Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-05-07

ully. the fire is too hot and their shoddy
livery would soon DO scorched on. And
,oain brethren. 1t isn't church fights that
,rinr death-it is church sleeps.
P. BoYzY.
A Roanoke Physician on Miller the Miracle
Doctor.
Editors Vindicator.
The press accounts of the alledged won
derful cures of the so called DR.. Miller, in
Scott county and more recently in Salem
and vicinity, evince the propriety of CIV
ing this subject share of our attention
AS early certainly, as the latter part of the
18th century, and in periods comparative
" r. cent, and especially in the visionary
times If I'arcelsns and Van Helmont, we
find theor es had become general, which
approach very nearly to those of Miller,
and in ia. c, identify themselves with the
same delusiots which that singular and
eccentric oetson actually adopts and makes
the basis # his supposed art. They sup
posed the nstlves endowed with miracu-
ious powr of healing, some dlvination SO
to speak, in them. to cast out evil spirits.
to cure palsy, leprosy and fevers. restore
sight aid healiig, by certain, forms and
ceremOni. $. incal tatiOnS and the gentle
stroEind or the hands. tbs trne, much OF
this was taught, practiced and believed, III
the pagal world, and carries BACK It's his
tory to period OF high antiquity. Has our
boosted :. d enlightened civilization made
much pre .ress and advance upon the mys-
teries, tn limitations, and may not say
the supel sJitiOns, secret ceremonies OF the
pagan We Id? They believed III the pow
er of the nagician-and the magician was
any one who could impose upon the Gre
dullty of his subjects and had sufficient
power Ovt them to make them believe
that they possessed the 'Wonderful pow
ers of ma Iic'' whatever that may mean.-
| This won lerful power of magic to them
and their followers was the great area
mum of the mysteries Of the Then unen-
| lightened world.
They taught and believed that the vertl-
20 Of the Delpbian priestess. the prophetic
visions of the sibyIs and i'll fact whatever
| was miraculous or pOrtentiOuS In former
periods of the world is to be, and could be
explained by reference to this power vest
| ed in magicians who minlStered in the
| temples Of Esculapius, or in those OF
Apollo. The laying on of hands, or the
| gentle stroking of the hand is a manlpu'
latiOn that was often practiced, for We
| find that in passage attributed TO Scion
| of great antiquity, and preserved by Sto
| BOGUS:
1.-THE smallest hurts sometimes increase and rage
| More than all art OF pnysic can assuage.
| Sometimes the fury of the worst disease, .
The hand, BY gentle stroking, will appease.'
Others believed the planets or heavenly
bodies, particularly the moon, exerte6
much influence upon the health OF the hu
man family. and that to many whom thel
supposed moon struck" it was fruitful
source of evil. And Mesuier, who tool
his degree at Vienna, in 1853, who, accord
ing to Bertrand, was u man of very mod
crate talents, but possessed with an arden
desire to distinguish himself by novelties
and by escaping from the beaten track 0
his CO.. emporaries, certain it is, he wrote
his inaugural Observation-Disclosures ''Ol
the influence OF the planets on tn
Human Body" And one, Bletow, o
France, almost made science of finding
water by the witch hazel. 1t is useles
and unnecessary TO multiply citations
persons in different countries and at dit
ferent periods, persons otherwise lntelll
gent, who, under the guidance OF error
| W
lieve what their education, trainln
and habits of judgment, should reJec
and condemn, and which are generally dis
credited by those who are not ignorant
illiterate and superstitiOus. Truly, 18th
drowning man catches at straw" AM
at last it is only strdao,
1t is easy perhaps for those in robus
health to see these matters in their tru
light. Let US be charitable.
Whilst the vagaries and absurdities
good meaning, but deluded monomaniac
die rejected by the most OF the lntell
gent, healthy class; the afflicted, who's
mental powers have become weakened
disease and who scarcely think for them
selves. thew become for the time being tn
drowning man, and are Infatuated with tn
hope of relief and therefore give themselve
little trouble to inquire whether there
any basis of truth on which superstrut
, ture of such extraordinary pYetentions ha
been raised.
Mr., Miller has now been in Roanok
, three weeks. Whilst in our midst, it is Il
} exageration to say he has manipulated owe
. one thousand atients and Of this compal
, atively vast number, if there is one slngl
blind man, woman or child, or deafso
dumb or otherwise disabled or sick ind
vidual cured or permanently relieved ca
| WrlLoI, WHO USdIo ullu uo III WAL, Ouo ~
; lieves him laboring under fearful deli
sion, which as yet no want of success
seems able to dispel. say, the writer. al
ter the most diligent and persistent inqu
~ has utterly failed TO hear of any sue
: person. The writer repeats he has n
| prejudices against Mr.. Miller and can hav
none. He has been treated civilly by hir
and regards him as mild hammered
uncultivated man, who apparently, is
> fixed and persistently and inexorably an
8 dogmatically fixed, in his own min
that he can do what he has never yet don
: and as firmly believes he has the gift {
healing as Mr.. Truxeil, of Roanoke, b.
lieves and advertises THAT ginger tea wi
. cure consumption and all other maladie
+ If taken in time"
This much in the interest of trutf
Nothing more.
ANXIOUS.
y Roanoke co.. Va,, May LIST.