The Power Of Mind Over Body

The secretions are arrested or made active by nerve influence. Nursing mothers who give way to anger or other emotions poison their own milk, whereby the infant's health is often injured for life, if he be not killed outright. The bowels aro purged by bread pilla (as was once proved on a large scale by tne Emperor, Nicholas) provided peopie are told they are to be purged ; eighty out of one hundred hospital patieuts have been vomited by a neutral remedy, when told "there had been a mistake made and they had all taken emetics." Much sea sicknesa would be avoided if peopie could be made to believe they were not going to have it. The stigmata, or marks of the nails on the Savior's hands and feet, have been plainly .seen to appear on the corresponding portions of the bodies of certain of his more devout followers, among whom St. Francia of Assisi must be especially named. Yet ought we not to lose froni our sight the possibility that these occurrences, however unquestionable they be, are yet simply owing to an action of the imagination, whereof a notable instance is related upon authority of great weight. The pain of toothache vanishes at sight of a dentist's ehair ; neuralgia once disappeared as the lecturer was about to enter on an operation for ita relief; most functional and even some organic, affec tions (as dropsy) may be cured by giving a patiënt the idea that he is to be cured ! and the well attested list of modern miracles is in tho same category of facts.