The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-02

Christian Science, hoodooism, and all 9TH
er forms of extraordinary healings They
certainly have this in common, that all
of them arrogate to themselves the bene-
fits in healing that result from what the
doctors are accustomed to call wis medi-
catrix naturae," which. translated means,
the ordinary curative tendency of nature.
That there is in us by nature on ever
active, constructive energy tending, and
trying to heal all our diseases, has been
known to physicians in all ages, so that
their aim in the curative art has been to
appeal to and to aid this recuperatiye
energy of nature. If it were not true
that the natural tendency in all diseases
is to recover the world would have been
depopulated long ago.
CURATIVE TENDENCY OF NATURE.
Indeed, the great majority of sick peo-
pie would entirely recover if left alone.
Then there is a class of dis eases that
must run their course--and then the pa
tient gets we'll. The treatment in such
cases of reputable physicians is simply
to watch and wait for the disease to run
it's course, or at most only to assist the
recuperative energies of nature. So that
in very large class of diseases the pa
tient will get we'll, no matter whether he
uses the orthodox remedies of the ply
stefan or relies on the suggestions of
Christian Science. or resorts to mesmeric
cure, or falls in with the determinations
and conjuring spells of the hoodoo doe
tors, or simply relies on the Oxydonor, or
simply waits and does nothing.
Again. these various cures have this
in common-that all in one way or an
other take advantage of a strange but
potential psychical law of our being
known under the name of 1.-THE influence
of the mind over the body" whereby
through mental suggestion visible impress
sion is made on the body. 1t is a fact
long known to medical experts that a
large class of diseases are SO dependent
upon mental conditions that any change
in the usual state of the mind has a
manifest effect upon the body 1t may
not be be a pleasant truth to communi-
cate, but a truth for all that, that many
of our chronic ailments are largely I'M
aginary. and are altogether durable by
simple mental suggestion. Convince peo-
pie suffering from imaginary diseases
that they are now well or that there is
no such thing as disease, as is sought to
be done by Christian Science, and you
readily heal them-but the healing is not
miraculous or supernatural, nor does it
grow out of the absurd and vague philos
ophy called Christian Science. 1t is sim
ply a cure wrought in accordance with
the natural psychical law of mental sug-
gestion. Indeed, the cure is wrought
upon precisely the same principle as when
harmless piece of metal to which is at
tached a cord or wire is brought into
the presence Of a nervous invalid who has
not walked for years. The shrewd manip-
ulator of the Oxydonor assures the inva
lid in the most positive terms that the
nickel-pated piece of metal contains a
most remarkable composition known only
to the eminent scientist who invented it;
that it has the power of producing cleo
trio currents, and Of separating the oXy-
gen or vital element of the air and bring
ing it into immediate contact with the
diseased tissue" Charmed by the magic
words-electrciti and oxygen, and as
sured of positive cure, the wire or cord
is attached to the ankle of the patient,
who fancies he feels all sorts of creeping
sensations and. to make the story short,
tile patient who has not walked in ten
years after a few treatments, gets up
and walks. Now the manipulation of the
Oxydonor has employed the same princi-
pie of mental suggestion and the moment
the patient was mentally convinced he
could walk, he did walk.