Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1881-02-24
Thursday Morning, Feb. "a, 1881.
SOME MODERN MIRACLES.


DIR. William A. Hammond of New York has
which are by some attributed to supernatural
causes, but which he believes to be impos-
lures, or the offspring of diseased or other
wise peculiar mental conditions. and in an
| article contributed to the March Internation-
al Recieao he has something to say concerning
THE Scientific Relations of Modern Mira
cles," devoting his attention especially to
those associated with the French village of
Lourdes.
DIR. Hammond explains Bernadette Soubi-
rons' visions of s'Our Lady of Lourdes'' on
the theory of hallucination growing out of a
congested state of the brain, partly due to
disease and partly to the bent posture in
which the little maid was whenever she saw
this heavenly parsonage. To reinforce the
theory he cites several similar cases, one of
which came under his own observation, the
others being competently vouched for. With
in his own knowledge was young lady who
had repeated visions of the Virgin and Christ,
the latter being on one occasion accompanied
by Voltaire and Rousseau; and her case
affords him his key to the other. DIR. Ham
mond considers that Bernadette Soubirons,
whose i'll health is matter of record, was
subject to paroxysms of eecstacy, of which a
surcharged brain was the first cause, and
which he regards as closely akin to the cata-
leptic and hysterical states. In his opinion,
therefore, her experiences are to be put in
the same category with the visions of Joan
of Arc, st. Francis d'Assizi, scores of other
conspicuous persons in history, and thou
sands of Calvinists, Jumpers, Anabaptists,
Tremblers, Shakers and Devil Dancers. so
called, who, in moments of excessive relig-
ious enthusiasm, see, as in a dream, what
they have recently been thinking of in
tently.
That many persons who have used water
flowing from the Lourdes grotto in which
the vision was seen have been cured of vari-
Gus maladies DR.. Hammond does not dispute,
but he points out that many more have tried
it without any helpful result. When restora-
ton is effected the doctor believes it is due
simply to what he calls ''expectant atten-
ton, /" or fervent faith in the patients mind,
and not to any inherent quality of the water.
Manifestly, such help could be re-
ceived only by invalids whose trouble is COM
pletely within control of the imagination, no
matter how extreme the outward apparent
manifestation of ailment. He cites in proof
of this doctrine the case of lady who suf-
fered from spasmodic contortion of the
neck which compelled her to look over her
shoulder. Physicians treated her in vain,
and at last considered the utility of cutting
the muscles. DIR. Hammond was called for
consultation, and was asked to perform the
operation. He rejected surgery, however,
and resorted to another line of treatment.
Having elici ed from his patient an enthusi-
astic confession of her belief that water from
Lourdes would restore her, he told her
(truly) that he had a little, but he had also
something that he believed more eficacious,
and which he wanted her to try first, namely,
AquG C7otoniS. She consented to try the
latter, but was confident that it would not
do the work. The doctor then gave her, in
bottle marked "Aqua Crotonts," some real
Lourdes water, which she used diligently two
days, rubbing her neck vigorously Herewith,
but with only an aggravation of her trouble.
Then he drew some city water from the fau-
Get, labelled it ''Water of Lourdes: Feast of
the Annunciation, 1872 and gave it to her
without revealing the artifce to which he
had resorted. In an hour and half she
was back in his Office completely restored
This clearly established that 'expectant at
tention.'' and not any supernatural powers
possessed by the water had wrought the cure.
DR.. Hammond applies the same theory to
the miracles performed with mortar from
Knocr chapel, the house of saints and other
religious charms; and thinks that the major
ity of doctors agree with him.
In short, while DIR. Hammond acknowl-
edges the reality of cures by faith, he con-
siders that cit is not a matter of the slight
est consequence what the thing is in which
faith is put" A man may put faith enough
in a horse-chestnut carried in his pocket to
obtain relief from rheumatism. A lady may
SO strongly believe in the curative properties
of an amber necklace as to experience relief
from asthma. But it is the faith, and not
the chestnut or amber, that does the work
Faith in delusion seems equally effective,
in such bodily troubles with faith in fact