The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-18

pepsia Is almost universal among edu-
Gated people; as Amatus Lusitanius has
said Of a poor stomach, it follows men of
study as it's shadow follows the body.
The student pursues bellies lettres at
the expense of vital energy. In fact the
greatest enemies of good digestion are
contention of spirit and permanent irrita-
ton of the nervous centers.
1t would be foolish to deny the inju-
rious action upon the liver of mental dis
turbances, especially depressing emotion,
constant pickering and violent impress
SionS. Hepatic collie especially is init
mately connected with mental action, a
fact which is explained, scientifically by
the large amount of cholesterine (the
chief element in hillary calculD resulting
from the ASSASSINATION of nervous It's
sue. There is therefore some connection
in fact between melancholy and bilious
ness, and in recent times austin Flint
has corroborated in degree the old Ga
lenic theory of strable
Mental Impressions act upon the in
teStines, nervous diarrhoea being a com
mon manifestation of this due to moral
emotion. Voltaire has written with a
great deal Of esprit of the diarrhoea of
the soldiers in battle and has proved
that a cannon ball is a very efficient
cathartic. Such affections Of the in
testines are common among students,
especially uuIlLB 6AdHnndClOnS. EDlQGII-
les of dysentery are more widely prevail
ent among conquered than victorious
armies, because defeat puts ones heart
in ones mouth, depresses the vital force,
checks digestion and thus reduces the re-
sistant power against disease.
This disturbance in nutrition explains
that well known action of prolonged
grief. Of concentrated sadness upon the
development of cancer, the very quietness
of disturbed nutrition. No greater ex-
ample Of this need be quoted than that
of Napoleon, who succumbed at Saint
Helena, to cancer of the stomach and
liver
Even the skin, like a mirror, reflects
nervous and moral influences; many at
tacks of eczema are due to anger and
many cases of psoriasis are caused by
prolonged mental emotion. Even the
shingles are often due to sadness. Vio-
lent emotions may also cause acne, urti-
cara. and other skin eruptions.
The influence of habit upon the condi-
tons Of the body also proves the close
connection between psychical and physi-
cal manifestations. This does not apply
to the habituation OF drugs such as
opium, morphine, arsenic, etc. that is
purely physical sort of vaccination.
1t is the same with the becoming ac-
customed to a climate or environment.
curious example Of this being shown by
these who work in sewers, that class
furnishing a small, If not the least, num-
Der of victims to typhoid fever and
cholera.
The mental influences of habit over the
body Is shown by rest and sleep, as well
as action. When one organ or function
OF sense is leSSened or suppressed the
other becomes more highly sensitive, as
in the case Of the blind man whose pow
ers Of touch and hearing are greatly in
creased. 1t Is the same with habitual
Is Of
danger in checking the secretionS Of a
chronic ulcer or other profuse respira-
ton and analogous morbid secretions.
AS moral action may cause certain NOR
bid results and even disease itself at
the same time 1t may even diminish pain
and favorably affect certain morbid con-
ditions. The anaesthetic influence of
violent passion is beyond question.
MUcius SGaevola burned off his hand in
brazier, and Christian martyrs, with
out any cutlery, We're torn to pieces by
the tigers of the coliseum. Vanity, more
often feminine vanity, IS productive of
courage in the presence Of pain, espe-
cially If by enduring pain beauty may be
restored or its loss prevented Mayor of
Lausanne, has recorded a case in which
young woman had the courage for three
weeks, night and day, to hold together
two fragments Of her fractured collar
bone in order that she might continue to
wear low-necked dresses without show
ing any deforTnity.
Every physician could probably cite
SOlAiS" nat ellie14O6OuS cases, LOT the most
Part. of lesser degree, where, for ex-
ample, serious operations have been
sought and undergone simply for rea-
sons of pride and personSl satisfaction
Nearly everyone has realized that great
contention or extreme curiosity will al
most utterly. annihilate pain. To a GER
tain extent intellectual development will
increase physical vitality and resistance
to disease, and even death. On the other
hand, the deplorable depression of mind
common in poor patients, in hospitals. ex-
plains. in a great part, the great mortal
ity which is characteristic in those asy-
lums of poverty and death. The influence
of the mind upon severe wounds and
upon the spread of epidemics. is absolute
ly unquestionable. Fear of dying has
itself caused many deaths during cpl
denies Of cholera and influenza On the
contrary, the cheerful usually recover; to
hope to be cured is to materially assist
the good. Even so far back as Ganen
joy was known to add efficacy to med
icine Observe the doctors who cure tho
most diseases" said Cabanis, you will
see that they are men of easy manner,
ready to turn the human soul as they de-
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