The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-27
DOUBT LOUROS CURES
DocToR PUTS SCIENCE AGAINST
FAITH AND REFUTE
MIRACLES.
Sim.

the truth of the so-called miraculous
cures at Lourdes.
1t is asserted by science that no
genuine organic disease has been
cured there, and that where a claim
to the contrary has been made, the
case either had wrong diagnosis at
the beginning or was falsely indorsed
at the end of the treatment. The
great difficulty of getting at the truth
of the alleged cures is the fact that
no journals are kept of the develop
ment of the disease.
1t seems that few weeks ago DR..
Aigner, a Munich physician, wrote in
the Twentieth Century, a publication
edited by himself, an article in which
Willie admitting that cures did hap
pen at Lourdes, he declared that they
affected exclusively nervous disor-
ders and never organic diseases, and,
consequently, they could not be re-
garded as miraculous. To this Il
Catholic paper, the Lothringe!'
Volksstime, made reply in terms so
sharp that DR.. Aigner took proceed
ings for libel, and the hearing of the
case began at Munich the other day.
First Witness Called.
The first witness called was DR..
Won Westphalen, from the neighbor-
hood of Metz, who, having frequently
accompanied pi'-.images to Lourdes,
was put in by the defense to testify
to the efficacy of the waters of the
grotto. He laid great stress on the
case of a child of twenty-three
months old, the daughter of Nantes
doctor, who was born with a double
club foot and weakness of the knees.
The first three baths were without
result, but after the fourth the child
stood up ond began to walk slowly.
1t was shown that the defect in the
feet and the weakness of the knees
had disappeared.
Prof. Gudden of Munich, expressed
the opinion that the cure was due,
not to miraculous agencies, but to the
stimulating effect of four cold baths
taken one after another. The wit
ness was, however, obliged to make
admissions to the other side. He had,
he said, sent many of his patients to
orders, but for organic ailments. At
the same time he had experienced
among them mo great miracle in the
theological sense" Last year one of
his patients came into the verifica-
tion bureau at Lourdes and declared
that she had been cured of lupus
but this was not the. case. A girl
who asked for a certificate of cure
he found to be suffering from diph-
iberia.
DR.. Aigner had thrown doubts on
the cure of Aurelle Huprell, who
went to Lourdes in the third stage of
consumption in 1905, and was cured.
DR.. Schrohe' of Mayence, affirmed
that in the Huprell case either a
medical certificate had been given by
a man who knew nothing or a gen.
uine cure had taken place.
A Notable Case.
And then the evidence turned to a
case which has played very promi-
nent part in the Lourdes propaganda.
Frau Rouchel, who was supposed to
have been cured of lupus, eventually
appeared before the Metz Medical as
sociation, with the result that the
body unanimously passed the follow
ing resolutions:.
/. A cure has not taken place.
2. The improvement observed in
the latient's condition is explicable
on natural grounds.
DR.. Ernst of Metz on whose testi-
mony the Lourdes authorities chiefly
relied in their contention that the
case was one of the most remarkable
on record, now said : that Frau
Rouchel came to him in 1904 with a
clearly developed lupus on the upper
lip and cheek. He treated her in
conjunction with a specialist, but the
disease took its course. For a long
time he heard nothing of her, but one
day she came and asked him for a
certificate for the Lourdes pilgrim
age. He laughed at her at first, but
at length, In response to her urgent
entreaties, gave her certificate to
the effect that she was suffering
from advanced lupus. By this time
the disease had spread over the en-
tire cheek and there were several
perforations. He next read in the
papers that the woman had been
cured at Lourdes. Subsequently he
examined her. together with DIR. Null
Ter, who agreed with him that, while
the disease had not been cured, an
extraordinary improvement had TAX
en- place.
The next witness was the said Mr..
Muller. who, however. denied that he
had been of the opinion attributed to
him, viz, that the Improvement in
Frau Rouchel's condition had been at
all uncommon. On the contrary, the
case was typical of lupus, was sub
ject to Interruptions in its progress,
accompanied by the temporary heal
ing of the LESSONS. The woman now
presented Leplorable picture of
lupus in an advanced stage, SO that
he could not understand how any one
could have said that she was cured
or even extraordinarily improved.
This had for years been the SHOW"
case of Lourdes, and was character
istic Of the methods employed there.
Numerous photographs Of the woman
had been published in Louries leaf
let's and in brochure by DIR. Won
Westphalen. but all showed only the
healthy side Of the face. that which
was afflicted by the disease being SO
heavily shawoded that nothing could