58 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



remarks of physicians and nurses have altogether more to do in ini- 

 tiating certain painful mental and emotional currents, which after- 

 wards develop untowardly out of all proportion to their importance, 

 than is commonly recognized. The chance remark of a doctor once 

 caused a really well man to go about with his hand over his supposedly 

 diseased heart in such constant painful fear and apprehension, that he 

 almost "went insane," and this for fourteen years, until, in fact, he 

 was relieved by practical demonstrations that he had no such heart- 

 crippling whatever. 



Into no sick-room whatever, therefore, should any sort of lugubrious 

 tale-bearer, conceited self-exhibitor, maudlin selfish sympathizer, or self- 

 sufficient or careless professional poseur ever be admitted or allowed to 

 remain, even when the sickness itself is of minor importance, and of 

 inconsiderable duration, and the sufferer as yet appears to be normally 

 minded. When ill, suggestibility is often much heightened or warped ; 

 and it frequently does not take long for the sanest invalid to become so 

 profoundly impressed — so stung, or probed, or strained, or painfully 

 awakened — that this may prove, because of the lessened resistance at 

 the time, to be the source of troubles which may develop literally and 

 last forever. Of course the danger varies greatly with different people, 

 as well as with the kind and duration of the shock and stress suffered. 

 Some people are naturally too " thick-skinned " to be easily or much 

 affected by any such thing ; but much more frequently than is suspected 

 is it otherwise; so frequently, in fact, that it is by far safer always to 

 keep the atmosphere of every sick-room, from beginning to end, so pure 

 and bracing that the sufferer's mind, as never elsewhere, shall be quite 

 exclusively impressed by what alone is of good report, and consequently 

 uplifting and fortifying. As to the common practise, especially during 

 the most susceptible period of all, that of convalescence, with a view 

 chiefly to mental diversion, of reading or hearing read the common 

 newspapers with all their tales of undermining horrors and wrong, or 

 the " latest " novels which are so af ten but mere travesties of the higher 

 human longings and thoughts and modes of living, scarcely too severe 

 condemnation can be urged. One can never anticipate what untoward 

 atavistic reminiscence may thus be called up, even in the strongest 

 minded, or what former harmful personal experience may thus be made 

 once again distinctively to renew its life ; nor can one in either case very 

 probably estimate the permanent vitiation of mental strength and ease 

 which may follow. Better by far most certainly to encourage, instead, 

 the perusal of that literature only which is at once clean, strong, 

 inspiring and rightly awakening, and thus to get the untold benefit of 

 such a veritable " soul-bath " as can certainly be relied upon in so doing. 

 Indeed, there is no question that, when such simple, strong, wholesome 

 sentiments only are thus allowed regularly each day or hour to influence 



