The record-union., 1893-02-02
MUSIC AS A MEDICINE
Its Power Believed Efectual in Rene
dying Nervous Disorders.

Several New York medical men are
investigating music as an auxiliary in
the treatment and management of certain
nervous complaints, and one of them
Sebastian j. WINNER, President of the
Medical Musical Society, has gone so far
as to suggest place for the soothing
language" in the materia medica because,
he says, tits remedy for such complaints
as neurasthenia, insomnia and nervous
prostratlon. DR.. WINNER can explain
the action of music on the human body
scientifically, and he is able to demon
strate its power on the development and
functional parts of the moral and intel
lectual faculties.
His conclusions are as follows: First
that there Is music which has special
action on the intelligence and on the
motor nerves. Second-There is music
which influences particularly the nerves
OF senslblllty and the sentiments. Third
That there is music which acts all at
once on the motor nerves and on the SEN
sitive nerves, on the intelligence and on
the sentiments. He further believes that
between the effects OF music and those of
the ailments which modify the nervous
system there are such analogies that the
laws which regulate the one and the
other may be arranged in the same terms.
Slow, monotonous music, explains Dr.
WINNER, provided it is not too sluggish.
has a calming influence over the indi-
Vidual, because it is then in harmony
with the nerve habit of the person who
listens. 1t is essential to the ultimate
success OF any endeavor to bring the
brain under control that the music shonId
first arrest the attention either by its
power or sweetness, and then gradually
conduct the organism into harmony with
itself. Unless measured cadence begins
with powerful appeal to the brain in a
key which accords with that in which the
cerebrum is at the moment itself work.
ing, a negative result will ensue, and in
stead of allaying irritation, the irritation
Is more likely to be augmented. To
arouse the spirits by music, plaintive
sound is required, and this must be in
the key of melancholy which blends ia
harmony with the brain state of the ma
tient.
Some curious experiments were n ade
among insane patients at Randalps
Island the other day. Four hundred
women were cOngregated in the enter
tainment hall of the institution and sub
jected to a strain of piano music for half
an hour. The general effects noted were
as follows: The pulse was raised, the
patients became restless, and there was
marked desire to keep time with the
music. Every patient was susceptible to
the rhythm, and its effect was decidedly
stimulating. Melody without any very
decided or certain tempo was without
effect except in those cases where the
force of association was still active.
In Il case of chronic melancholla the
playing of Home, Sweet Home" invari-
ably brought the patient to her knees.
where she began to recite the Lords
Prayer in an apparent ecstacy of devo-
ton. In another case-one of actual
mania-the patients pulse was elevated
from seventy-eight to 100 beats. the pa
tent not showing any other signs or ex-
element save in the involuntary
twitch.ng of the facial muscles. Canta-
bile music seemed to havelan effect in the
worst cases, similar to that which it exer-
cises upon certain animals. the person
being disposed to lie down and go to
sleep under its influence.
The results of all these experiments
were markedly beneficial. Many of the
patients showed great improvement. The
effects i'll almost every instance Of the
pronounced rhythm were involuntary.
the movements of the limbs and facial
muscles being attributed to reflex action.
Whether or not music deserves to have
an official place in the materia medica as
medicine, it certainly stamps itself
upon the sensitive nerve organism of the
individual, refreshing and stimulating it.
and thus paving the way To modifying
the effects OF many complaints.