Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1922-06-28 | Page 5 | Your Health

' YOUR HEALTH OV OR R H. BISHOP - Wo often read of the power of mind over matter, associating the phrase! usually with hynotism. HoVevcr. in curing and preventing disease, there Is nothing that can help' more readily to win a battle with ill -ress than a cheerful frame of mind on the patient's part The physician early learns that one of the best weapons he carries against disease In the power to persuade a sufferer that his illness is not serious and that his co-operation with doctor and nurse will bring speed; recovery Instances are common In which those In attendance have won an ai-ijiost ai-ijiost hopeless case simply by maln-tainlng maln-tainlng a cheerful frame of mind and i communicating that checrfulnea to the I patient. 1 read recently of such a case. A man lay critically ill of pneu-, pneu-, monla. but the nurse kept assuring ihlm that he would recover The consultant con-sultant entered the ward and. after a thorough examination of the man. pointed out tohls students the symptoms symp-toms which made recovery highly Improbable. Im-probable. The nurse, an Irish woman, plain and middle aged, but with a rep-1 rep-1 nation of pulling through almost hopeless cases, noted a change come over the patient as he heard the verdict. ver-dict. When the chief left, she sat down beside the man and. taking his nanus in ners. taiKed lo mm as a mother would talk to a little cgild. 'trying to restore hls hope and figHtin (courage. But the man lay llstles. A i little later, in the ward office, the nurse urged the chief he waa one of j the greatest of hi day: "'Go ba.-k and I tell that muii he can get well Vou have killed his hopes Je if you mufet. but make him believe he CUI gel well." I The chief looked at her steadily a !moment and said. "You are right, 1 1 will." A few moments later he returned to the ward with another physician, I m lit), going over the case said he be-1 ,lieved such and sucli things would tldo lover the condition, and sitting down I leslde the patient, told him he expect-1 ed to save him, but not without his I co-operation, and he patiently proceed-1 e,j ui rekindle the hope of recovery In the man. He did gel well, and the chief told Iflils students that the recovery was due (wholly to the nurse's skill. She did . not know she was using psychology; I she only knew she was using sense.