of physical disarrangement has led physicians
generally unduly to underestimate or ignore the undoubted power of faith
and mind over bodily states.

Even as a matter of scientific investigation medicine as a whole has not
taken this line of approach seriously enough. The Society for Psychical
Research has something to teach the medical faculties just here. That
Society, as we have seen, set out in the most rigorous and scientific
way possible to find out first of all just what actual facts lay behind
the confused phenomena of Spiritualism. They have given a long
generation to just that. As they have finally isolated certain facts
they have, with a good deal of caution, undertaken to frame hypotheses
to account for them and so, with the aid of the students of abnormal
personality, they are gradually bringing a measure of order into the
whole region. Medical Science on the whole has not done this in the
region of faith and mental healing. We are, therefore, far too uncertain
of our facts. A good deal of this is open to correction. If a Society
for Psycho-Therapeutic Research should be organized, which would follow
up every report of healings with an accurate care, beginning with the
diagnosis and ending with the actual physical state of the patient as
far as it could be ascertained by the tests at their disposal, they
could greatly clarify the popular mind, prevent a vast deal of needless
suffering, save the sick from frustrated hope and secure for their own
profession a distinct reinforcement and an increased usefulness.

_A Neglected Force_

If they thus find--as is likely--that the real force of Psycho-therapy
has been largely overestimated, that imagination, wrong diagnosis and
mistaken report as to the actual physical condition have all combined to
produce confidences unjustified by the facts, we should begin to come
out into the light. And if, on the other hand, they found a body of
actual fact substantiating Psycho-therapy they would do well to add
courses therein to the discipline of their schools.[84] The whole thing
would doubtless be a matter for specialization as almost every other
department of medicine demands specialization. Every good doctor is more
or less a mental healer, but every doctor cannot become a specialist in
Psycho-therapy, nor would he need to.

[Footnote 84: But this is already being done.]

Temperamental elements enter here very largely. But we might at least
take the whole matter ou