The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-25

And now, regarding our present
plans for musical hospital cure: 1t
is not our purpOse-aS in the case of
the Kneippists-to advertise a cure for
every i'll of mind or body any more
than we would declare that electricity
VIII cure everything under the sun, or
that iron itself is universal medicine
we only propose to cure diseases of a
certain nature, while letting others en-
tirely alone. We lay all stress on cur
ing pain. Now, everybody knows who
has given the subject careful atten-
tion that the influence of music upon
pain is wonderful. The mothers lull-
aby is founded upon it, and the sing
Ing to invalids is also based on the
soothing effects of harmonious sounds.
Then, too, reading to the sick-and
there are societies banded together for
this slck-room diversion-is only a
branch of this same cure.
"The real philosophy of the cure lies
in this: Pain will depart if you only
give it sufficient time to do so. Why,
If you could only get patient to sleep
for a period of two weeks-while ,.'a
pain is raging-there is no question
about his awaking cured But. of
to get him to sleep. The music cure
however, serves its purpose by putting
the patient to rest
The influence of music has this ef-
rect: The patient hears the pleasant
sounds and does not experience the
pain while he is listening. This is a
fact we'll known in every hospital. Pa
tients who are suffering acutely with
pain are quieted for hours while Sun
day hymn singing is taking place.
WAGNER FOR THE NERVOUS.
1--WE shall have a ward in our music
hospital expressly for pain patients,
where they can hear the most interest
ing character of music. There will be
another ward for nervous patients.
Fo this character of disease there is
no music equal to Wagner's partly be-
cause his music Is largely descriptive.
For example, you see a milkmaid
leave the house and go to the barn
with her pail in her hand You hear
the first tinkle of the white drops in
the pail. One by one the cows are
mooin5 for their turn, and at last,
when all the cows are milked, you see
the maid carrying her dainty burden
to the dairy. Now, the story will first
be told the patients in mere words,
after which they will hear it expressed
in music, the effect of which will be to
relieve them from pain, and so make
them well, all being accomplished, as
you see, through the spell of music.
I'VE do not propose to abandon the
use Of songs, since they will serve a
beneficial purpose at times; but patti
ents, you know, die while taking medi-
cine, because they are so blue in
mind that they fail to arouse ambition
sufficient to rally from their disorders.
But music will keep up their interest
in and love for life.
"a peculiar feature in this method
of treatment is in the character of
sounds to serve a given purpose. For
instance, certain ailments are best
treated in the employment of soft, low
sounds. while others require loud, COM
pelling strains, and these several con-
ditions will be arranged for in our hos
pital.
This 'music-cure' hospital idea is
not a German delusion, very far from
it. Only a few years since the reality
of hypnotism was regarded in the
fraud, but today Bellevue Hospital.
New York, is considering with great
favor the idea of introducing a chair
of hypnotism; our hospital, here in
Munich, already has such a chair, and
in constant use. The next thing, in
my opinion, with this same Bellevue
Hospital will provide for will be a
chair OF music though hardly think
New York will have. at least for some
time to come, a hospital devoted en-
tirely to the music cure"
1.-THE 'music-cure' idea is making
progress, not only in Europe-espacially
in Germany and France-but in the
United States. At the present time j
am in correspondence with one of the
most eminent physicians in the United
States, who says that he has advocated
for some time employing nurses in hos
pitals who can sing to patients suffer-
ing from neuralgia and certain fevers.