Importance to he attached to Mireculous Cures. 3^9 



The cures by washing ia approbation, acting together, cause 

 shame ; and blushing is a peculiar re- 

 mote consequence in the body, effected 



1883.] 



of agents 



holy wells, and touching holy reliques, 

 as well as by inefBcacious quack me- 

 dicines, by (actus regalis, by metallic 

 tractors, by charms, and by other modes 

 of conjuration connected with fervent 

 faith, seem referable to some common 

 principle. The ingenious editor of the 

 Montlily Magazine ascribes them all 

 to the pliysical agency of faith ;* and I 

 think this notion (however fallacious it 

 may turn out,) deserves examination ; 

 since the organology of the brain has 

 clearly shown that our very sentiments 

 depend on the action of particular 

 parts of the brain, and may therefore 

 (according to strict analogy,) influence 

 particular parts of the body by sym- 

 pathy. 



Fear, or the activity of the organ of 

 cautiousness, produces paleness of the 

 face, a cold shivering, and frequently 

 trembling and the erection of hairs. 

 Hope, the activity of another organic 

 part, produces the glow of counte- 

 nance, the delighted eye, the lively 

 action of the arteries, and other pecu- 

 liar effects : both these have a known 

 effect in diseases. Now faith is ano- 

 ther sentiment dependent on the action 

 of organs, as well as ambition, ama- 

 tiveness, and other passions and senti- 

 ments. \^ by, tiierefore, may not faith 

 have its appro|)riate effect on the hu- 

 man body? All the sentiments and 

 faculties of the human mind, if they do 

 not actually consist in, are at least 

 closely connected with, the active 

 sense of material organs, and each 

 sentiment seems to have its particular 

 sympathetic influence on remote parts. 

 To make an exception of faith, there- 

 fore, in cases of its influence on the 

 body, is to destroy a consistent and 

 beautiful analogy observable in the 

 nature and eflccts of all the mental 

 faculties, and to break tlie right rule 

 of pliilcsophiziiig, by assuming a su- 

 perfluous cause of an efl'ect already 

 explained on a simple principle. 



It may be objected to this solution of 

 the mysterious effect of faith, that faith 

 depends on the consentaneous activity 

 of more than one organ ; namely, of 

 the organs of supernaturality and <if 

 hope. 'l"o this, hoMCvcr, it may be 

 replied, that when a particular senti- 

 ment arises from the action of two 

 distinct primitive faculties, its effects 

 are nevertheless of a peculiar charac- 

 ter. Cautiousness, and the love of 



* Monthly Mag. vol. xliii. p. 293. 



by sympathy. To apply all this to the 

 argument, 1 may observe, that to the 

 excessive activity of faith we may 

 rationally ascribe many extraordinary 

 and unexpected changes in the animal 

 machine in a state of disease. Such 

 cases as I have alluded to illustrate, 

 to speak in more common language, 

 the influence of the mind on the body 

 by means of the brain and nervous 

 system. 



The physical explanation of the 

 eflects of faith, although to the philo- 

 sopher it solves the mystery of another 

 popular article of religious creed, yet 

 it nevertheless leaves the Christian in 

 full possession of his miracles ; because, 

 though the strong sentiment itself is 

 that which effects the cures, yet the 

 Deity may divert the sentiment, so 

 that the faithful may trust in himself, 

 in the Holy Virgin, and in the saints, 

 whose prayers shall prevail for the 

 alDicted applicant for mercy. There 

 are certainly some awkward cases 

 which obtrude themselves, of the 

 eflccts of very ill-placed faith doing 

 the same cures as religious faith ; but 

 we shift this difficulty on those who are 

 our guides in matters of belief; and, 

 in Divine confirmation of the principle 

 laid down, we must remember that 

 Jesus Christ said to the sick person 

 touching the hem of his garment, 

 " Thy faith hath made thee whole," and 

 not, " I have made thee whole in consi- 

 deratiiin of thy faith." 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



1AIM not aware that any person has 

 attempted to calculate the national 

 consumption of pit-coal, or to call the 

 attention of the public to it, as a sub- 

 ject of first-rate importance to the 

 community at large. 'J'hough know- 

 ledge may generally be slow in its 

 progress, it is seldom altogether sta- 

 tionary. There are few subjects that 

 will admit of demonstration ; so that, 

 in the early stages of enquiry, it too 

 lVe(pientiy happens that conjecture and 

 assumption arc substituted for proof; 

 and when these are promulgated by 

 men of acknowledged information and 

 ability, the prejudice is sometimes ri- 

 veted in proportion to their rci)utation, 

 and almost beyond the power of future 

 investigation to correct. As iu col- 

 lecting materials for the foundation of 



an 



