404 MAGNETISM. 



proved the least amenable to ordinary methods of cure, it will be 

 our chief reliance. 



" In the treatment of that fearful and mysterious disease, 

 insanity, I believe that this force is yet to play an important part. 

 Although my experience in this direction nas been limited and I 

 can not speak with that degree of confidence regarding its efficiency 

 in this as in other ills to which flesh is heir, yet the result so far 

 attained seems to warrant its thorough trial in this disease. Of the 

 few cases of mental disorder which I have had occasion to treat, 

 during eight years' employment of this means, one only afforded 

 me the opportunity to continue the treatment a sufficient length of 

 time to be considered a fair test of its merits. In this, a case of 

 melancholia reported in a former paper of several years' stand- 

 ing, in which other means had failed, the treatment was applied 

 less than two months and resulted in complete recovery. 



" In those diseases occurring in scrofulous children, which gen- 

 erally result in deformity, animal magnetism is pre-eminently 

 qualified to take the lead of all other modes of treatment; and I 

 think I may truthfully assert that, in the majority of cases of this 

 kind, deformity may be entirely prevented if this treatment be 

 applied in time. 



" In order to demonstrate the action of this force, in this class 

 of troubles, I will here briefly cite a case. 



" Charlie B., aged five years; suffering from Potts' disease of 

 the spine and white swelling of the knee. Various methods of 

 treatment had been unavailingly employed in his case and he was 

 rapidly growing worse. When brought to me for treatment he was 

 fast losing flesh, had no appetite, was peevish and irritable. Exam- 

 ination revealed some curvature in the lumbar region, and spinal 

 abscess. The right knee was considerably enlarged and very sensi- 

 tl7e. The leg was flexed so that the toes scarcely touched the floor 

 when standing, and motion exceedingly painful. 



" After a few treatments there was marked improvement in the 

 appetite and he soon began to show evidence of returning bodily 

 health. The improvement rapidly continued, and although he wore 

 no brace or support for the spine the destructive process was 

 arrested, the abscess gradually healed and in a short time the spinal 

 trouble was entirely cured. It is now nearly five years since I 

 treated this case and the friends of the patient (who live out of 

 town) inform me that there is no trouble or deformity of the spine 

 so far as they can perceive. As the treatment was discontinued at 

 the end of nine weeks, the knee, though much improved, has not 

 been cured, as I believe it would have been, had the treatment 

 been persisted in. 



" I could cite many cases showing the value of this force in 

 various diseases, but the limits of this paper will not permit. I will 

 merely state that by this means I have cured quite a number of 

 cases of paralysis, nervous affections and numerous other forms of 



