The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-15
never depart from the accuracy proper to

les serve no purpose except TO cC-,fuse the
issue and imperil even the strongest case.
One can not hope to settle this. Cf.iestion Of
faith healing-which, l say again, is en-
tire of a scientific order, one in which
facts long and faithfully noted aI5l grouped
IN logical order are the only admissible
argcments-by improved ASSERTION or
groundless regation.
The facts which have had opportunity
of observing in special PRACTICE, already
extending over long period, age not iso-
lated instances, for the faith cue and its
extreme. miracle--without attaching to
the word any other meaning than that Of
a cure achieved by means outside those
which curative medicine has ordinarily at
Its disposal-belong to q categor- which is
not excluded from the natura order of
things. The therapeutic miracle can be
defined, and the laws which govern its
genesis and its evolution are beginning,
from more than one point of view, to be
sufficiently well known for tie group
der this noun to be presented
in manner sufficiently precise
not to escape altogether from car appre.
citation. 1t is a matter for congeatuiation.
too, that, owing to a clearer understand
ing of its powers, the great resources of
the faith cure are placed more and more
at our disposal. and hence diseas, finds us
even better armed to resist it,
Herein are contained the elements of
the definition which We are ABOUT to dis
cuss. Their grouping Will leed us to q
conclusion which, for the mattGr of that,
| may give at once. The instantaneous
cure produced directly by faitE healing.
which Is commonly known in5 medicine
by the name Of miracle" IS, 50 may be
shown in the majority of cases. a natural
phenomenon which is produced at all
times, In the most different .egrees of
civilization and among the most various
religions, and it is as regular ilZ its mani
festation as ii Is dftused in latitude The
so-calied miraculous facts-i maze no pre-
tense here to express any new opinion
have double character: they are engen.
dered by special disposition Oh the part
OF the patient: confidence, a "credulity,
receptivity of suggestion, IS Il is called
nowadays, favorable to the tlith cure
which may be brought to bear = various
ways. On the other hand, the .iomain of
faith healing is limited: to p2oduce it's
effects it must be applied to those cases
which demand for their cure nc. interyen.
ton beyond the power which this mind has
over the body-cases which HIGH TukeS
has analysed so excellentiy in h;s remark
y
pass these bounds, for We are.powerless
against natural laws. For example, no
instance can be found amongst the rec
ords sacred 10 so-called miraculous cures
where the faith cure has avaiIed:to restore
an amputated limb On the oEher hand.
there are hundreds OF recorde- cases of
the cure OF paralysis, but ! think these
have ali partaken of the nature of those
which Prof. Russell Reynoldst ha@ classified
under the heading OF paralysis depend
end on idea"
know that nowadays some OK the doc
tors who have been appointed ITO verify
miraculous cures, men whose good faith is
UnQucsJIoncd, are forced to aiios that the
Sudden disappearance OF parSS and
convulsions Is due to no cause O.Itslde the
domain OF natura law. They devote their
attention TO prov ng that tumors and Ill
GERS oi the most stubborn kind zare COM
mon merchandise in the realm x miracu-
lows therapeutics. | do not dIsIslte H. I
agree with them IN thinking .hat faith
hca.lnG may III certain cases dire 'tiy cause
ulcers and tumors to disappear, gut | be-
!lcve also that this group OF .iSsi0ns. IN
spite 81 The apparent truth OF th.cOntrarv,
are ~ the same nature and ot TIL: same es-
senca as the paralysis OF Wh-ch | was
speak king just now.
the more OF leo sudden cure i convul-
SONS anu paralysis y ere fOrmeri. regarded
As 4 ths rapeCtlc miracle of The .@fst water.
science having shown that tAes. ailments
mad AyStericai origIn-thAt -is TO say,
that they are not organic, at purely
dynanlc-the miraculous cure in such
| eases became thing OF the past. Sobelt!
Ana .tiI be further proved thatthese tu-
Inurs ANA ulcers. round which Ssch con-
tcoversy races, are also OF hyst1-ical ma
| tIre, ana that they are amena.Se 10 this
same ia,th cure as well as paralysis and
COMMISSIONS, there Will be az e:.d Of the
m3rac.e theory. Why should soanuch dis
trust Dc shown towards sCIenEa, winch
must IN tie long run have the lat word in
every case?
Il i murn sim pier 10 allow th5t m3racu-
ious therapeutics and science gave gone
through a similar evolution. RztWeen re-
Asous and las faith cure no [: distinction
can oe made; the me Worksg OF the
brain produces II each case the znle effect.
'"Ii5ustrati0us Of the Influences - the Mad
Upon the BoGy in HeaIta and l=s-ase, De-
signed 20 E.ucidate the Action OF thss inagina-
ton" London, Ck4rCblI, 49,
t"Remarks on Paralysis ana O,he= Disorders
OF Motion aad sensation DspencanE on Ides."
read 10 tbs Medical section Sle British
! Medical ASSOCIATION, leeds, JULY 1863; in
! Erssas. 4c4ta- Journal, November, l4s,4.