Note 43 — Chapter XVI · INFLUENCE OF HOPE IN THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE.

The mortality of consumption has been undoubtedly increased by the very prevalent, but erroneous, opinion, that when this disease has only fairly begun it is never arrested, but sooner or later ends in death. The definite opinions, too, sometimes given to the patient as to the supposed hopelessness of the case, founded upon the revelations of the stethoscope to the exclusion of other evidence, have produced the same effect.