellectual
faculties, may, however. be affected by
them, and that symapthetic relationship
is the foundation of all the phenomena OF
the faith cuTist and the mental healer.
/ Though these effects are generally un-
conscious on the part of the subject, there
is no reason why this should be necessa-
rily so; and few simple experiments will
convince almost anyone that the mind
may have conscious effect on the body.
one which is of no use in a practical way
is to fix the mind intently on certain
part Of the skin. say the inside of the
wrist. II the mind is not allowed to
waver from the point in a few minutes
the surface of the wrist will be sufused
by warm glow and an itching, burning
sensation will appear. One of the most
general effects of this concentration of
thought on some part of the body is the
restlessness which ensues and the conse-
quent difficulty OF holding the part still
for any length of time. Ii is, therefore,
easy to understand how the constant dwell
| ling of the mind upon some slight or
imaginary Ill may aggrayate the condition
If existent, or even cause IL to appear if
imaginary.
A curious case OF this kind came under
my observation not long ago. A young
woman patient of mine consulted me
about a hard lump in her throat, VIII ch
had been gradually getting larger for
some time. She seemed very much trol-
bled about il, and confessed to me that
there were few moments in the day in
which the fear of its developing into a
malignant growth was absent from her
min. On examination ! found in her
throat the purple congestion which is fire.
quently encountered in connection with
cancer After consulting another physi-
Il.
6 cancer, 1t would be not useless but
cruel TO enlighten her as to the real con-
dition of her throat.
So We constantly referred to the swelling
as a simple and common enlargement of
| a gland. The patient, thus reassured,
ceased thinking about her throat and -af-
| ter few weeks the swelling actually be-
| gan TO diminish in size. and at last COM
pletely disappeared. Hers was doubtless
an par.ffn mol but rlx
that such fear thoughts may have tangi-
| bic effects on the physical plane.
, There is an old superstition, which
| doubtless originated among people who
understood the principles Of mental the
rapeutics, that If a child of stunted growth
| is placed beside a young sapling and peg
driven into the sapling on level with the
| top of the child's head, the young tree
| grows and the distance between the ground
and the peg increases, the child will also
begin to grow. If the child really were to
| become interested In the procedure and
should earnestly watch the growth of the
| sapl!ng, ! can understand how such atten-
| tion on its part might impress its sub
conscious mind with the idea of growth SO
| strongly that its body would respond to the
impulse and actually begin to grow.
think that the rapid growth of child
| has often been augmented by the con-
slant exclamations of its relatives and
| friends of why, how that child is grow
ing," Nervous children become more ner-
vous when their attention is called to their
| condition by doctors consultations with
anxious parents in their presence. while
| the little sufferers from St Vitus dance or
| Chorea become much worse ON seeing that
their antics attract the pitying attention of
| their elders. Most doctors have found that
/ a child whose parents are terrified when a
| case of measles or scarlet fever breaks out
in the neighborhood, is much more apt to
| contract the disease than liz the little rag
amuffin who comes and goes when he
pleases, without thought or fear of meas
| les.
Every physician will remember the great
number of dysenteric and diarrhoeal cases
| he was called upon TO treat during the
| cholera scare few years ago. AT that
time there were about three times as many
cases of that kind as are usual during the