New-York tribune., 1908-03-19
THE CURE OF DISEASE
DIR. can Eeden Tells Interestin Q
Things of Psychic Methods.

The touch Of the king. the relics of the saints
'he waters of Lourdes-all these things DR.. Fred
erick van Eeden, of Holland, believes in. Even
patent medicines. he says. have often worked the
cures that they claim. He explains II ALI bv the
power of suggestion and he considers the medical
profession to have been very remiss in negecting
10 investigate such phenomena simply because they
looked incredible. and leaving the exercise Of the
strange power by which they are wrought to
quacks
Talking The Cure Of Disease by Psychic
Methods under the auspices the League
Political Education. at the Hudson Theatre yester-
DAY morning, DR.. Eeden gave numerous In
stances of disease cured il by miracle. One
that of Edward Irving, the Scotch clergyman. who
going into cholera stricken town was apparently
stricken at the door of the church with cholera.
He felt and showed all the symptoms. but, being
determined to preach. he entered the church and
Gid so, and came out cured OF the Lourdes mira
cles DR.. van Eeden said:
Il believe them. Not only nervous diseases but
real physical ones have been cured there, to
open wounds. which healed over in few hours.
How this is brought about 1 do not know, but
We can be absolutely sure that the BODY consists
of many things that are not perceived by the
senses. The body is not the only thing that forms
the human entity. The things call mind and
soul far exceed the things call body, and these
things have influence the body
How this influence is brought to bear in the cure
Of disease DR.. Eeden does not know. Mesmer
believed that there fluid streaming from his
hands This view has been given up by
scientific men. but not by Dr.. Eeden.
II have treated hundreds of patients" he said.
and / believe that something real goes from my
hands TO the body OF the patient I believe this
because have seen entirely unframed persons
conlplsh more than 1 by the application Of the
hands"
DR.. Eeden applied the psychic method by
I, putting the patient TO sleep and making sugges-
tions by audible words in that state after which
he tried TO lead the patient to do the for
himself. Faith on the part of the patient he did
find essential
In conclusion DR.. Eeden warned the audi
ence to beware Of fanatics and irresponsible per-
sons
DO not eonhde your body" he said "to any
a scientific and trustworthy person. This power
should be exercised only by reputable physicians
II has dangers which cannot be ignored and Of
which I know only too much" He severely crti-
cised Christian Scientists and faith healers.
But mother can use suggestion with her chill
dren with perfect safety. If child is restless
in pain much good may be done by suggestion
her hand on its head and say, Now you don't feel
any pain. Be quiet and sleep On the other hand,
If she says TO the child two or three times day,
I'm afraid you don't feel WELL IL will in many
cases begin TO feel ILL., Most children-from 50 20
per cent-are open 10 suggestion. You make
them anything you like by suggestion"
At the close of the lecture perfect fusillade of
questions showed how great is the interest felt in
The following some that were asked with
DR.. Eeden's
Can patients be treated at a distance7"
II have no experience along that line
"Can organic diseases be treated?'
Without any doubt
Can retarded development in children be
treated"
Certainly
Can valvular disease the heart be treated
Symptoms of IL can
lis there any limit TO the power of suggestion?"
Alas, yes
us 1t not true that the of this power by lay
men has forced physician TO use il. and that so
long they Go not II others must!'
Yes
Or. Eeden studied under Drs. Liebeau, Of
Nancy. and Bernheim Of Paris, who the first
to import hypnotism into orthodox medicine. He
has practised medicine for five years and
discuss the subject at the
time without laying himself to tmputation
Of personal interest.