764 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the cures performed by this means, and states that his own prac- 

 tice furnishes many examples of the kind ; but every therapeutic- 

 miracle, he adds, has its explanation, and we are gradually becom- 

 ing better acquainted with the laws which govern the origin and 

 evolution of such phenomena, and better able to trace them to 

 their natural causes. Two factors are absolutely essential to 

 cures of this kind : first, a peculiar mental constitution of the 

 patient, easily accessible to confidence, credulity, or, as it is now 

 called, suggestibility ; secondly, a certain definite form of disease 

 confined to a very small province in the domain of therapeutics, 

 and comprising only those affections which the influence exerted 

 by the mind upon the body suffices to heal. To this class of ail- 

 ments belong partial or complete paralysis, cramps, convulsions, 

 and similar functional disorders, tumors and ulcers, muscular 

 atrophy, defective vision and other troubles of a hysterical na- 

 ture, which can be cured by hypnotic suggestion, or by impressing 

 upon the mind of the patient the conviction of their nonexistence, 

 or by appealing to the firm belief in some remedy which has no 

 intrinsic virtue. Under such circumstances a cripple may recover 

 the use of his limbs simply by being commanded to rise up and 

 walk, or a person suffering from lobes dorsualis may be restored to 

 health and strength by wearing a holy relic of high repute or by 

 going on a pilgrimage to some wonder-working shrine. In both 

 cases the cure is effected by the exercise of credulity under more 

 or less morbid and abnormal conditions produced either by som- 

 nambulism or superstition ; but in neither case is the result at- 

 tributable to supernatural causes. The sole aim of the physician 

 is to heal the sick, and he should be liberal-minded enough to 

 make use of any remedy which experience has proved to be effect- 

 ive it may be a pill or a pilgrimage, a dose of sulphur or devotion 

 to a saint. In conclusion, Dr. Korum declares that " the Lord by 

 these marvelous manifestations of his almighty power has in a 

 special manner indorsed and confirmed the worship of relics," 

 and adds that " the occurrence of so many miracles in our en- 

 lightened nineteenth century is annihilating to the haughtiness 

 of scientific research." The good bishop does not seem to be 

 aware that the events which he records, admitting the accuracy 

 of his descriptions, are merely illustrations and confirmations of 

 the most recent scientific researches and discoveries in the prov- 

 ince of neuropathology. 



Dr. Korum also endeavors to show that miracles involve no 

 violation of the laws of Nature, but are only the temporary coun- 

 teraction of their ordinary effects through the operation of 

 higher laws. The following example may serve as a specimen of 

 his reasoning on this point : A stone falls to the ground in obedi- 

 ence to the law of gravitation ; the human arm or other agency 



