Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-09-20
SUPERSTITION AND SCIENCE.
Things Once Foolish Now Quite Rea'
sonabIe.

|
sonabIe.
| Two decades ago the EsOteric So
ciety issued its "color scheme" for
the benefit of its members. Science
Laughed at the absurdty of the state
ment that colors could have anything
to do with health, success or happi-
ness. Nevertheless. the members of
the society continued to believe that
the wearing of dull brown was con-
ducive to worry, and that the wear
ling of dull blue would doom the
wearer to what was termed "earth
work." the grinding kind of labor, of
whatever nature, that had in it no
mental uplift and no spiritual joy.
| Red was said to stimulate the sys-
tenn. the kind of stimulation depend
ent upon the shade and quality Of the
red. The wearing of tender, light
green developed the poetic nature.
Clear blue, whether dark or light, had
a beneficent effect on the SOUL and
yellow was supposed to bear directly
on the intellect. The system in
cluded a parallel in musical tones,
and, incidentally, provoked much ridi-
cule from the learned ones. This
whole doctrine of color was said to be
of a piece with the silly superstition
which laid it's grip on some of the
weak headed of the medical profession
few years before and Developed a
host OF uuacks. This was the blue
glass craze in the treatment OF
nervous disorders. The doctor had
all the clear glass in the windows of
his treatment room replaced by dark
blue glass, and in the light of this
cerulean window the patient must sit
very still, not more than one patient
to a window, for periods of time vary
ling from ten minutes to an hour.
There might be several patients in
were forbidden to converse or even
think about each other. At first they
could not endure the treatment for
more than ten minutes. the most
nervous of them having to be relieved
in five minutes. After a few days
they found that they could sit per-
fectly still their minds almost blank
and their muscles completely relaxed.
for as long a time as the doctor pre-
Iscribed.
| Primarily the treatment was of tre-
mendous benefit to the physician who
offered it. He had no capital invest
ed beyond the rent of suit of offices.
and the initial cost Of some comforta-
BILE chairs and blue glass, and his fees
were enormous But in reply to his
critics. he had the testimony of
women who had been hysterical and
men who could neither sleep nor at
tend to business. These nervous
wrecks had been transformed into
calm. sane men and women. The
regulars averred that it was the act
of sitting perfectly still and not think
ing that restored the frazzled nerves,
to which the quack replied:
| "Very true. but will you show me
how you compel your nervous patients
to sit perfectly still and abstain from
thinking?" To which he added.
THAT is the function of the blue
glass"
| The conservative physician or scien-
tific man does not even now rush
madly. after every new fad; but is in
the mood to say:
There are more things in heaven and
earth. Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philoso-
| ply.
| He is willing to investigate those
that are seemingly most absurd, es-
pecially among the new practices that
are based upon the traditions that
have been handed down for genera
tiOns. This rich kernel Of scientific
truth is sometimes hidden beneath
the most mpossiblelooking shell.
One of the cases that shattered the
faith of some of the wise ones in
their own judgment and knowledge
was reported in an eastern medical
journal a few years ago. There was
a tradition, old as the hills, that cry
sipelas was an antidote for cancer,
just as yellow fever was an antidote
for dyspepsia. Soon after the germ
theory of disease was accepted the
microscopistS applied the micrococcus
of erysipelas to cancer and found that
there was some foundation in fact for
the old superstition. However, there
seemed to be no practical application
of the new knowledge.
In one of the best hospitals in New
York lady was received as a pa
tient. The surgeons were not sure
what the trouble was; but they hoped
it was of tubercular nature and that
an operation might prolong her life.
The revelation made by the knife con-
firmed their worst fears. She was
beyond the possibility of an opera
ton. and they merely closed the in
cision and sent her back to her room
to die. That is. they intended to send
her back to her room. 1t so happened
that on the floor directly below her
room there had developed a most Sc
riOus case of erysipelas. AS soon as
the patient could be moved she was
taken to the isolation ward. and her
room was to have been thoroughly
sterilized before any other patient
would be permitted to occupy it.
This infected room had been vacated
only a few minutes before the lady,
whose tissues were all permeated with
the dreadful disease, was removed
from the operation room. To this
day no one can tell how it happened;
but when her ambulance cot was
wheeled from the elevator she was on
the floor below the one where she
belonged. The two attendants took
her to Room 10 and placed her in
bed. a little while later the SteriliZ-
ing force arrived. and. to their horror
and CONSERVATION. they found an un-
conscious woman i'm the bed that must