The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-26
Expectation {
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As is well known, suggestionists from the days of Bertrand to the era of Coue have laid great stress on the power of imagina- tion to produce bodily changes for good or for i'll. This, however, is a somewhat loose and misleading use of the term imagination. It would be much more precise to substitute expectation. v
 Merely to imagine certain change oc. curing may on occasion, but only on occa- sion, suffice to bring about that change. The factor that insures its occurrence--when it is at all within the limits of possibility-is the expectant belief that it will occur.
 And So potent in this regard is expecta- tion that it has been known to effect bodily changes seemingly beyond any range of it's influence. It is indeed difficult to set con- fines to expectations sphere
 Thus it would seem quite incredible that expectation should be able either to cause or to cure bodily paralysis, to cause or to cure blindness, to cause or to cure headaches backaches, and other physical tribulations to which men are subject. Yet that it can do all these things Is. among the most firmly established of medical facts.
 A man, for example, is journeying in train. His mind is at ease, he is enjoying the journey as the country through which he is passing is most beautiful. Suddenly
 
 ln excitement the train comes to an abrupt, crashing stop.
 As it does so, the thought occurs to the man who has been taking such delight in the scenery, 'This is collision, we shall be killed or terribly hurt" Then he loses con l sciousness. '-s,-'s-z
 There has actually been no collision, mo- body is seriously hurt, and the frightened traveller has merely tainted. But when he is i revived he complains of a severe pain in his back and inability to walk. In time various specialists examine him. One and all assure him that there is no req son his back should ache or his limbs trouble him. His back continues to ache, and he purchases a wheel-chair in order that he may to some extent get around.
 This is the situation until an interesting experiment is tried on him. He is told that he can undoubtedly be cured by electricity. slight, an exceedingly slight current is ap- piled to his back. He declares it causes | agony, but has likewise benefited him great ly. In few days he is walking about as well as ever.
 As matter of fact it was not the insig- nificant electric current that cured him. It was his expectation that a cure would re- suit. And what had incapacitated him in the first place was his expectation of injury as result of the fancied collision. -
 Again and again expectation thus operates for good or for i'll. It would be difficult to enumerate tho men and women suffering at this moment from ailments rooted not SO much in actual disease as in an unfortunate expectation of disease.
 Equally, too, it would be difficult to emu merate those who have found and are finding health through the expectation, the confident expectation, that this or that remedy is a sure cure for their ailments.
 And. seemingly, it matters not what the remedy is, so long as the expectation is pres ent. Anything" as that admirable medical historian, J. J. Walsh, has put it, absolutely anything that presents a possible hook on which to hang hope, will cure people of ills of all sorts that may have been making them miserable for a long time"
 Great, in truth, is expectation.