A method or system of alleviating or curing certain forms of disease, particularly diseases of the nervous system or such as are traceable to nervous disorders, by suggestion, persuasion , encouragement, the inspiration of hope or confi- dence, the discouragement of morbid memories, associations, or beliefs, and other sim- ilar means addressed to the mental state of the patient, without (or sometimes in con- junction with) tbe administration of drugs or other physical remedies.
Black’s Law Online Dictionary
