New-York tribune., 1900-04-08
MUSIC FOR INSANITY.
PHYSICIANS IN THIS CITY ENPERl-
MENTINCI WITH IT-EFFECTS FOUND
TO BE BENEFICIAL.

| PHYSICIANS in this city are experimenting to find
If disease be successfully treated by music
DR.. J. Leonard Corning, of No. SO West IhirN-
eishth-st an authority this subject. although
not one of those nhyaicians who are trying TO
form a nedico-music society, was seen yesterday.
Eighteen years ago he introduced into one OF the
wards of the Hudson River State Hospital for the
Insane a sort of meodion. Since then he has de-
veloped the of musical vibrations for medicinal
purposes to considerable degree. He said yester-
day:
Music value in medicine especiay ao,in IN
certain forms OF insanity ana Simple disorders
II restores primitive interest in life ana repVef f
great service When people are not magma tye
music is valuable when coupled with dramat,- M
, mental music for them is enough
When asked if the physicians would have to do
any original work in music he replied;
The present evolution of music has taken place
the result of expeTments on human l. enptons nDea
be o7 to 90 back Of that TO try new methods is
arroganGe It will be b 10 t
Of what touches the agreeable differ For un-
educated and primitive people simple and and chiefly nif
Richard Wagner have a startling, wonderful effect.
A Boston paper recently stated that physicians
| were experimenting patients by trying 10 find
out the note that affected them the most and then
repeating it again and again.
DR. Corning said in regard to that report:
Get FIVE thousand doctors together and you
from pRonos4aph one sound kept up would tire
the brain 1t it to the noXeity OF me uSci 5
understand that in Germany there is hospital
where full band is employed.
Dr. Corning then described his system of using
musical vibrations before and during sleep. He
nuts on his patient a cap with of receiver at
either ear. to which is attached a phonosraph.
While the music is being played chroratoscopic
figures thrown on a screen. In this way the
t,;,, -ir NTH erta
emotions
As the capacity to recall the visual and acoustic
content increases with practice, said DR.. Corning.
there develops tendency ON the part of the mood
couple itself with the remembered sense impress
sions Oppressive ideals lose their ability to GER
tain extent, to engender moods of corresponding
sombreness or, rather-to state the fact with full
slgnicance-the visual and acoustic recollectlons
spontaneously after time. till at length tnev
attain the quality of vertable haucinatio carry
ing joyous tranquil moods in their train ana
largely dispacing the kind Of ideation which car
ries a meanchohc consequent. In this process of
recollection the visual memories suggest the acous-
ones, and vice versa. Suggestions made py way
Of a. speaking tube while the mind is enerossed by
| sounds and coIors has semi-hypnotic effective
| ness"
! In regard to the influence of music over the
| sleeper, DIR. Corning says:
Soft musical far t from RIP asng T
waking state that the musical surging into
the labyrinth and onward to the sensoriHm produce
mind, secure against the intrusion of Oppressive
thinking given wholly to its visions. In accord
| ance with cell economies the effect eNerted upon
| cerebral nutrition by such prodigious number of
vibrations as occur in relatively simple musical
! compositions is enormous. So great indeed, and
| when continued for prolonged
! periods during the unconscousness of sleep-the
consciousness of the subject is not essential-ths
! treatment mitigates many nervous troubles.
/ DR.. Frederick Peterson and DR.. Pierce Bailey, of
| No. West FHftieth-st; Dr. George W. Jacoby of
] No. $50 afadison-ave. and DR.. c. A. Hurter are