The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-09

force, the Empiricists, who consid- cred disease only with respect to the s'symptoms,'' regardless of the causes, and the modern belief that various and complex notifications of normal structure and function, resulting from the conditions of environment or in herent tendencies cause all our ills.
 Naturally with so many theories of disease, countless remedies were pro- pounded by the followers of the sev- remedies as follows: Magic, phych1c, surgical, pharmacologicaI and preven- tive Particular attention is called ito the first of these remedial measures, magic medicine or folk medicine Superstitions regarding disease and it's remedies are everywhere preVa- lent not only among the -unciviized and uneducated, but also in the culti- vated communities; the horse chest nut, for example, is carried for the prevention of rheumatism by many who cannot plead ignorance.
 Magic has been defined as the ''pre- tended art of producing supernatural effects by bringing into play the ae- ton of supernatural or spiritual be- ings, or departed spirits, or of the oc-y cult powers of nature.'' Its appl1ca- ton to the treatment of disease is magic medicine; the agents may be the gods or demons, disembodied Spir- it's of men, animals, plants or miner als, or may be occult influences res1d- ing in, or. excited through, certain nat ura1 objects. These agents or inf1u- ences are often brought into action by exorcism, invocations, incantations, or eeremonials of various kinds, prac tices especially common among the American Indians and negroes. The casting out of evil spirits by religious or magic formulas or ceremonies is known as exorcisn; fnvocations con sist of prayers for the assistance of disembodied spirits of men, animals, or gods, while incan tatiOnS comprise the magical words spoken or sung. Other forms of magic medicine con- ] siSt of the employment of amu1etS or objects worn as a protection, tal1is- mans, object supposed to work won ders whether kept in ones possession or not; fetches, material objects be- 1ieved to represent a spirit, or be the abode of the same, whose compassion
 may be induced, and signatures, out
 ward signs found upon plants, min
 erals or other objects, believed to point to their appropriate use medici- nallv and followed extensively at one
 time in China. The museums col1ec- l tions contain many odd and some
 weird amulets and talIismans, among them are chestnut, (rabbits foot, an | amulet strap, a Spider in a walnut
 shell, cramp bones and rings, charms,
 madstones, precious stones, and skull bones,
 The second grand division of reme-
 dies is known as psychic medicine or
 that treating the mind and soul. It's
 subdivisions include the laying on of
 hands, royal touch, music, metal1o- l theraphy, suggestion, hypnotisn, faith
 cure and the like. Surgical medicine
 forms the third division and includes bath, messages, exercise, electricity, 1 acupuncture, cautery, b1ood-Ietting,
 and modern surgery. The first four Urea tments are well known; acupunc- ture consists of pricking the living | tissues by needles, and eautery, of | burning the same, while b1ood-letting g | is the old fashioned remedy for many ailments used on our grandparents.
 The next series of exhibits pertains
 to pharmacologtcal medicines or drugs I which were used by the American In | dians to certain extent, and in
 Egypt, Greece, Arabia, the Orient and
 in civilized countries today. Serums, This collection is followed by exam pies of what is known as preventive
 medicine, the fifth and last division, including the use and value of water, food, air. beverages and condiments,
 soil, habitations, sewage, clothing, eli l mate disposal of the dead and disin-
 lection.
 Other special cases display many I forms of animal and vegetable prod ucts, as well asSvarious chemical com l pounds. One case shows the compo-