The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-10-22

wards . serious attempt to estimate lis
value" Prot. Tyndsll regarded is a OF
sufficient importancesto claim from Elm
= word Of Introduction. He thinks j,
quite desirable to have clearer notions
than We now possess OF the action Of
"Proridencer IN physical sffsirs. The
proposition Of the writer is to establish
scientific, experimental test OF the
power Of prayer in the healing Of the
sick. He asks: that one single ward,
or hospital, under the care OF frs, rate
physicians and surgeons" (including
Sir Hepry Thompson, We presume the
reputed author Of the propositioal
containing certain numbers OF persons
afflicted with those diseases which have
been best studied, and OF which the
mortality rates are best known, whether
the diseases are those which are treated
BY medical or BY surgical remediee
should be, during . period OF not les.
saw, than three or FIVE years, made the
object OF special prayer BY the hole
body OF the faithful. and that, at the
end OF that time, the mortality rates
should be compared with the past rates,
and also with that Of other leading
hospitals. similarly we'll managed, dur
ing the same period" Prot. Tyndall,
in his introduction, saws: 1.-TWO oppos
ing parties here confront each other
the one affirming the habitusl intrusion
of supernatural power, in answer to the
petitions OF men; the other questioning,
it not denying. any such Intrusion.
1t seems, therefore. that the Hhole
question OF Providence and prayer Is d
be decided BY this experiment. and it
will $50 be seen that Chr stisnitv itself
will thus be placed on trial. This ia
rather q large matter 10 be disposed of
in the ward OF q single hospital, AMI, as
there is 90 much at sake, both parties
gu yht to be we'll agreed a. to the fair
ness OF the experiment.
1t is to be remembered, to begin with,
that q proposition Of this KIDD could
not possibly come from q man who,
conscious of his own unworthiness, and
humbly subordlnsting his will to that of
God, expresses bis earnest desire IN
prayer. No Christian and no body Of
Chrstisns-nct even "the whole body
of the faithful would consent 10 have
the question OF Gods provideutial in-
ter.ereace in human affairs decided for
the world by the strength Of their hold
upon the Almighty arm, through the
medium Of their prayers. The expert
meut would be preposterous, aud almost
blssphemously presnmptuous. No body
of rsverent Christian physicians would
engage 10 such q competition. With
all the lair seeming Of the proposition.
it is ev'der tly impossible to be acted
upon. The issue is tremendous The
whole question Of the supernatural in
human affairs, and the whole question
OF Christianity based upon it, would be
involved in that issue; and every Chris
tian would shrink in terror from the
presum p,iou that the power OF his poor
petitions wss relied upon 10 decide 50
vital q matter. So, IL the experiment
were tried, it would be instituted and
executed by men who believe neither IN
PRAYER nor Providence, and who would
con iuct il with reference TO their own
ends. The world would not trust them
aud the world ought not to trust them.
But supposing the phvsic'ans were
equally divided between Christian and
unchristian, and that the two bodies
were placed in watch Of each other:
would it oe altogether fair to give the
ward or hospital subjected to the ex-
periment suy medical treatment what
ever7 Physica ans make mistakes some
times, and ,hwart the God OF Nature,
who happens st the same time TO be
the God Of Providence. Evidently q
hospital without, would offer falrer
chance for experiment. than one With,
physicians. Then, if the result were
not on the side OF the skeptics, would
thew admit that the God Of Providence
cured the patients 10 answer to PRAYER,
or would they claim that the una'ded
power OF nature was the healing agent
Who knows, in this world Of medical
enpiric sm, whether the great obstacle
TO the efficacy OF the prayers OF the
faith .ul il not the medical procession
itself? And who knows that Provl-
ience does not withhold its cures that
the world may learn, in the long years.
that it is best to do without the 10 edical
profession altogether d?
We take it tor granted that the writer
OF the strange proposition We are con.
sidering belop g to what is denominated
the regular profession. Now II there
is anything thoroughly well known
among the people, it is that the regular
professor" objec. to any ssstem OF
treatment not regular" and doubt the
re ,lity OF any cure not wrought by
regular" means. Isthere any medical
society that would permit its members
TO cooperate with irregular measures
like those which this msu proposes
Would not this be equivalent TO con-
snltatiou With Providence-a practi
TONER not recognized by the socTsties
generally? Is prayer regarded as an
article OF the materia medtcs' Is not
this whole proposition grossly IRREGULAR,
and does il not become the profession to
50, upon this writer who thus proposes
to con- promise his position and make
AN example of him. II not then We
have a proposition to make which IL
entirely practicable. 1t IS one 10
which q great multitude Of, peop'e
would be much interested. Leg
ma institute an experiment to
AZ. wha, system of medicine Providence
tsvo-s Oar doctor of the Contemporary
R-rie,c is utterly ipprac:icab!e'i but he
maniiests . disposition to try eSperl'
men.s, and shows healthy fsaI T mes.