The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
THE MUSIC CURE IN rAroR.
Vocal and Instrumental Music for Invalid
-Dosea OF Wagner, Verdi. md Gounod.

Vocal and Instrumental Music for Invnlids
-Doses OF Wagner, Verdi. and Gounod.
After the wafer cure we now have the music
cure. and the French and German papers are
devoting some attention to II. II Is seriously
prescribed MS a cure for nervous diseases. and
II is claimed that il can remove some maladics
in the space OF a few weeks. 1t liz also averred
that n musical h ospital is about to be established
in Munich. where the patients will b" regular
ly dosed at proper intervals with instrumental
and vocal music.
The idea that music can cure diseases OF the
body is by no means novel. Everybody admits
that singing possesses almost a magical power.
1t was by lamentations. accompanied by the
s.rangest instruments, that the sorcerers Of
antiquity prepared their charms and their
Evil doinGs. BY playing the harp David soothed
the sadness of Saul.
The belief that singing cures not only the
ills of tho mind. but also the maladies Of the
body. has been perpetuated till the present
time. AT the end of the eighteenth century
Princess Belmont Pigna :elli, the patroness Of
all talents. and particularly musical talent. be-
anne i'll. She was visited by the Chevalier
Raaf, the celebrated singer. who happened to
be in Paris AT that time. No sooner had he
come into her presence than she begged him TO
sing an airette. The singer consented. and
p" sNN VI hNSf> 'sAANe - N@e
While he was singing the fever CT tho Prin-
cess ceased completely. Her medical attend
ant. who was present. said TO her. ~pointinG to
the artist: There, madam. is your real doc
tor" The Journal dc Paris of the 18th OF April.
1888, from which this story is taken. adds that
the Princess was completely cured after a few
According to the Journal Encuciopcdigus.
Of a:e Who was stricken with paralysls. by
making her sing ChriBtm As II hymns. OF course.
nobody can guarantee the truth or these state
menis, but IL Is beyond a doubt. for all that,
that singing has mn extraordinary influence over
q great many people. THIS is proved By the
daily experience that everybody IS able to verify
with facility.
1t is by singing that men engaged in heavy
work iiSht en- the n. GuFd ds he c The S1 cn OF a
impatience. and often communicates to IT a
Rayety which is clearly attestet by smiles. Ho-
mer and PlutarCh tell us that the anCients had
a habit of singing at the end of each meal. in
order to dissipate. or at least reduce. the effects
the effect OF calming the.furies OF intoxication.
Why 20 back so fart AT no time was the
power OF singing more clearly demonstrated
French Revolution. Men dangerously wound
ed performed acts OF heroism while singing the
'Marseillaise,'' and such to-day is.the power OF
certain songs upon men of the most healthy
minds that every time liberty is prescribed the
Music. therefore. has an incontestable infu-
ence upon the human organism, But is this
influence great enough TO turn 1t, in certain
cases, into "a curel That Is precisely what the
experiments 10 be:tried at Munich viii tell us
consulted on: this subject. showed less skepti-
cism than was ex oected from him. In the hos
pilal or La Salpetriere, for example. 1t was re-
marked hat the concerts given by the Lyonnet
brothers bad a most beneficial effect unon GER
tain subjects. Who. therefore. can foresee the
results that may be obtained bv a skilful null
DUPLICATION of musical performances? Now"
concluded the doctor. in regard to mental
maladies we must never be either too s~kepticai
or too affirmative. Remember the aphorism OF
Montaigne: "A grain only separates reason
from madness Who can say that "A musi al
zephyr NAV not be powerful enough to blow
away the grain and allow reason to d!ssipate
insanityi'