Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-12
MIND OVER MATTER.
Strange Devices Often Found Il
Ward Off Disease.
Electrical Ignorance the Foundation Of All
The Appliances.

| disease through the mind. PLAYS
more important part than the average
prescriber Of pills and powders would
| acknowledge. The influence Of the
mind upon bodily functions is so great
| that every experienced, intelligent
physician is glad to enlist so potent an
auxiliary, to some extent at least, in
| his treatment of diseased conditions.
| though he is very careful not to i'm
press the fact upon his patient always.
In the early history of medicine.
when the duties of physician ami
| priest were combined in the same per-
son, many superstitious rites and cere-
monies were employed in the treat
| ment of disease in order to impress the
| mind OF the patient and favor his re-
covery. The practice of the royal touch
| for the kings evil. or scrofula, which
continued in England up to the time of
Queen Anne, is an illustration. The
ancient custom of wearing amulets to
ward off disease has not yet entirely
disappeared from even the most civil
| lied communities and is very common
among the Indians. The wearing Of
amber beads to prevent Group, iron
rings for rheumatism or gold rings in
| the ears " CuIt tpll' poy vi oOi' y -
and other well-known superstitious OBJ
| servances are of the same character.
The knowledge that electricity is a
potent factor in the successful treat
ment of numerous diseases has led to
some curious practices among the ig-
norant that rival even the Voudstic
| feats of the ignorant Southern negro.
Take, for instance, the wearing Of an
II Il IL ln-
been used in an ordinary arc lamp as a
cure or preventive of rheumatism. In
some cases the carbon is sewcd on the
| undershirt or suspended from the neck
in a cloth or leather pouch, but the
most popular way is to bind it upon
the body or limb over the affected spot
| with small copper wire that has been
previously used to transmit electricity.
II is the belief of the followers of
this fad. and it would be hard to con-
vince them otherwise, that consid-
cradle quantity Of electricity
| remains in the carbons when
they are removed from the
lamps. and that it is transmitted to
| the body to the great benefit of the
| fortunate wearer. The copper wire is
also thought 10 contain more or less Of
| the fluid il was previously charged
with. The fallacy Of this is known to
anyone at all familiar with electricity.
| especially as to the carbon. which is
used to transmit the fluid with the
| least possible resistance and could not
possibly retain particle of it after
the current is shut off.
| 4 lamp trimmer noticed that several
| men ana women picked up the worn
| tips of electrodes which he dropped to
the ground in cleaning his lamps. His
| curiosity becoming excited. he ques
| toned a man. who after some hesita-
| ton confessed that h had heard that
| they We're a sure cure for rheumatism.
and that as he had been a sufferer for
years he was giving them a trial.
Inquiry among physicians disclosed
| the fact that the practice was aston
| iShingly prevalent. nearly every doctor
| questioned admitting that he knew Of
| one or more cases among his patients.
| Many peculiar cases We're cited. not
| alone in regard to the carbon tip fad,
but other decisions regarding curing
Or preventing bodily ailments.
Recently a man suffering from Theu-
matism called at doctors office, stat
ing that he had tried all kinds of medi-
| cines and liniments without deriving
any benefit. and he wanted electrical
treatment, as he knew of several cures
having been effected by it. a good
strong current was shot through his
system and small cloth-cOvered iron
disk of "magnetized IRON" as the ply
| stefan called it. fastened on his leg
Just below the knee, where the rheu-
| matte pain was strongest. He came
| back next day much improved. and
asserted that he could feel the cleo
| tricity darting from the button for
| several hours after it was applied.
The iron disk was removed and I'M
known to him a disk of gutta percha,
cloth recovered like the iron one, sub
stituted. He at once exclaimed that
he could feel the electricity from it
pricking his leg
| When he returned the third day he
said he was much better and was loud
| in his praise of the electric cure.
The gutta percha disk was removed
and the original one of iron replaced,
the doctor explaining that it would be
| necessary to recharge the first one.
| He also remarked casually that the
| one he substituted was composed OF
another metal, and he was not sure
how it would work and was afraid it
might not be as good as the other. The
following evening the patient hObbled
into the office and assured the doctor
that the new button" was no good
and that he had suffered torture all
day. The ''magnetized IRON disk was
the only thing that helped him. and
that was what he must have. He got
it, The physician removed it from his
leg turned to cabinet, ratified a few
instruments. came back and replaced
the iron button. pocketed his fee, and,
as the patient walked briskly out after
asserting that the electricity made him
feel better already, smiled contentedly.
as one should after performing good
deed.
| 4 young woman called upon Il physician
to be treated for sore throat. The doctor
has a miniature incandeScent lamp, with
silver reflector. attached to the house cir
| cult by a slender slk-coVered wire. Seat
ing her in the operating chair. he placed
the little bulb in the wOman'S mouth to
better examine her throat Nothing very
| serious was disclosed and he started to
| withdraw the lamp when she SraSped his
hand, and. articulating under difficulty
| assured him that the electricity was max
| ing her throat ever 50 much better. and
| far him moi tn StDp if quick. He hui