The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-11
MUSICAL THERAPEUTICS.

mUS1CAL TdEhAPEUTlCS.
A new cure for nervous diseases is re-
ported from Erie, Pa. A young girl of that
city was, until recently, an invalid from
childhood and confined to her bed. During
each night she was subject to fearful convul-
sions that nearly destroyed her life. In order
to ward off these attacks, which were of ner-
vous origin, she was given her brothers cor
net and violin. Pracieing upon these in
struments in the once Silly night hours the
girls mind was diverted, and she became so
absorbed in the new occupation that from
twilight to dawn for months and months,
wierd and dismal strains of cornet and vio-
lin issued from her room. The convulsions
ceased, the illness gradually left her, and
now the young woman not only possesses
physical health but is an accomplished vio-
linist and has gone to Cincinnati to enter all
orchestra. In this individual case no harm
may have been done by this singular and bar
barous method of cure. The lady's resi-
dence may be detached one, and none but
her immediate family perhaps suffered from
the effects of the prescription; but against
the general adoption of this method of re-
moving disorders the public should protest.
While to patient subject to commissions
the awful sounds of violin or cornet, when
drawn out by unskillful fingers or
uncertain breath, may be most soothing,
the effect upon those persons in the neigh
borhood who do not have fits, but desire to
sleep, is most disastrous. Men have been
driven to madness and to crime by much less
aggravating causes. For forty years Thomas
Carlyle and his wife fought with fate in the
shape of the neighbors pianos, end with
what painful result. Not all Of US are Car
lyles, thank fortune, but not one of us but
may become equally dyspeptic and misera-
Bile by a constant course of fiendish piano
practicing next door, If such consequences
may befall us from an evil which is usually
confined to hours of daylight what can be
expected when the period once devoted to
repose becomes a time for footing of horns
and the doleful squeak of fiddles? Nervous
women are many. 1t may be safely said that
every house contains one or more. Compar-
atively few of them have commissions, but
they may reasonably argue thatif cornet
and violin can cure violent cases, what may
the instruments not accomplish for the less
severely afflicted? In milder cases, indeed,
other instruments-the flute, the French
harp or the jewsharp-may be found effect
i've. Should the claims of this remedy be-
come well known, as it is feared will ba
the case, the distressing results to those who
seek balmy sleep can hardly be estimated.
The trade in brass and stringed instruments
may become brisk when one of each is re
quired in every household, but this will
hardly be comforting to the man who when
nightfall comes, enters his home and leaves
hope of rest behind The cure will undoubt-
eddy become popular with the nervous of
both sexes, unless all who still possess their
right minds make an organized and early
effort against it.
The faith cure being less noisy in its work
ings was not Objectionable to outsiders, and
they were not justified in interfering; but
here it is different. Unless comets and vio-
Inns are forcibly suppressed or a hall is built
for the use of nervous invalids-a musical
tower of Babel, so to speak-the rest of man.
kind will soon have the alternative of going
into lunatic asylums or taking to the woods.