Three Thousand Years of Mental Healing. By George Barton Outten,
Ph. D. (Hodder and Stoughton. 6s. net.)—Dr. Cutten views his subject from the historical side. He goes back to Egypt and Greece, to the cures wrought in the temples of Eseulapius and Serapis, and he comes down to the wonders wrought at Lourdes and the less famous shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec. Naturally he has something to tell us about Mrs. Eddy, and he mentions the "Emmanuel" movement at Boston, U.S.A. We could wish that he had said more about this, for it seems to be conducted with a prudence and reasonableness not very common in these regions of action and belief. Practically he gives us very little idea of his own opinions. We do not know that he helps us, or even wishes to help us, to form opinions of our own. One convic- tion becomes stronger and stronger as we read—faith is the mightiest agent in the world. The subject has a very serious side and a very ludicrous one. Here is an example of the latter. Probably most of our readers will have heard of cures for warts ; some may even have practised them. Here is one which may be new to them. Get a tramp to count them—doubtless he will be glad to do it for a modest fee—and write the number in his hat. When he moves on they will move on with him. One remedy of the not dissimilar affection of wens has disappeared with the public execution of criminals. The person affected used to get the wen stroked by the dead hand, the hangman receiving the proper fee. A curious illustration of this subject may be found in a Visit to a Giiani, by Edward Carpenter (G. Allen, is.), reprinted from the author's book of travels, From Adam's Peak to Etephanta. A "giiani" is a wise man of the East : he does not profess to cure disease, but his methods illustrate the mastery of mind over matter, and this truth is the foundation of all these experiences.
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