The angel of Bethesda, visiting the invalids of a miserable world [Seven lines of…

XXI. WE read, Heaviness in the Heart of man makes it stoop; but a Good Word makes it Glad. We read, A Cheerful Heart does good like a Medicine; but a broken spirit dries the Bones. The Invigoration, or the Debilitation of the Nishmath-Chajim, is that wherein these ancient Observations are accomplished.

XXI. WE read, Heaviness in the Heart of man makes it stoop; but a Good Word makes it Glad. We read, A Chearful Heart does good like a Medicine; but a broken spirit dries the Bones. The Invigoration, or the Debilitation of the Nishmath-Chajim, is that wherein these ancient Observations are accomplished.

IT is a Remark of Baglivi, but it may have been made by Ten Thousand more; That a great part of our Diseases, Either do Rise from, or are Fed by, a Weight of Cares, lying on the Minds of men. Diseases that seem Incurable, are easily Cured by agreeable Conversation. Disorders of the Mind, first bring Diseases on the Stomach; and so the whole Mass of Blood gradually becomes infected. And as long as the Passions of the Mind continue, the Diseases may indeed change their Forms; but they rarely quit the Patients.

A BONIFACIUS heretofore Addressed the Physicians on this Occasion, in such Terms as these. Tranquility of Mind, will do Strange Things towards the Relief of Bodily Maladice. Tis not without Reason, that Hofman in this Dissertation, Des Moyens de vivre longtems, does insist on Tranquility of Mind as the chief among the Ways to Live Long; and that this is the cause why we read, The Fear of the Lord tendeth to Life. They that have Practised, The Art of Curing by Expectation, have made an Experiment of what the Mind will do towards the Cure of the Body. By Practising, The Art of Curing by Consolation, you may carry on the Experiment. I Propound then, Let the Physician with all possible Ingenuity of Conversation, find out, what matter ⟨p. 14⟩