It is easy to see how the credulity of the patient can be imposed upon in such cases. He supposes that there must be something out of place, and is not satisfied with being told that there is not. Rest, the principal remedy in such a case, seems to him to be a very ineffectual remedy at least, and he gets out of patience. His imagination, with the aid of friends, and neighbors, at length conjures up before him the idea of a limb forever crippled. The bone-setter is now consulted, and he says, of course, that there _is_ something wrong. No bone-setter was ever known to say otherwise under such circumstances. After executing certain manœuvres, he pronounces all now to be right. The patient is now satisfied, although the limb improves no faster than it did before, perhaps not so fast. He is satisfied, because he feels now that _something has been done_. If the surgeon who first saw the case had gone through with the same pretended setting of the joint, the patient probably would have been equally well satisfied. A surgeon of some note once remarked, that he pulled nearly all the sprained joints that came under his care and pretended to set something right; ‘for,’ said he, ‘if I did not do this, such patients would go to a bone-setter to have it done, and he would do them some harm, which I am careful not to do.’ But it may be said, that in many cases the testimony of the patients in regard to the setting of the bone is of the most positive character, and even that decided relief is at once experienced. That it is often imagined, I know. I have seen many cases of this kind, in which there was the most undoubted evidence that the relief was wholly imaginary. As the deception of the bone-setter in such cases is so common, and so successful, even with persons of shrewdness and discernment, I will mention two cases in illustration. A stout Irish girl had an inflammation of the ankle, which had come on gradually. She in some way imbibed the idea that the ankle was out of joint, though she did not remember to have hurt it in any way. I told her that it was not possible to put the ankle out of joint without knowing when it was done. But she chose to send for the bone-setter. He came and pretended to set the ankle, and she declared that he relieved her at once. The inflammation however was still there, and was gradually dissipated by appropriate remedies. A gentleman, esteemed to be very shrewd by all his friends, received an injury of the first joint of his forefinger, which resulted in inflammation. After commencing medical treatment, he was persuaded to consult a bone-setter. He returned with a poor idea of the knowledge of regular physicians, because ‘_they could not even set a dislocated finger_,’ and loudly praised the skill of the bone-setter. He soon found, however, that the finger was no better, and, openly declaring that he had been deceived, submitted the finger to proper treatment, which in a little time removed the inflammation.