The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-07
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Cured by An Idea.

believe that his voice has pcrma.
nenuy returned and he has not
found ii necessary to seek either
additional or different treatment
The recovery of a lost faculty re-
calls similar cases, many of which
have been utilized as the bases AZ
short stories and moving picture
plots. Many picture-goers were
disguised at the climax of a uictura
which enjoyed much popularity
few months ago (Humoresquel be-
cause the crippled hero of the film
suddenly found the use of his limbs
when his sweetheart was in danger
These critics thought they were be-
ing asked to grant credenCe IA
something a little unreasonable.
Other Cases.
But public health service doctors
cite many such cases of recover
especially where there is present
in the individual no fundamental or
organic impairment. Following an
accident persons sometimes believe
that their arms or legs are not can
able of performing their usual func.
lions. The belief, the physicians
state, grows stronger as the limbs
grow weaker through disuse, but
before the patient can be success.
fully treated, this belief must bel
uprooted.
Fright often provokes the hastyI
Punishment of a negative belief, and
permits the positive Il Cant
thought to gain predominanceI
Slight fright, such as that accom-
panying an ordinarily insignificant.
fall, the slamming of a door, a near
accident, or perhaps n repetition Of.
the very cause of the voice lOssI
will often prove the only medicine.
to effect recovery. The patient.
however, is not scared" into re.
covery, but rather suddenly permits
the positive belief to gain rightfu.
rule.
This may or may not be a form
of Christian Science, but it is prac-
ticed in many cases in which doc
tors have first proven to their own
satisfaction that no organic wrong
exists in the patient.
Prevalence of such mis-beliefs is.
noticeable in many overseas vet
Grams. Unconsciously the men will
nurse some imagined injury which
provides them with compensation
At heart they have no thought oil
defraudtng the government. Their
would be sorely insulted if il wereI
suggested that they were playing.
make-believe merely TO gain the.
checks Uncle Sam has provided for
them in lieu of perfect health. L,
compensation were suddenly reS
moved and they were thrown on
their own resources, their faCuitie.
might suddenly return. 1t is all :
sub conscious process over WhicE
the individual has no control. Grad
ually the doctors are helping these
men to believe positively, and are
thereby adding to the list Of recoy+
cries.
One of the public health service
doctors engaged in treating thesa
nerve-afflicted patients tells OF a
woman who figured in a street car.
accident. She complained that she
could not longer use her arm
though doctors failed to find an in
Jury. Several months later the
woman obtained a settlement from
the traction company, and shortly
afterward her arm readily func-
toned in pre-accident style. The
doctors explained that sub-con-
sciously the woman had anticipated
a financial settlement for the sup
posed injury, and that once settle
ment had been accomplished there
existed no longer the belief that
such impairment was an adYant-
age.
A fraud? No, say the doctors, e.
the woman was so situated that the (
use of her arm would have meant
much more to her than the sum sle
collected. 1t was merely a sub
conscious belief that would not Dc
banished until all chance for future
financial gain was removed.
It would be easy, OF course, 70
exaggerate this idea into q super
stition. What these cases really
show is that a person can be func-
tionally injured by an idea, and
that the injury can be cured by SUD
stituting another idea for the DAM
aging one. II the vocal chords 0.
REM had been actually impaired
the doctors say, airplane flights
would have done nothing for him.
But this power Of ideas 10 injurs
and aid US is interesting. Theirs
are probably few of US who are nol
being bullied and weakened by sons
idea or other.