Now it is certain that if Prof. P. does not cure all sorts of diseases, his patients think he does, vouch for it when questioned, and give most sincere testimonials to that effect. Even the cure of cancer is vigorously affirmed, and in connection with cases that have been given up by eminent physicians. But, as this book is doing no medical advertising, one ordinary instance of Prof. P.'s work must suffice. A large, strong woman, as the consequence of a fall, incurred violent sciatic rheumatism, and was treated at a hospital for three months, being worse at the end of that time than at first. On personally interviewing her--and she is a woman of more than average intelligence--she informed the writer that, in one treatment of twenty minutes, Prof. P. had "entirely cured" her, and that after five months--which had elapsed at the time of the conversation--there had been no recurrence of her trouble. Our search for light has led to a somewhat close acquaintance with Prof. P. and has induced him to explain his theory and practise of healing, for our use as a writer, excepting a few of his personal discoveries not immediately important to the public, which he must withhold, he says, for something like the same reason that his learned brothers, the physicians, write their prescriptions in Latin. Prof. P. requires it to be said explicitly that he is a Spiritualist. He is so pronounced in the faith that he impatiently scoffs at all denial, evasion or concealment, of what he deems his "positive knowledge" that we exist after "our mere change of condition called death," and that "the spirits of our departed friends are interested in our earthly welfare." He declares, however, that Dr. Quimby was sensible in not trusting spirit communications at the expense of his own judgment--"as, taking the long generations of mankind, there are necessarily more fools disembodied than in the flesh." According to our friend P., there are now four great remedial agencies possible to healing the sick, apart from medicines in the usual sense. The intelligent and careful use of such medicines he believes in, and he seeks to cooperate with all broad-minded physicians, rather than to antagonize them. The more occult, but often more effective agencies, than drugs or herbs, he says, are these: _First_: Animal Magnetism. _Second_: Natural Healing-Power--this power being inherent to some extent in all human beings, but greatly concentrated and developed in certain individuals. _Third_: Mental or Psychic Force--a force existing in both embodied and disembodied spirits, and as a universal principle. _Fourth_: "Sensitized" devices containing these powers and elements, with the function of imparting them to the ailing and the weary.