Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1874 — The Effects of Imagination. [ARTICLE]

The Effects of Imagination.

Imagination is really but a sort of mental aberration, a species of insanity. New facts and experiments are daily adduced in confirmation of this longstanding theory. An Italian savant, Signor Volpicelli, has just communicated to the French Academy of Sciences a paper containing a detailed account of certain experiments and curious observations of his. Having met with a number of very nervous persons who pretended they were very painfully influenced or affected by the proximity of a magnet, he determined to satisfy himself whether terrestrial magnetism really produced any effect upon them, or whether the various impressions and sensations they declared they experienced were only due to a disorder of their imagination. He first submitted them openly t ( o the inflaence of a powerful magnet. The nervous effects were immediately manifested. The crises continued to take place even when the magnet was stealthily removed and a common, harmless iron bar was substituted therefor- But when the patients were unconsciously subjected to the full power of the largest magnets they actually failed to experience anything unusual, any peculiar sensation. The magnetic influence and the symptoms arising therefrom were accordingly but the result of fancy. A distinguished professor who fell into terrible -nervous spasms- and, paroxysms whenever a magnet was placed near him* was surrounded, unknown to himself 1 while delivering one of his lectures, by a set of highly-powerfui magnetic currents and bodies. Signor Volpicelli had placed magnets in his desk and under it. as well as underneath his chair and all around him. The lecture went on as usual, and was finally -brought to a close without any unwonted incident or demonstration. But as the professor was about to take his leave, well pleased with himself and his audience, Volpicelli stopped him, brought him back on the platform, disclosed his little ruse and showed him all the magnets he had been exposed to. The professor was at once seized with a most violent spasm, so terribly affected was his imagination at the sight of such a battery.

Such is the physiological power exerted by the imagination. Many diseases and bodily ailments are almost entirely due to it, as are also many speedy recoveries and wonderful cures. Does not nomoeopitfhy largely depend upon the action of imagination upon the system for the beneficial results of the simple remedies administered? We know of cases where inoffensive pellets, made under our own eyes, of nothing but sugar and flour and a few drops of water, and draughts of the same harmless liquid colored with a spoonful of wine or a little vegetable matter —we know of cases, we say, where these, taken under the impression that they were dangerous poisons and powerful drugs, produced a most salutary effect, where other anil genuine medicines nad failed to operate or give relief. This only shows that the secret of the medical practitioner’s greatest success lies not alone in the amount of his knowledge but in the degree of confidence with which he inspires his patient and the control he gains over him through his persuasiveness.

Monsieur Chevreuil, one of the members of the Academy of Sciences, upon the receipt and reading of Signor Volpicelli’s communication, added thereto the testimony and statement of his own investigations with regard to the extraordinary and almost unbounded influence exerted by imagination over the senses and faculties. He called to mind his curious experiments with the divining rod and the exploring pendulum The divining rod was a forked branch of a nut tree, which the experimenter held in his outstretched hands, and which, as he walked through the fields and meadow’s, and along the roads in the country, Swayed to and fro, and twisted up and bent into countless shapes—or, at least, was supposed to do so w henever it happened to be held over a living spring. Thence w'as derived the name of sourcers , which subsequently became corrupted into sorcerers —an appellation first bestowed upon those w ho were supposed to be gifted with the pow er of wielding the rod in question. Writers of oldentimes have 'left us wonderful accounts of the doings and w orkings of tint divining rod; for it seems its use was not always limited to the discovery of springs of water: it also restored lost property, revealed treasure, brought to light concealed articles, and finally tracked out criminals and fugitives, and singled out the guilty. The marvels it is said to have accomplished could, perhaps, with difficulty be explained. The exploring pendulumJs^an instrument of a like description, after the same principle. A ball of metal suspended from a thread or string held in the hand indicates by its oscillations, and their rapidity and direction, the exact location of mines and ores and precious metals, provided they be not too far beneath the surface of the ground. Were these two instruments accurate and reliable, engineers and geologists would no longer be required. A twig cut from a neighboring tree, a leaden ball fastened on a piece of twine, would be sufficient to ascertain and discover in a single walk all the treasures which lie hidden in the depths of the earth? But, unfortunately, those are by-gone notions —exploded ideas. Monsieur Chevreuil shows that the wonderful results attained were but the ffect of imagination; the remarkable phenomena were but fallacies and fond delusions. The pendulum does indeed swing back and forth, and its regular motions please the eye of the observer, who becomes unconsciously captivatesby this rhythmical swaying, so like a di lent cadence, and which he cannot help watching and waiting for. In this case the motion of the pendutherefore, due to the excited imagination and the expectancy of the experimenter, and what proves this to be so is that the oscillations cease altogether if the experimenter be blindfolded; for, when the pendulum is thus concealed from his gaze, he no longer twitches unconsciously at the string or impercepti bly twirls it to obtain the desired result. The pan that imagination plays in the most ordinary and cpmmonplace circumstances of daily life is far more important 4nd extensive than is generally supposed. If the subject were closely and carefully investigated many curious and unexpected facts would be reveeled. As for the influence exerted by imagination over the feelings and the senses in gens ral, and even bodily health, it is perectly undeniable, and is, moreover, well proved by the experiments of learned pathologists. The limits of this article preclude the possibility of our citing more than one instance of this almost incomprehensible power of the imagination. The facts m the case came under the personal observation of one of the most eminent medical men of the day.

At the time he was still & student, a house-surgeon in one of the great hospitals of Paris. One of his fellow-stu-dents —a most excellent young ffian and remarkably gifted—was’ terribly addicted to intemperance, and at times would be intoxicated for days together. The surgeon held a consultation with several others of his companions and friends, and they decided they should make some attempt to cure this young man of this dreadful and undermining habit, which he was forever relapsing into in spite of all his promises of reform. And this was what they planned and actually carried out:

One day when the poor fellow had again imbibed such a potion of the ardent spirit that he was completely overcome and helpless, the associates laid hold of him, stripped him of his clothes, put him into bed, and set and bandaged one of his limbs as if for a fracture —a compound fracture, and a very bad one at that. One of the gentlemen remained at the bedside to be on hand when the patient should come to liis senses again; and he was to look very much alarmed and to insist on the patient’s remaining perfectly quiet, and then to inform him very gravely of the dreadful accident he had met with on the preceding day; all of which programme was carefully carried out. Thq young man was really persuaded his limb was broken. He soon complained of very sharp pains and aches, and -manifested much anxiety concerning the probable results of this accident. He had a violent fit,of fever, and even became delirious. Meanwhile his friends watched at his bedside and took care of him, one after another, with undisturbed equanimity and unvarying graveness of demeanor. When a week elapsed they thought the punishment had lasted long enough, and they proceeded to remove the bandages and splinters. The affrighted patient set up a terrific howl and begged them to desist. “You are killing me!” he cried. “You are torturing me! You are taking those off a great deal too soon! I shall be a cripple for life! Oh! what agony!” They had a deal of trouble to quiet him and convince him of the truth, and shew him plainly how matters stood, so strongly had his imagination been impressed with the supposed reality of his mishap and consequent sufferings. But their end was attained. He was effectually cured, for he was so mortified and so indignant at being thus victimized that lie never touched a drop of liquor afterward.— Hearth and Home. ' ,