The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-12
MUSIC AS A CURE FOR DISEASE.
RESULTS or 4 WOMAN'S STUDY
or TIE SUBJECT.

ciples on which the Theory ID Based
--The Music May he Orchestral.
The systematic use Of music a. q remedy
10 being studied by Miss z. A. ves<s.lus.
She believes that music 10 = powerful cure
for disease, and has long been overlooked.
Her FIRST attempt In this line was made In
the case OF friend who was seriously ILL.,
Before administering the musical prescrip-
ton she played a brief prelude to soothe
the invalid's nerves and call her mind from
her suiierines. Then with all the art and
sympathetic power she could command,
she sang, sShe Touched the Hem Of His
Garment" Even before she had finished,
q change had come over the alex woman,
and within an hour the more serious symp-
toms had vanished. After that she mended
rapidly. Subsequently Miss vescelius fire.
quently administered doses Of music TO
different persons for various ailments, with
such success that she determined to devote
herself to q serious and careful study Of
music as o remedy.
Following the old Pythagorean teaching
that .all IL number and harmony, numbers
being tho guides and preserven Of the
universe, at the same time the spiritual
bic expression OF musical vibration abe
first took up the form making power Of
music tones.
1t was the last century scientist Chladni
who first conceived the idea Of tone figures.
On . square metal plate fastened to q oen-
trail support he scattered fine sand. By
touching the edge Of this plate lightly with
his finger and drawing . violin bow across
the edge Of 1t near a corner, the sand was
hrst tossed about In confusion, then 1t
settled in . definite form. II was In this
way that he demonstrated that the octave
forms q circle, and that under like condi-
lions, the same number OF vibrations form
the same figure.
The sdiphone, invented by the Welsh
singer Mrs. Watts Hughs. enabled Miss
vescelius to make similar tests This
device 10 tin tube bent upward In the form
Of . tobacco pipe. with an opening about
four inches wide at one end. while the stem
is an inch across Over the bowl is stretched
q delicate sheet Of rubber securely fastened.
On this rubber . fine powder lie strewn.
When q note 10 sung into the stem end
the powder rises In q little dust cloud, and,
az the note dies away. II settles In a we'll
defined form. Each note has its own Pc
cular shape and II Is always the same
Having established to her satisfaction
the uniform objective power OF music, Mas
vescelius proceeded TO investigate what
had been done In the way OF utilizing this
power as a remedy for the cure Of disease
As far az II was possible to do 30 she verified
all the statements she was able to find on
this subject.
In some cases this was difficult, but not
when they were such as those found in
Gretry's essay on music. where he gives the
following directions for determining the
influence Of music on the action Of the
pulse:
place the three fingers Of the right hand
on the artery OF the left arm, or on any
artery Of the body. sing an air. the tempo
Of which 10 In accordance with the pulse.
Then change to one quicker or slower and
note the pulse; not suddenly. but by de-
grees 1t will accommodate itself to tn 10
new tempo. For example. first sing The
Watch on the Rhine then Schubert's Ave
Maria and, noting the pulse action, It
will be found that the former stirs the heart
TO quick and vigorous action. while the
latter soothes 1t to . less rapid. softer
rhythm
were not 90 easily verified. He states that
he gave his patients doses OF music while
they slept, and cites instances in which
cases Of catalepey were completely cured
by repeatedly administering music when
the patient was sleeping.
He also tells OF . man whose pulse would
at once become more rapid and stronger
while sleeping whe n a o. rtain air was played.
The tension would increase to 90 and tho
beats to 40. while the respiration would
rise from eighteen to thirty minute, and
In short time the body would be covered
with Precipitation. When the patti mt awak-
ened he had no recollection OF music. but 70
membered q sensation as Of rapid motion
and exhilaration.
Alth oueh Miss vesce illus has not treated
catakpsy, she hiss edministt red musical
also to induce sleep, In oases OF hysteria,
me ancholia, insomnia and Other nervous
disco ses, with SUCCESS She strongly ad-
vocetes administering music during sleep.
and "a Us that he who falls askep. while at
the Spssr or oonC t,ns %oSs 1 Ssne FROM
the music than many who are intent on
their neiGhbors, the libretto or the quality
OF the singing and the action.
While pursuing her research along these
late DR.. Henry Houghton, the ear spe cialist.
who used what he called musical u,a ssa 20
for deafness and other dis ass OF the ear.
In giving this treatment NJ USED a reiterated
sounding Of what he found TO be the persons
KEYNOTE, on the ear. To Ct this personal
keynote, DR.. Houghton had the patti mt
pronounce each Of the vowels In his singing
voice. prolonging the final U until the cor
responding note was found on the piano.
Mise vesc Illus USES the same method Of
finding the personal keynote, which Ia 20
simple that any one can find It for himself
or another. and abe uss 1t as point OF
depa rture and N call In administering treat
ments, the tempo and kind Of music being
determined by the nature OF tho disease
treated. She se IN that keynotes In general
are Of great importance. and that there
was q sound scientific reason why Pythag-
ora and his followers held middle = In
rrat reverence, and also why the great
6ells Of China and Japan all sound this
middle + tone, since Il Is the tonic OF nature.
In his principles Of Physics' silliman
tThe Aggregate sound Of nature. a. heard
In the roar Of Q distant city, or he wind
through great forest forms single definite
tone o. apprecisble pitch. This tone Ia
middle Of the planofore. and may be
copside red he kt ynots Of nature.
In his Philosophy OF Sound Higgins
says: Every note produces q certain mum.
her of vibrations, and certain number OF
,Jhrstions In a seCond will ALWAYS produce