Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-12-10
DIVINE HEALING VS.. MEDICINE.
The Death of Mrs. w. p. Ahart
ArOuses Public Interest.

The Death OF Mrs. w. p. Ahart
Arouses Public Interest.
TO the Editor OF the Enterprise.
Much indignation il being expressed
in Rocky Ford owing to tho death OF n
lad, which occurred early Wednesday
Mrs. Ahart. about two weeks
ago. was taken i'll with typhoid fever.
She was under the medical caro- Of two
thought to be doing MS well as the nature
Of her disease would permit.
On Monday Just before noon the house
OF the sick lady was visited by party OF
women calling themselves divine healers.
After some persuasion they made the
patient and family believe that all med
ical treatment should DO abandoned, to-
gether with the careful nursing which
was being strictly carried on under tho
direction OF tho medical attendants and
which IL always SO much relied upon in
the successful management OF fevers.
These self righteous people threw
all Of the medicines out OF the house,
brought IN variety Of delectables for
her diet and substituted what they
termed efficacy OF prayer rs a power to
bhve tuo blck. 4ut5e ktitcu pcopIc WIN
full possession OF the house, and to all
inquiries would respond TINT the sick
lady was rapidly improving, but exactly
the reverse WINS true.
Mrs. Ahnrt rapidly grew worse and
died about two O'Clock Wednesday morn
ing. m -,
Such ignorance and superstition should
not be permitted to be prncticed in our
city. Any more such proceedings MS were
practiced ut tho Ahart residence, should
have the attention Of the humane society.
A NEIaHBoR.
Mr.. w. p. Ahart, the husband Of the
deceased, informs us that it was at his
wife's request that Miss Knock was sent
for. Mrs. A. had been acquainted with
Miss Knock before her illness and had
attended some meetin gs held by divine
healer from Denver. Mr.. Ahart says
that the miuistrations OF Miss Knock and
friends werc by the consent and approval
Of both his wife and himself. He ex-
presses the opinion that his wife's fever
was lower and her pain less after prayer
by Miss Knock. He is perfectly salts.
fled, believing TINT his wife WINS beyond
medical mid when the divine healers took
charge OF the case.
Mrs. Adams. divine healer, arrived
from Denver few hours before Mrs
Ahart died and conducted tho funeral
services.
Miss Knock claims that the fever was
alIayed and swelling reduced by the
prayers offered. No medicines were Civ.
ON because tho Lord was entitled to oil
the glory il the patient recovered.
Mrs. w. l.. Anderson and Mrs. ID. Ii.
Graham were with Mrs. Ahart much oi
the time until the divine healers wert
called. They said that while Mrs. Aharl
was seriously sick they thought she hat
chance for recovery. The reports cur.
rent that these faithful watchers were de
MED admittance to tho house after Miss
Knock and friends took charge is moi
true. While they were allowed in tht
room they were not accorded welcome
and il they stood near the bed they wert
requested to move to another portion O
the room. The inference was that thu
immediate presence of non-believers il
divine healing would damage the pa
TENTS chances for recovery. The COLI
water applications to tho head to allaJ
tho high fever were discontinued unde
the new treatment. The horizontal posi-
ton the doctors deemed important OF
account OF the patients weak heart wa,
discarded and several pillows placed un
der Mrs. Ahnrt's head. A diet danger
ously liberal from o medical standpoint
was allowed. Ladies' present who wer,
non-believers in divine healing failed t,
note the improved symptoms referred I,
by Miss Knock.
Drs. Kearby and Mcdonald were Mrs
Ahart's physicians. They considered he
a very sick woman, but did not by an,
means give up the case us hopeless. DIR
kearby spent much time in hunting VI
4.
Mr.. Sullivan, a brother-in-law, to spu
him up to take more interest in caring
for the eick woman. He said to Mr.
Sullivan that unless Mrs. Ahart hat
good care she would die. Something
was said about telegraphing to relativ,
at Canon City. DIR. Kearby approved /
| it would secure continuous good nursing
NOT because the woman was dying
The fact that she lived for two days un.
der management which violated mos
of the rules of prudence they had laio
down, was to some extent proof that the,
had underestimated her strength and
Civ es them reason to believe that her re
covery would have been probable undel
their care.
We do not think that the purity Of til,
motives OF the divine healers can b,
questioned. But we also believe that ;
general acceptance of their theories
would be menace to the health of til.
community.
Their ideas have no substantial bash
either in theory or experience. Isolatet
cases can be found where cures have
been thus effected, but no evidence is
existing which will justify the substitu.
ton Of prayer for medicine-if the medi-
cine can be had. The two should go to.
gether, II The divine healers will con.
fine their work to the treatment of chron'
ic diseases no harm can result, but when
there is a case of severe and acute dis.
ease a serious blunder is always made il
a physician is not called.