Sickness Of Imagination

Phlladelphia Item. Among the papers loft beland him by a Germán physician who died a few weeks ago is one containing notes of certain conclusions he had arrived at during a professional experience of more than frty y'ears. . In one of these notes ho expresses air oj)inion that at least a third of the ïllnesses of tho patients who so'.ighthis advice WBrepurely imaginary. He found it not onlv against his own interest; but also against that of the selfalleged sufterers, to destroy tho illnsion by informing them that there was really no cause for anxiety. 111 henlth-was to them a matter of almost vital importance. To destroy the pleasing belief that they possessed this blessing was an absolute cruelty. In the few instances in whieh he broke to them the terrible truth that they were quite well he found that the result was genuine illness. For the patients, all interest in lifd departed with their favorito oceupation of nursing themselves, and their health became seriously affected by nervous dopreásion. He also fouiul that, as a rule, weakly persons live longer than strong ones. Without going so far as (o say that the best lives are those rejeeted by the insurance offices, he thought, nuvertheless, that persons "with a screw loóse" more often attain longeyity thun thoso in whom no trace of diseasj can be detectod.