The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-08
RIDING BACKWARD
MAKE YOU SEASICK?
It's Only Mental Suggestion
and Illness Only Follows
Expectation.

Why does riding backward on train
make some people sick? That II does
affect a good many people with nausea
10 ride any way but facing the en-
CINE" is a familiar fact, but not many
OF those who suffer can tel why NOT
even the doctors can tell with any de-
gre Of accuracy, judging by the various
explanations that have been offered IN
impresstg,, medical language.
As a 1-.a.ter OF fact, declares a Prov
idence ply sician with a substantial rep
utatIon ir the treatment Of nervous dis
eases. there usually isn't any valid ply
steal reason for it. 1t makes people
sick because they expect IL to, IN the
majority of cases
Nausea from riding backward" he
said. lis a good deal like car sickness.
People expect il TO make trouble Tor
them, consequently II does.
In the majority OF cases. 5hOui0
say. IL IS the result Of association IN
the mind. Perhaps they have been SICK
at some time or, other on the train Tor
good and sufficient reason, ike cucun-
bers and Holsters In Oye1dOses- AIIeE-
ward they get into the habit OF associ-
ating the idea OF cars with sickness,
and the expectation is strong enough.
acting on the nervous system. TO make
''In such case the first instance is
ordinarily due to really physical causes
a woman's stomach IS upset when she
gets on the train (WOmen are more
subject TO car sickness than mem, and
the motion OF the car IS Just enough
Of an exciting cause TO produce nausea
Perhaps she didn't realize mat her
stomach was out Of order till the. actual
nausea came Naturally, she associates
IL with the cars instead Of with what
she had eaten before she got on the
cars. After that, the mind does the
trick
"A case OF exactly that type came IN
der my observation some years ago
A young woman, who had never been
bothered by riding on the cars went
down 10 one Of the shore resorts and
ate more Holsters and clans Than y as
good for her. Coming back 10 ProVi-
dence on the trolley she was sick A.ter
that. she found that she couldn't ride on
troleys at all without the same nausea,
sometimes bad enough 10 cause decided
y unpleasant results.
she had forgotten all al out the shore
dinner incident, and couldn't think OF
any reason for IL, since she had never
been car sick before Finally she came
TO me, and in the course OF questioning
told me about the first time she was
. troubled, following the shore Sinner
convinced her that IL was nothing but
expectation Of the nausea that made
trouble. but IN spite OF that she mad
q long. hard time getting over II, - that
she could ride on trOQeyS without more
or less nausea.
IN a good many cases. 7 fancy. sick
ness from riding backwards IS caused IA
the same way OF course there IS some
thing just enough abnormal about Il 10
upset q nervous system that is already
on the edge OF losing its equilibrium
SO there's a certain amount u physical
reason for Il IN some cases. EUt usual
. y It's pretty safe 10 guess, the person
who says she can't ride backwards can I
. because she thinks she can't and for
no other reason IN the world.
THAT uO'.sn Z make Il any the less q
real reason CT course We know enough
about the influence Of the mind on the
. body 20 knoF- that in case like this
expectation IN the thoughts may be as
powerful a factor as indigestion in the
stomach. If there ever is any use FOR
faith cure or Christian Science, or men
tai therapeutics or Christian Chera peu-
tics. OF whatever YOU want 70 call IT,
car sickness and the sickness that comes
from riding backwards seem 70 provide
the OCCASION