Good Cheer and Science of Health by Daniel H. Kress, M. D.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 3, 1914

Good Cheer and Science of Health

By Daniel H. Kress, M. D.

The Doctor Meets Some Interesting Cases — Most Human Ailments Are in the Mind — How Such Patients May Be Cured

By DANIEL H. KRESS, M. D.

DOCTOR KRESS is a regular physician residing in the city of Chicago. He has had a wide medical experience, having been for several years in charge of a sanitarium in Australia with extensive patronage. Later he was medical superintendent of a large sanitarium in Washington, D. C. A recent Literary Digest gave an account of the scientific methods he uses in helping boys to get rid of the mind and body destroying cigarette habit. His distinction, in this article, between divine and mental healing is a happy and also an illuminating one. EDITOR.

We are informed that nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their origin in the mind. Worry, despondency, and fear exert a depressing influence upon the body. They interfere with the normal function of every organ and cell. They are disease-producing.

Jesus recognized this mental element in cases brought to Him; for before healing the palsied man of his physical ills, He said, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."

To keep His people in health, the Lord says: "Fret not thyself," "Rest in the Lord," "Let not your heart be troubled," "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." Again, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

To His church Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock," and, "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, . . . Fear not." And again, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

REPOSE OF MIND ESSENTIAL TO HEALTH

Call this by what name you will, psychotherapy, mental healing, or mind-cure, we must recognize that it plays an essential part in the restoration and maintenance of health.

Fear breeds disease. Job said, "The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me." When an animal has a rheumatic pain in a joint, it does not worry about it. When a man has a pain in one of the smaller joints, he begins to worry, and look forward to the time when that may extend to another joint and still another, and when finally every joint will be stiff and he will be a hopeless invalid. His fear undermines his health and retards recovery. It has much to do in bringing about that which he feared.

When epidemics rage, many are stricken down with them and die who might live were it not for their fear. They die because they expect to die.

NATIVE MAORI DOCTOR AND DYING BY PROGRAM

When visiting New Zealand, I called upon the health officer of the Maoris. He told me something about the work of the native doctors among the people. He said the people have implicit confidence in what the doctors say. When they tell a patient he will die on a certain day, the patient prepares for it, and death actually occurs as a result in many instances.

David, when stricken down with sickness, said, "I shall not die, but live." There is no doubt this conviction hastened his recovery.

HER MIND KILLED HER

I read some time ago of a woman in England who by mistake took her medicine out of a wrong bottle, which she supposed contained prussic acid. She knew something of the dangerous nature of the drug and the symptoms which were associated with prussic acid poisoning; and as a result, all the symptoms she looked for developed, and she died. After death, it was discovered that the bottle was wrongly labeled, and that it contained a very harmless remedy.

SIRUP AND SALT PUT HIM TO SLEEP

I recall a patient I had who was troubled with insomnia. He begged me for an opiate to which he had been addicted. Fearing the man would become insane, I said, "I will fix you up something that will help you." I went into the pharmacy and mixed together some simple sirup and common salt, and instructed the nurse to give it to him. He took it in the prescribed doses, and shortly afterward went to sleep, and slept nearly all night. He came to me the next day, and said, "Doctor, I have taken a great many different kinds of sleeping drafts, but this one is the best I have ever had," and wanted to know what it was. I told him, and then tried to show him that his trouble was chiefly mental.

Faith in a worthless thing, or faith in error, brings results. We must recognize this, or we shall be in danger of being deceived. We shall attribute the marvelous recoveries which we will witness to divine healing, when they are merely mental healing. The devil will deceive the very elect on this point if possible, for many who are healed will be saying, "Lo, here is Christ, or there," when Christ has nothing to do with these restorations. They are cases of mental and not divine or miraculous healing. We must not confound mental healing with divine healing. There is danger of ascribing to God that which is wrought by evil agencies.

THE CRIPPLED AND THE DUMB CURED

I have known patients who had been unable to walk for months and even years, healed instantly.

Years ago we had such a case at Battle Creek. A young woman had been for several years confined to an invalid's chair. One night there was an alarm of fire, and she was instantly healed. She was able to run down-stairs as fast as any of the patients.

I remember a man who had lost his speech. He had been to the most noted specialists in Europe and America. One day one of my associate physicians came rushing into my office, and said, "Kress, come quickly! One of my patients is dying!" The man appeared to be at the point of death. I felt his pulse, and

found it quite normal. I spatted him on the cheek, and said, "Stop that!" He opened his eyes partially, and mumbled something. Then said my associate, "Say 'One.'" He said "One." "Say 'Two.'" He said "Two." He was able to talk when he got up. He was cured on the last day of his stay at the institution. It was no miracle.

Mental healing should always be associated with God's work. Much of the healing in answer to prayer that has been termed divine healing, is really mental healing, and not miraculous healing. The same results may be obtained by Christian Science, or by foolishly sending around among friends handkerchiefs that are supposed to have been blessed by prayer, or any other deceptive thing. Mental healing may be associated with God's work, or it may not. It may be of God, or it may be of the devil.

In the last days, Satan will work "with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie." 2 Thess. 2:10, 11.

It seems to me the time has come for us to get our bearing upon this important matter.