The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-03
THE MIRACLES AT LoURDEs.
,bvsicians Report on the Cures at the
Miraculous Grotto-


,ba French Catholics to Lourdes was
this wear attended with many circumstances
Inch well deserve the attention OF the
.hr;.tisn world, the attention In particular
- ,,ofessed scientists. Hypnotlsm-advo.
80 snpported, half expialned ana nal1
envslooed in mystery by IT'S adepes-nao us
ono szovVad unbelievers, materIallsts and
IooS SOL practitioners of eminence met
- to compare notes, 70 detail
spoi0 os,Its of their experiments and
lp e TO proclaim what they judged
- Ia rrouestionable facts, ana to confess,
ali that in the practice OF hypnotlsm
an instrument of medical science and
curative method there snouio De rigorous
- and extraordinary precautions TO pre-
~ ahnse Religion, morality. the very
guy ~ the domestic hearth, and the
-, security of the social order itself had
f,stIv alarmed by the phenomena
oI,-sSJ in hypnotic experiments, by the
MIC series OF facts recorded, and by the
~, and terrible force covered over by the
scentific denominations OF Suggestion and
nggestibility- .-;.. A..
..cor6inp TO more than one organ or the
.ntj-chriStiau spirit in France and all over
- Frroneau continent, the results, agen-
90 and tendencies OF hypnotlsm, as re-
.erdeJ in the proceedings of this congress,
o,o,,,ted to a denial of the Bible miracles,
and If the existence of any supernatural
royar able 20 work a real mlracles Last
Years. congress of hypnotists was. the un-
toI;avinp press declared, challenge to the
Tranch Catholics to produce at Lourdes or
aseybere any we'll authenticated miracu-
t.ns cures which could in any way
r,oss those which hynotiSm had wrought
y ,ha bosnitals of Paris and Germany.
Nv letter of Sept. s, 1889, described in
,art the answer given to this challenge by
sristian France The irreligious press
imnd II easy to pass over in silence the
vSnderful cures effected at Lourdes during
samonth of August, or to pooh-pooh the
rroceedings of the national pilgrimage as
ibinrs unworthy of serious attention.
Nevertheless, the sudden cures effected
t,n at Lourdes in presence OF more than
i60OO persons. were subjected to the care
1rI scrntiny of a numerous body of physi-
oi,ns and certified to by them when no
nsJble room for doubt had been left. One
iinsn among those thus cured last year.
,vSosea case attracted universal at
terion. is Pierre Delaney, at present
oaniener in the employ of Count de Vii
-Bargemont, in the department of
tha Var This man, after serving his term
in the army, was gradually deprived of the
use Of his legs, until he became hopelessly
crppled. After passing from the best hos
nitals in the provinces to those of Paris, he
snapt five entire years under the care of the
best medical men in all France. and finally
was discharged as incurable. The last cer-
tifcate attestlng the poor fellows desper-
ate condition, was that of the celebrated
Dr. CharcOt.
Well. he went to Lourdes last year; was
carried like log to the Grotto after the
fatigues of the long journey from Paris,
helping himself occasionally by using his
crutches During the first two days they
plunged him into the icy-cold spring morn
me and afternoon. On the third day, while
the blessed sacrament WAS carried by in SOL
ann procession, amid the chanting of
psalms ard the chorus of prayers from tee
hundreds of sick present. Pierre Delaney
WAS mpelled by voice or force within
him rise from his Stretcher to cast away his
crutches. and to follow the procession to the
bsilica He felt all the vigor and agility
OI his Goth year come back upon him, he
Ays. His cure was instantaneous and per-
fect. lie had certificates from nearly all
the hospitals of Paris, bearing the names of
her foremost physicians, all saying that his
base was a hopeless one. And 10! of sud
den be went back to them without a vestige
cf his former lnirmity!
This man is only one among several
nraculouSly and most certainly cured last
year. In August, 1890, the eyes of the
entire medical faculty of France were fixed
b the national pilgrimage to Loures, begin
ping on Aug. q, and concluding on the
Eth. This time we have in the report of
pr, BossaTie the miraculous results of
llgrimage examined under every one of
sr scientific aspects, especially that of
.uggestivenesS," SO much dwelt on by
t!pnotists.
On Aug. Il I'VE had at Ilourdes about
,JO sick persons" the doctor says, land
turing four entire days twenty -eight or
hlrty physicians met in the investigating
pnce to study and analyze all cures, i'm
Rroyements, or changes for the better
Whcn took place under their eyes. We
a" there tumors, wounds, organic affec-
flonS OF every description. Consumption
NO cancer were there in their last stages.
he2e physicians came from all parts
france, without any previous con-
erV were unknown to each other Con-
ncea, or curious, or incredulous, we were
PeteFhlnen to appreciate ourselves, with a
eIIect fulnesS Of mental liberty, the
ac" ABOUT to be submitted to our
reservation. Every sick person was
ne carer OF complete series of legal
Itlncates. The physicians who had at
tenled him described the nature of
r. disease, It's progress, duration, and the
ieauhehS he had undergone The other
oguihentS attested the bearers morality
~ previous conduct. We had in our
Gus al the elements necessary for a seri-
Us lDqury.n
Ut; bolssarie then sums up the general
Sul's Oh tnelr four days Investigations:
~ uea.nS and eighty odd cures or marked
m alseS LOT the better. 1t is strange that
ro,1 e I,OOO sick persons, excess
I .nSy 1atlgqed, after three or four
&C. uaVel IN railroad cars, SUBJ
poUt 70 most extraordinary xcltee-
vnI, and plunged several times each
ii'o oath Of ice-cold water. there
~ ~ w ID four days only four deaths. If
rJi poA ~ the hospitals endured the extra
to a'tary Iatlgues, the excitement, and the
T r9t to which those at Louders yolun-
eatbs 1 uor,1 surely the percentage of
to aus W.. would be far larger. On the con-
H. A. 'ee percentage Of cures, the doctor
ospital ''' VI any Ano"n
ate a. U Une word, be says. ga very low death
6ur,r nu ~ and extraordinary cures.
rri ;ns 1nese pilgrimages from the entire
preat VI france which are known as the
s eHr Jays at Lourdes,' we hold also
a ,unu aSs'zes which pronounce very mo-
E1 Jus Judgments. The pilgrimage of
i ii, even though it may not have been so
trv iTst "a us results, has, nevert leless, a
"a 'nsVructlVe side. Weknow what infiu-
,tios sieaV popular excitement and 'sug-
hes R may have in procuring certain
Al.