The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-16
MUSIC CURE now
r0rsrrCrzTTvFrs REMEDY FOR THOSE
AFFLICTED WITH IMAGINARY
ILLS.
PRACTICED BY ANCIENTS.
lucky Hit by New York Doctors
Called Genius by His Fashion
able Women Patients.


NEW YORK Nav 15.-The fashionable
physician who has To cope with the eece--
frlcities Of imaginary invalids hos h4L lp.A
g new cure for the supposed IFS OF 80
and mind TT Is the music cure.
OF two ago the color cure was in run s"i-s.
and it is being used TO some eA-sAI -e
with patients afflicted with nervous l-a
orders Ia the color cure the patent -lFss
in room where everything is on lne ssl9
ehade-pale blue. pink old rose, so-len
yellow OF some other soft color Inc MlA-
d0ws are fitted viii glass of the preF-ili15
celor and the room is always SITUATED
where the sun viii stream through the col
ored glass at all houns In the day ll IS
supposed TO have @ soQtnlng eie91 upon ---e
mind. and in not a lew cases has proven
successful Some physicians We're SO caught
with the idea Tat they introduced these
colored rooms ia asyluns for the insane
but in this use they have not been the cause
of much Improvement
The music cure. while a new thing to the
presen- generation. is elder than civilization
Tt requires culg search through the books
Of tie ancients to find frequent reference
to It's curative powers. and 1t seems tAal
the uhyEIciane and scientists of those days
were in The habit of prescribing it for their
patients o1 course, IT is only appiiea3ls
to mild forms of certain troubles. mainly
those of q nervous character
Cleopatra called music the moody tood
Of love-" The Bible tells Of the aoftenias
of sauls anger by the music of Davia5
harp In time of pestilence ana plague 1n
the cities Of southern Europe, in the days
Of the ancients. it was the custom OF the
authorities to hood tbe town with music
III divert the minds Of the people from the
disaster which threatened them
EFFECTS OF MUSIC.
1t has long been known that music incites
the action of the heart. and that t1is acton
influences tAe circulation of the blood.
causing 1t to coincide with the changes ia
the BREATHING Ut has also been demon
etrated that the functional activity Of The
skin is powerfully stimulated By music. /
or course these results are not experienced I
by every one. but D. is very rare that music I
has q detrimental effect and for this reason I
physician can prescribe it without any /
twinees of conscience, particularly when !
the lis Of the patient are largely i'm
New york woman, the wife Of a CREST
railroad magnate. was given the music cure I
during the Lenten season. and now she /
claims that ft entirely freed her Of a nervous I
trouble This particular woman Is very /
large and very healthy looking. and it |
would seem that sudden explosion OF
giant powder would not shake her nerves. /
She made the usual rounds Of the fashion |
able world during the say season. and /
seemed as robust and as strong as any one [
But when Lent arrived she summoned her /
physician. and cCnfded to him that she /
feared she vas upon the verge Of mental I
pr0stratfon. This seemed unaccountable to /
the doctor. az the lady was not ia the habit ]
Of fatiEuinE her intellect except on rare /
occasions, when she attended some fashion I
able reading. and even then she talked most /
Of The time
THE SLY DOCTOR
But the physician did not voice this
knowledge He argued that the ladyz
malady was most unusual one, and would
require exceptional treatment. He knew
that she was very fond of music. and had
q particular fancy for the harp. This gave
him an inspiration, and the music cure was
launched upon the world. Very deity he
explained how the ancients cured persons
afflicted like herself and concluded by
celebrated harpist to play for her three
afternoons in the week
This idea was delightful medicine for the
afflicted one. She regarded herself as so
fortunate in owning a malady which re-
CURED such delicate treatment She knew
1t would bring her vast fame among the
members Of her set That they would be
Jealous too did not lessen her pleasure.
The harpist was sent for and an arrange
ment made by which she was TO play three
afternoons each week for four weeks The
harpist charged $500 a week for her services, /
out the patient did not worry about this.
80 much pleasure and novelty for q paltry
$500 was unques1onably cheap So the
narpist came on Monday, Wednesday and
Friday, and played while the afflicted one
reelined on a couch in the music room.
modlste was called in to fashion some
nouse gowns which would give the patient
less robust look, and when these were
speedily fixed up she determined to invite
e few Of her most intimate friends to listen
70 the music Of the harpist. These friends
were greatly impressed py the spectacle.
Its so dreadfuly touching. my dear"
one would say.
You bear up wonderfully vel. And such
a strange illness. too" another would re-
mark
T am so glad YOU asked me to come.
mad never realized how the nerves were
soothed by the music Of a harp. I think.
my dear, your physician must really be a
genius 1t Is perfectly wonderful"
When the Lenten season closed the
afflicted one wos completely cured. and the
zane q her physician had increased ten
12ld. Unfortunately the revival Of social