THE MIND AND HEALTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20710, 7 May 1929, Page 12

THE MIND AND HEALTH

Just lately we have not heard much about those faith-cures and spiritual remedies which, .a year or two ago, loomed ■so largely on platforms and in the columns of newspapers. But, whilst the mental factor of disease has been less publicly talked about, in the world of science, and especially in the world of physiology, the connection between the mental and the physical has been increasingly recognised. ’ Doctors still'often talk about “functional djscase” and “ organic disease ” as though they were two separate and unrelated things, but none except the very old-fashioned any longer believe in the reality of the distinction-—even when, for the purposes of momentary convenience, they may make use of tnc terms. It is now suspected that a “ functional ” disease is often but the first stage of a condition which, if not remedied, will later on manifest itself bv physical or “ organic ” changes visible to the eye of the skilled observer. hfow that,it is seen that such diseases as diabetes am exophthalmic goitre mav apparently be started by emotional disturbances—worry, anxiety, and so on; and that the various important endocsecretions (which are capable of modifying all the physical processes of the body) are influenced by every emotional state, it is idle, to pretend that the psychic and the physiologic can usefully be considered as though they had no connection with one another. With our material finger, we touch so material an object as a piece of hot iron. Part of our reaction is a feeling of heat and pain—which “feeling” is a purely mental reaction, -On the other hand, we smell the bacon cooking, and that purely mental experience is automatically followed by a flow of saliva into our mouths. An unexpected sound may make oiir heart beat .more quickly. A fit oi indigestion can turn us from opthnists'to pessimists. Obviously, the two things—mind and body—cannot be separated,, except as a purely artificial and momentary mattep of convenience, The physicists teach us that all those material objects about us, in the substantial qualities of which wc put .such faith, are composed, not as we imagine, of little tangible particles like billiad balls in miniature, but of fragments of force or energy, moving planetfashion in cevcr-ending (though occasionally varying) orbits. It looks as though we may be driven to adopt some parallal conception to explain the strange purposeful*activities of living man. Anyway, tl|c most scientific among us are nowadays convinced that, in spite of all th’e quackery and humbug, the exploitation and fraud, that have often been associated with faith, cures and therapeutic confidence trickery, many diseased conditions can be favourably influenced rather by impressions made on the mind, will, and emotions of the patient than by direct attacks oh the chemistry and physics of his hody. Still more numerous are the diseased states in which the resources of the pharmacopoeia may usefully be supplemented by those of psycho-therapy— either bv the simple inspiring of confidence and'hope, or by the more specialised methods of the new psychology. Samuel Butler tells the story of a man who, having chewed the prescription given him,, believing it to be the medicin e ornered, forthwith recovered from bis illness; and there is’ the well-known example of Dr, David Grubv, of Paris who by accurately determining the suggestibility of bis patients, effected nianv genuine cures and established for himself a fabulous reputation and an enormous practice. He used practically no dru<rs beyond water and chalk, but* it was. the specific directions that accompanied his prescriptions which mainly accounted for their efficacy. Thus a rheumatic patient was advised td eat three apples—one at a . t t,le Arc de Triomphe, anotbel at 7.20 in the Place de la Concorde, and a third in the Trocadero Gardens at 7.40. A nervous member of the Stock Exchange, with persistent migraine, was ordered to go to Versailles by the 12.30, to cat an orange, and to return by the In that way lie missed his daiiv excitement on the Bourse. A lady suffering from intractable insomnia was ordered, to take n spoonful of bis famous water every half-hour during the night. Jlic nurse had no ditliculty with the first two or three doses, but when the fourth was presented the indignant ladv insisted on being allowed to sleep. Anil J remember an old "gardener to whom 1 gave some aperient pills, which he, beiim 'cry deaf, thought were intended to ensure sound sleep. One day afterwards he apologised for arriving so late, “ but 1 took throe of the pills instead of one, last night, and my missus couldn’t wake ,! !l„ Up * hi ® mornill J?. I "'as .that sound oil. the age ol faith has not quite ' T'amslied. —A Scottish exchange,